Captain America: The First Avenger

Never thought I'd heard "Siegfried's Funeral March" (my candidate for "greatest piece of music of all time") in a comic book movie, but it is indeed part of the soundtrack. In fact, its use underscores the biggest flaw in CA: TFA, that the character of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull was not fully developed to reach his full dramatic potential and the 'showdown' with Cap wasn't all that it could have been. It's great they made CA: TFA a full two-hour movie, but a lot of the scenes developing Steve/Cap's character could have been trimmed a minute or so and redistributed to showing us the early Skull years, how he was a nobody like Steve Rogers before his 'big break' to become the Skull ala Rogers' opportunity to become Cap. Weaving was good as the Skull but he wasn't given the chance to breathe full life into the character and have him establish the presence he did with Agent Smith in the Matrix movies and as V in V for Vendetta. CA: TFA is a good film even though so much is changed from the comics; Hydra as the secret society behind the Nazis, Bucky as Cap's old friend who dies prematurely. I did enjoy the 'trippy' ending where Cap realizes the baseball radio broadcast is fake and breaks out of the phony hospital room, for a minute I didn't know what was going on. If you're going to see it, stay for the end of the credits to see a new scene a tease trailer for The Avengers, which should be great.
3 out of 5 shields for Captain America: The First Avenger.

X-Men: Schism

Very impressed, best comic of 2011, right up there with Captain America: Hail Hydra. Jason Aaron's script is superb, the dialogue between Cyclops and Wolverine was both funny and insightful. The Carlos Pacheco artwork is borderline spectacular, and the splash and double splash pages of image only were among the best I've seen from Marvel since the Kirby glory days. Won't give away the ending but needless to say it's a jaw-dropper. At first I didn't know what to make of the whole Kade Kilgore plot thread, but it all came together in the end. One thing about 21st Century Marvel Comics--they know how to execute a cliffhanger and keep you jonesing for more. With 80% more Schism left, can't wait for the next installment.

Gotterdammerung 7-3-11 San Francisco Opera

The SFO's Ring cycle in 2011 concluded on a mostly spectacular note with the 7-3 performance of Gotterdammerung. I didn't care for the setting of the Norns' prelude scene, and the cable instead of the strings of fate was awkward, but the three women did have chemistry. Though I though Runnicles' conducting rushed the scene a bit.  Melissa Citro was perhaps the sexiest--dare I say sluttiest--Gutrune ever, she revealed a different side to the character instead of the typical frumpy Gutrune. Andrea Silvestrelli was impressive and menacing as the black-garbed Hagen, standing in the shadows, overseeing the action that he seeks to manipulate to his malevolent ends. The Prologue/First Act sets were mostly unremarkable. I did enjoy the 'TV screen' effect in the Hagen/Alberich scene to begin Act II and the use of the remote to 'draw the curtain', pretty clever.  The Gibichung chorus was done as a fascist army and with the setting, gave off a very 'Pink Floyd The Wall' vibe.  Easily the most dramatic moment of this entire Ring took in the scene in which Brunnhilde is brought to marry Gunther; it was very stark, yet cinematic--it felt like I was watching a movie at this point. Nina Stemme can act as well as sing. In Act III the Rhinemaidens were suitably sexy, one of them even sitting on Siegfried's lap ala a stripper. Ian Storey as Siegfried this time around did seem a little more nobler and less buffoonish.  The scene where Hagen stabs Siegfried in the back was done too fast and "Siegfried's Funeral March", which I consider the greatest piece of music ever written--it's simultaneously tragic and triumphant--also felt rushed by Runnicles. As the final scene approached, and Brunnhilde walked into the Rhine, I was a bit put off by the staging and the effects, but then the curtains of fire appeared and then they had a little girl carry out a young tree to be planted as a symbol of new life after the corrupt old order of the gods and Niebelung had passed away. It brought a tear to my eye as the last strains of the transcendent music descened upon the War Memorial Opera House. I give this Gotterdammerrung 4 rescued rings out of 5.

Siegfried 7-1-11 San Francisco Opera

Gordon Hawkins was less buffoonish than past Siegfried's I've seen, though I still don't think any of them have quite captured Siegfried's heroism. He's more like a bully than a force of nature. The sets were mostly disappointing with one exception, the opening of Act III, in which Wotan/Wanderer confronts Erda was very impressive and mysterious, like the entrance to a mountain Wotan was indeed guarding. The final scene, in which Siegfried learns fear upon approaching Brunnhilde, paled in comparison to the rock formations from the SF0 1999 Ring. Although Fafnir as the dragon was replaced by a futuristic 'death-tank' as part of this quasi-post-modern Ring, it was still captivating as the machine blew steam (a nice variation on the smoke-breathing dragon) at Siegfried and he battled with Notung until Fafnir was slain. David Cangelosi's Mime seemed more like a pagliacchio than a twisted Niebelung. Stacey Tappan was suitably enchanting as the forest bird that guides Siegfried to his final showdown with Wotan and awaking Brunnhilde. The sword vs spear confrontation was awkwardly staged, but the explosion as Wotan's spear breaks was a kick. I didn't love the chemistry between Hawkins' Siefried and Nina Stemme's Brunnhilde, not like she had with Mark Delavan (Wotan).  The second act is one of my favorite acts of the Ring, musically speaking and Runnicles and the orchestra were up to the challenge.  Three down, one to go as we prepare bid farewell to Wagner's eternally magical world and compelling characters. I give this Siegfried 2.75 pints of Fafnir's blood out of 5.

Die Walkure 6-29-11 San Francisco Opera

I didn't care for the set design at all, except for the ending (more below). The Hundig hut was bland, though I did like the shadow of the tree on the front of the house. And Wotan's boardroom was boring, like it was the Ayn Rand version of The Ring.  Brandon Jovanovich was merely adequate as Siegmund (didn't convey Siegmund's heroism sufficiently) and places in comparison to Placido Domingo's Siegmund at the 2005 Chicago Ring we attended. The Valkyrie costumes were also a disappointment, making the warrior maidens look more like bi-plane pilots than the offspring of the gods. Also found the vocalizations of the Valkyrie chorus lacking on the "Hojotoho! Heiaha" section. On the positive side, the chemistry between Wotan and Nina Stemme's Brunnhilde was fantastic, I truly believed them as father/daughter, they had playful energy as well as demonstrating deep compassion for one another. Stemme is quite a different Brunnhilde in appearance, almost a 'modern' Brunnhilde, we'll see how she delivers as her character takes on greater complexities now reduced to mere mortality and without Wotan to Heidi Melton was excellent as Sieglinde, she had both the Nordic beauty and the vulnerable yet heroic qualities you're looking for in a Sieglinde. The 'Magic Fire' circle at the end was visually impressive, aided by a special effect of flames on the curtain, casting the illusion that Brunnhilde is indeed surrounded by a wall of fire. The pictures of real-life war dead was a clever twist on the Valkyries gathering heroes theme and the audience applauded when the pictures were held aloft by the Valkyries. Overall, this Walkure gets 3 out of 5 Notungs.