That Joe Johnston and Marvel are making a completely un-ironic, classic superhero take on Captain America is a thrilling prospect that will hopefully return a little old fashioned comic book style to movie screens that could definitely use them.
But even if I’m excited and you’re excited about seeing the film this summer, Joe Johnston seems even more pleased with it.
He celebrated the movie in a talk with the LA Times, where he praised the entertainment value of the movie after catching his first viewing of the current cut. What do his statements mean?
Absolutely nothing. Still, they’re fun to read:
“I watched the movie for the first time a few days ago and I just looked at the first cut and there is so much entertainment value ‐ it’s just flat-out fun to watch,”
Fun is good. As for his commanding presence overlooking the project, Johnston had this to say:
“Maybe I’m somewhat biased ‐ I was there [when we made it] ‐ but, seriously, it’s funny, it’s exciting and there’s great visual effects. The movie is going to be something more than people are expecting. This movie is going to surprise some people. It is the origin story of Captain America but it is also something rare ‐ it’s a period superhero film but there’s great action in it. You don’t normally think of guys driving around in 1939 sedans in an action film but there are some great action beats in it. It’s just a helluva lot of fun to watch.”
He “was there.” He just happened to be hanging out on set while they filmed. Maybe he ate a few snacks off the craft service table. Maybe he gave Chris Evans a thumbs up. He was, you know, there. Just directing and theoretically crafting the film that he happens to like a lot.
Look, these comments could be taken as the genuine excitement of a director who was happy with his product after the gauntlet of production. They could also be taken as the necessary grandstanding that has to take place before audiences slap down their money for a good time. They could be taken as neither.
The comments mean nothing because of the bias Johnston points out (ever so casually) and also because we weren’t in the room with him when he watched it.
There’s no use speculating on whether this means the movie will be great or not. We’ll all just have to wait until the Summer to see it for ourselves.
Related Topics: Comics, Marvel
