Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Overall: 17

Entertainment: 6
Stronger than the first installment of Captain America, with better writing, better visuals, and more heart. The real aspect that sets this movie apart, however, is it's story. It stays true to Steve Rogers (Capt. America) personality, and does a great job of giving him a moral dilemma without changing him into a flawed hero (yes I am tired of that cliche at this moment). It is also nice that this movie stays as pro-America as it's hero--it gets tiring to only be reminded of our defects as a country--despite recognition of some individual and governmental failings. You don't have to be a comic movie fan to enjoy watching this upbeat action-thriller; it is definitely worth your time!

Writing: 6
The Winter Soldier easily handles being a stand-alone movie for those who have not seen the first installment (or any of the other Marvel movies for that matter), while having tons of tie-ins to the overall Marvel world in a way that doesn't feel forced or contrived. The other aspect that I really enjoy is that this film is as much thriller as action (read: it actually has a captivating story between punches, or maybe it has some great punches within the story  :).

Presentation: 5
Overall good visually, but movie does not get too creative or out there with what it displays. It fits right with the rest of the Marvel films, and the action is acrobatic and attractive. The strong writing is well delivered, especially by Chris Evans (Capt. America) who does a great job of making an honorable character more than a caricature.

Divergent (2014)

Overall: 13

Entertainment: 5
Divergent is one of those movies critics love to hate--I am often a rough critic myself--but this film surprised me by being a really enjoyable watch. There is some items that involved real suspension of disbelief, but I think those were holdovers from the book that did not translate well onto the big screen (read jumping off moving trains as standard practice, etc.). Still, I had a good time watching this one.

Writing: 4
I can see where the critics complain that this story is like all other teen movies right now. The movie is set in a dystopian future, the teen protagonist (Tris) is angsting about who she is and who she should be, and there is an obligatory love story element. However, I agree with the argument that there are really no new stories anymore. Most are about the same age-old problems involved in the human condition. The differences are largely setting, timing, and stylistic in nature.

Again, don't listen to the critics. Divergent is both a decent love story and an interesting coming of age story as well.

Presentation: 4
Mixed bag here. The visuals look fairly decent, but don't always add up (e.g. future Chicago with turbines all over the buildings?).

The acting and look of Shailene Woodley (Tris) and Theo James (Four), however, come across very well on screen. They sold their characters well, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the movie.

Robocop (2014)

Overall: 12
Robocop has quite a bit going for it--good acting from big names, decent writing, enough budget for some usable visual effects--but this movie was only at the like level for me. It never quite fully drew me into its world entirely. I do appreciate, however, that the movie stepped away from the campiness of the 1987 version, and also avoided the excessive violence of its predecessor as well.

Entertainment: 4
The movie is entertaining, but is more a story of a man's personal journey through a bad experience than it is a fast-pace, action flick. So don't watch it expecting only fight scenes with awesome visuals and close calls. In a way the movie held to reality much more than I expected, but that is also part of the problem. When watching a movie about a man who loses everything and clings to life as a robot, I don't know if I want to see reality. I'd probably rather see the just (as in justice) revenge. Don't get me wrong. This is an enjoyable movie that has some hard hitting emotion at times, and some good action in between.

Writing: 4
The story is mostly clean and more focused on the realities of the main characters experience than I would have expected for a Robocop reboot. It has strong emotional connection at times as well. However, there are a couple of things that kept me from liking it better. First, this character and writing are largely joyless. Second, the anti-war sentiment reaches preachy levels at times. I think everyone already knows that war is not glamorous or the option of first choice. Finally, some things that happen just don't make sense (e.g. Robocop's wall jump).

Presentation: 4
The visuals were hit and miss for me. I'm not an expert on this front, but some of the visuals felt wrong. The wall jump mentioned earlier is a perfect example. It is one of many visuals that almost looked really good, but did not quite make it to amazing. The acting is good, but nobody made a name for themselves with this one.