Captain America: The First Avenger! You can measure your level of geekdom by your level of understanding the significance of the title. This movie is the final salvo in the series of movies that will culminate next year in the much anticipated Avengers movie. I will say that I had contradictory feelings about this movie. I was not impressed with this film overall, but in reflection, I had a fun time and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you view this film as another addition in the overall tapestry of the Marvel Universe, it is a respectable addendum.
Chris Evans (already with super hero pedigree as The Human Torch of The Fantastic Four) takes on the title role of Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Captain America is not a well-known super-hero to the mainstream public. What I mean is that everyone has heard of him, but there is not the level of pop culture awareness of his story or history as say a Spiderman or Superman. For the fanboys out there, one cannot underestimate the significance of this character. Once used as a propaganda tool during World War II, the character was later resurrected in the 1960’s as the cornerstone of the Marvel Comics universe. In the world of shades of heroic grey that marked Marvel heroes as so different from others of the time, Captain America was the one exception. He stood for and personified everything that we aspired to be as Americans and held true to those beliefs even when it became unfashionable.
What I did enjoy about this movie is that it was a movie. Not just a collection of special effects and loud explosions. This movie has texture, depth, and characters we care about. The film’s retro feel of World War II era New York is impressive as is its’ ability to capture the clarity and innocence of the time despite the onset of global war or viewed through the cynicism of modern times. The movie is infused with patriotism and it’s PC moments do not dilute the overall American pride that was once a birthright of being American. Chris Evans perfectly exemplifies the square jawed hero that was once the standard of heroes.
The story, for those not aware, is about 90lb asthmatic weakling Steve Rogers (The technology used to make Chris Evans look like a 90lb weakling is impressive. The illusion is virtually seamless). He is a true red-blooded American who only wants to serve his country during a time of war. Unfortunately, his frail physical condition does not support his heroic ambitions. He is rejected every time he tries to enlist with the humiliating rating of 4F. However; his pure heart and drive does not go unnoticed. An ex-pat German scientist working on a super soldier program for the American government identifies Steve’s innate goodness as the perfect quality for his project. Stanley Tucci plays the German scientist Dr Erskine with heart and depth. This could have been just a generic supporting role, but Tucci does a fantastic job establishing the relationship between Rogers and his character. Erskine has deep admiration for Rogers who he feels is truly a good man, which is more important than any other attribute.
There are many good supporting characters that exemplify the time period. Tommy Lee Jones plays the hard boiled Colonel in charge of the project. Hayley Atwell plays Steve’s confidante Peggy Carter like a 40’s pin up girl. As typical for the time period, their sexual tension is portrayed chaste and wholesome. Sebastion Stan plays his sidekick Bucky Barnes. This character was much better fleshed out than in the book. The role reversal of Steve, once Bucky’s sidekick, who becomes Bucky’s protector is one of the driving forces in the movie. One of the most fun supporting characters is Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, engineer extraodinaire and future father of Tony Stark (Iron Man for those keeping score). We see where Tony gets his showmanship.
With the magical scientific transformation of Steve into Captain America the stage is set for the rest of the movie. Every hero needs a villain and Hugo Weaving plays villainous better than anyone. Hugo is Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull; a brilliant scientist whose mad ambitions cause a failed medical experiment that transformed his skin and face into something that resembles a red skull (hence the nickname). He leads a division of the Nazis called Hydra. Schmidt feels confined by Hitler and has world domination ambitions of his own. His discovery of an other worldly Cube (The Cosmic Cube for those fanboys who are smiling smugly) gives him the power needed to pursue his goal.
The movie leads up to the epic confrontation of good vs evil in the tradition of all action movies. The Red Skull was never one of my favorite villains, but Hugo Weaving does an adequate job in creating the sense of menace and megalomania necessary to make the character work. The ending attempts to pull at the heartstrings, but it really is just an excuse to prepare us for the upcoming Avengers movie next year, featuring all the characters we come to know and love over these past years; Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, and now Captain America. Make sure you stay until after the credits to see the trailer for the Avengers.
I rate this movie *** stars.
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