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By Horacio Garcia

The greatest hero the United States has known is back…and we are one step closer to the coming of The Avengers. We already have Ironman, Thor, The Captain and The Hulk. I know for a fact that Hawkeye is not getting a movie of his own and Ant Man never had a chance.

I must confess that I went to Captain America: The First Avenger with a little foreboding. It's the most "cartoon like" of the bunch -the outfit have always being ridiculous, so…surprise, surprise! It turns out Captain America is by far the best Superhero movie of the year. This is big, loud, outrageous, fast paced action fun. Not only that: Captain America is old fashioned Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Flash Gordon fun with great FX but relaying more on solid performances and  an straight-lined story.

The story: When a SHIELD research team finds a mysterious plain in the Arctic Ice engraved with the sign of Hydra, the call goes straight to Colonel Nick Fury, because something Big has being found. Then, times rolls back and  the action begins more than 70 years before, in 1942 in  Brooklyn, New York, where a weakling, asthmatic, ninety-five pounds boy named Stephen Rogers tries to join the Army for the 4th time and is rejected again.

But he gets lucky because while visiting the Queens Faire grounds he is noticed by a mysterious Dr. Erskine who's got a lot of pull with the military. Stephen is accepted in the US Army, not to be shipped overseas to kill Germans but to be part of the super soldiers Program. You can imagine the rest.

What is it that works so well in Captain America that does not in Green Lantern or Ironman II? Simply put, director Joe Johnston went back to the basics: a great story plot of good vs. evil, lots of action and very good actors. Hugo Weaving playing Red Skull is simply sinister, with Tommy Lee Jones as the Colonel (there is always one) and Hayley Atwell providing the pretty-yet-lethal Agent Carter, the love interest of the hero. But above all, Chris Evans really nailed it this time.

The transformation from the little, skinny Stephen Rogers into the Cap is flawless and not only on account of the great effects and make-up they used, when Evans comes out of that pod, he really is The Captain. He believes in his character in exactly the way Ryan Reynolds did not believed in his in Green Lantern and this  film is so much better for that.

Special mention to the excellent Stanley Tucci as Dr. Erskine and the always professional Toby Jones as Dr. Zola, Hydra's main scientist and Red Skull right hand. Again, one of the best things in the movie is the solid cast of secondary actors, including the regular cameo by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury at the end of the movie. Remember; The Avengers is Nick's personal project and the movie is coming next year. Of course, you really have to wait to the very end of the credits to see the clip. All in all, a very good adventure movie.

Tags blogger: Horacio Garcia, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Tommy Lee Jones

By Michael Lopez

All of us remember Disney’s animated 1994 epic, The Lion King. With its gorgeous artwork, colorful animals, and heartwarming storyline, it is a true essential for any family-friendly DVD library. Well now Disneynature has taken that premise even further, with its sweeping live-action film African Cats. Part documentary, part adventure story, this 90-minute journey through central Kenya is truly an amazing feat of filmmaking.

For the past four years, the Mouse House’s Disneynature division has produced some breathtaking films. Their first outing, 2007’s Earth, showcased magnificent scenery in the Arctic. Oceans arrived in 2010 and focused on (you guessed it) the most amazing sea life on the planet. Now with Cats, the studio has branched out even further, offering a semi-storyline to go along with the documentary footage.

Even though every “character” in this movie is a real animal in the wild, you can truly see their personalities shine. There are temperamental crocodiles, overprotective cheetah moms, and even a fang-faced lion who provides quite a bit of comic relief. To be honest, after watching the film you almost find yourself wondering whether the African Cats cast was following a script!

The characters audiences will fall in love with most are Mara the lioness, Sita the cheetah, and all of the cute baby kitties roaming around the landscape. And just like every good movie, Cats has its share of villains too. Kali the lion can be quite intimidating and has some scenes that may be a little intense for the younger crowd.

The plot of the movie is broken down into two separate stories. One involves Mara and her struggle to adapt to a new pride of lions. Throughout the film, you see her evolve from a timid 6-month-old cub into a proud and confident queen of the Cats. The other storyline follows Sita, a four-legged single mom trying desperately to provide for her adorable spotted babies.

Throughout it all, audiences are treated to the engaging voice of narrator Samuel L. Jackson and an incredibly fun musical score. And in case you were thinking of bringing little ones to African Cats, be warned. Though there is no outward violence shown in the movie, there are scenes involving death and battles between the prides (not to mention a pretty high gazelle body count).

Bottom line: African Cats literally puts those television nature specials to shame. With its stunning visuals and lush score, we highly recommend catching this movie in an IMAX theater (or at the very least, on a Blu-Ray DVD).

Are you planning on seeing African Cats this weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags African Cats, Disney, Disneynature, Documentaries, Movie Reviews, Movies, Movies & CineMás, Samuel L. Jackson

Add Samuel L. Jackson to the list of Hollywood actors drawn to the bright lights of Broadway: the "Iron Man 2" star is in New York this week for a reading of new play about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the iconic civil rights leader. Entitled “The Mountaintop,” the play was produced last year in London and is slated to open this fall.

Does Samuel L. Jackson have what it takes to embody MLK?

Let's examine some obstacles: King died at the age of 39 and Jackson is 61. Shouldn't there be a slight resemblance? Also, we're honestly having a hard time envisioning Jackson for the role. Blame "Pulp Fiction" or "Snakes on a Plane," but aside from his stoic performance as "Star Wars" leader Mace Windu, Jackson's strongest roles have been as the bad ass in action films.

We have more on Samuel L. Jackson's new play, after the jump! Read more...

Tags Broadway, Martin Luther King Jr., play, Samuel L. Jackson