The last several years, it’s become increasing difficult to will myself to go to the movies. This is largely due to the increases in movie prices, as well as there haven’t been too many films that made me say, “I need to go out and see this as soon as possible.” Really, the only kinds of movies I’ll spend money on are comic book films. The special effects spectacle notwithstanding, I enjoy seeing how my favorite characters are adapted to the big screen, and how the top talent can interpret the various stories. Sometimes, it succeeds, other times, I’m disappointed, but that’s to be expected. I’m a strict critic of this particular genre. This year, the comic book film genre saw a plethora of high-profile movies released, and being a super fan, I figured at least one of these films would be good.
While Thor was decent enough, I’m not a big fan of the character, but it was respectable enough for me not to hate it. It was visually exciting, but that was it for me. X-Men: First Class disappointed me for rushing the events in the story too much, some dumb dialogue, and some obvious and painfully annoying allusions throughout the film, although the acting was top notch. I didn’t see Green Lantern, but I heard mixed reviews, and like Thor, I’m not a reader of that particular series, so not even the charm of Ryan Reynolds could pull me in (Sorry, Proposal fans!). I was about to lose hope. However, I’m pleased (and grateful) to say that the best was for last, ladies and gentlemen. The star-spangled hero saves the day, and my cinematic summer.
Captain America: The First Avenger is by far the best movie I’ve seen all year, best NEW film to be specific. I was admittedly nervous for two reasons. One, this film was the tent pole for Marvel in their attempt to unify their recent slate of films to connect to their upcoming blockbuster, The Avengers, so a lot was riding on this film to be great. Usually, when there’s a lot of pressure, the film doesn’t live up to expectations (Spider-Man 3). The second reason is that Captain America is my favorite comic book character, not only for his old-fashioned values and beliefs, but the fact that he will never back down from a fight, and he sticks up for the little guy. Yes, he has enhanced skills and physical abilities, but he’s still a man, and he uses strategy just as much as his athletic prowess to defeat his opponent. Again, the pressure I felt was almost suffocating.
Fortunately, my fears were dumbfounded, because this movie rocks.
Set during World War II,the story parallels two men whose fates are destined to connect. The first is Johann Schmidt, a member of the Nazi-hybrid organization called Hydra. Schmidt is destined to wield the supernatural powers of the gods, and he will destroy everything in his path to reach that ambition. The second is Steve Rogers, a frail American willing to join the army with more heart than anyone, but can’t get past his severe physical limitations. When Rogers is selected to be a part of the U.S. Army’s secret Super Soldier program, he undergoes a transformation that will make him essentially the perfect physical specimen, but more importantly, an amplified version of what he really is: a good man. It’s the clearest story of good vs. evil that I saw this year: All-American Steve Rogers vs. Johann Schmidt, a.k.a., the Red Skull.
I know the description is somewhat vague, but unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the story of Captain America. I’m focusing on the movie itself. The story has a nice quick pace that keeps the action and drama well-balanced, allowing the main characters to grow and develop while each getting their moments to shine when the going gets tough. The acting is uniformly excellent, particularly the two leads. Chris Evans knocks Steve Rogers out of the park, as he has to play two characters, the skinny, but determined Steve Rogers, and the more confident and dominant Captain America. Evans brings enough charm and seriousness to a role that requires a likeability to succeed. He sells the role, because he believes it. You never get the feeling he wants to rush the scenes before his physical transformation in order to play the action hero; he cares for the character. Hugo Weaving, on the other hand, is a blast as The Red Skull. He is probably the perfect choice for that character. He brings a subtle, but sinister edge to a role that EASILY could have been over the top, but he keeps it down to earth. His lines are laced with arsenic, and his glare could kill a man a thousand yards away. His brutality in the film is equaled only to the heroics of Captain America, which are extraordinary. The scenes with them together are the highlights of the film, especially their first encounter. It’s a small scene, but it’s framed perfectly, as their fates finally intertwine, two mortal adversaries coming face to face. The supporting cast is great too, including Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Phillips, and Hayley Atwell as love interest Peggy Carter. Not enough praise for the cast.
The action is what you’d expect from a comic book film, but that’s not a bad thing. I was pleased to see more stunt work than CGI, giving it a more realistic look. I think the World War II setting added some creativity to the genre, as the fight scenes were a lot grittier and more serious than your usual superhero film. Director Joe Johnston
*SPOILER ALERT*
The story is overall very good, even if they rushed the third act a little bit. The sweeping raids of the Hydra factories were exciting enough to stand on their own, but also quick enough to set the stage for future sequels. The characters are all well-defined, and their interactions never seem forced or awkward. It feels realistic. Speaking of which, I did like how grounded they made this super solider program to be. Sure, it’s fictitious, but they pull it on in a way that makes you believe it could happen. I think this is due to the heavier focus on the characters, not on the superpowers. Again, the abilities and extraordinary traits are not shoved down our throats; it’s natural. Having said all this, I feel like they could have fleshed out a few plot points. One, We know that both Captain America and the Red Skull are superior men, not just for their enhanced strength thanks to the Super Soldier Serum, but also their strategic backgrounds. These are touched on in the film, but I wanted to see a little bit more, showing just how much these two stand out, particularly the Red Skull. We rarely see why he is so feared, apart from the deformed face and menacing composure. Maybe show a scene or two demonstrating his enhanced skills and brutality, and why he makes even the regular Nazis seem afraid. This leads to my next point: Where are the regular Nazis? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing Captain America kick the crap out of the bad guys, but it would have been great seeing him fight the Nazis we’re used to, the ones without helmets and sci-fi weapons, the ones we learned to hate. Successfully, this goes into my final nitpick. In the film, we realize that the Skull’s master plan is so ruthless, he is willing to surpass Hitler and the Nazis, leading Hydra to total world domination. He plans on decimating all the major cities in the world, including his own Berlin. I think it would be really cool to see the transition from regular Nazis to the Skull’s Hydra troops not only being integrated into the German Army, but essentially overpopulating it, almost weeding out the original German troops in a twisted version of natural selection. Like I said, I’m a harsh judge of these films, and this was my only complaint with the film.
*End of SPOILER ALERT*
I was nervous to review this film right after it was released, because I did the same thing last year with Iron Man 2, and although it was a good film, it wasn’t as great looking back after time had passed. In my Associated Content review, I complemented the entertainment value, but I never touched on its numerous flaws; I was just so excited I had seen it, I didn’t let it settle. I told myself I wouldn’t make that mistake again, and I feel a lot better about it. Easily the best film I saw this year, and one of my favorites over the last few years, Captain America: The First Avenger, does not disappoint. It mixes solid action, great acting, and a good story into an exciting comic book cocktail, ending with a surprising killer line that hits you harder than you’d expect.