Unable to attend the screening of Captain America – The Winter Soldier, I asked my friend, Tony Mauro, to take his buddies and offer Julieverse readers a review from a Dad’s perspective.
Captain America – The Winter Soldier, was an action-packed adventure from start to finish. As a movie go-er, I was impressed by the story, cinematography & special effects. As a businessman, I am marveled by Marvel. They have really developed the magic formula from the timing of their releases to the interconnection of their entire franchise. As a fitness proponent, it is fantastic to see the characters running, performing challenging stunts, and showing off their incredible physiques that come from three activities I implore my boys: eat right, get your sleep, and exercise! (Okay, I might add “listen to your parents.”)
As a father, my only regret is that I cannot take any of my three sons to see The Winter Soldier. Not that we cannot revisit this and so many other amazing movies together when they are teenagers, it’s just that I would have liked to see some with them as they were released on the big screen. I do not mind them seeing some violence, but the loss of life and, in some cases, the blatant disregard for life, is just too much. That is why I recommend following the PG-13 rating as a guide, give or take a few years, depending on your child. On the other hand, the values of Captain America are what I would like my sons to develop. A strong character forged in integrity, loyalty, and determination.
Finisher: I went with three other guys. Vote: 3 – 1 not to go with your wife. Captain America – The Winter Soldier makes for the ultimate father – teenage+ son event or guys’ night out.
Tony Mauro is a husband & father of three boys ages 9, 7, & 5. He works for a Fortune 50 healthcare company by day and continues as a health, wellness & fitness enthusiast & entrepreneur by night. Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyMauroMBA and visit his website, HandXBand.
Reader’s Opinions
Such valuable commentary. Thank you! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a movie that embodied these components that you talked about for young adolescent boys and didn’t involve such violence and the indiscriminate value towards life? It makes you wonder if you need to “enjoy” this astounding level of destruction/violence to appreciate” The Avengers,” “The Hulk,” “Thor,” “Iron Man,” and now “Captain America.” All of these movies are amazing technological feats of cinematography. They are also really are showing the truly cool affects you can display on the big screen thanks to the creators’ utilization of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Here is an example of how Marvel could harness adolescents’ STEM passions and not so much on violence and gore.
A friend of my wife’s 9-year-old son wrote LEGO after viewing and really loving “the LEGO Movie,” saying that he wanted to work for LEGO when he grew up. Instead to discarding the letter as a “cute” albeit trivial pipe dream, the LEGO reps took the boys’ desire seriously. They sent him a very detailed follow-up email. LEGO told him to study hard learn as much about Math and Technology as he possibly could. Take Physics, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, Chemistry, Biology, and Calculus in high school and plan to attend a university after high school. The representatives of LEGO took this child’s intent seriously. I hope that Marvel can focus less on the destruction and impaling of human bodies and focus more on taking our children’s STEM passions seriously.
William R. Staplin, International Center for Professional Development (ICPD)
This is on my list to see. I’m a huge Marvel fan, and I love a good action pic. Luckily, I have teens, so I can watch with them with no qualms. The bigger issue is that when they’re teens, they don’t always want to go to the movies with Mom.
Melanie Nelson
Images courtesy Walt Disney Pictures – Marvel Studios.
