Captain America: The First Avenger review
Outside of card carrying Marvel geeks I think the most people were pretty skeptical of Captain America. The character has never really been pulled off successfully on film and he’s a tricky character especially in today’s superhero landscape. He’s not brooding like Batman or a smartass like Iron Man, he’s a straight-laced character whose origins are in World War II fighting Nazis. Honestly, I was not really looking forward to the film. Captain America seemed like a B-list character (compared to Batman and Spider-Man anyway) and more of an obligation to get his own film out so he could be included in next summer’s main event: “The Avengers” but I thought the film succeeded tremendously. Director Joe Johnston has had his hits (“The Rocketeer,” “Jumanji”) and misses (“Jurassic Park III,” last year’s “The Wolfman” which I was a bigger fan of than most) but he’s a perfect fit for this.
Chris Evans stars as Steve Rogers, a scrawny kid who wants to enlist in the army to fight for his country in WWII who volunteers for their experimental program that turns him into a super soldier, thus becoming Captain America. It may seem like just another origin story (and I’ll agree we’ve definitely seen enough of them) but the film really has it’s own rhythm. It’s more of a World War II film than a superhero origin like the ones we’re used to. Evans plays the role with complete sincerity (all the more remarkable considering his previous Marvel role as the cocky Human Torch) and is backed by an impressive ensemble including Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Jones, Hayley Atwell and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. Weaving does great work (even underneath all the makeup) as the villain and keeps the right amount of menace without going into hand wringing over-the-top territory. Atwell, likewise is a standout as Peggy Carter, Rogers’ love interest. Nine times out of ten the romantic interest in most of these films rings completely false and feels tacked on but she feels integral and is a joy onscreen, bringing the spark of Howard Hawks’ sass without being too self-conscious about it.
But if there is an MVP here it’s director Johnston who handles the tone just right throughout the film. Anyone who’s seen 1991’s “The Rocketeer” will know that it was a perfect test run for this film: period adventure, superheroics, Nazis, dames and genius mentors. Now 20 years later (exactly!) with the latest digital technology he’s made a film that feels like it could have been made in any era and that’s definitely a good thing. Mainstream audiences may complain there’s not enough action in the film because a giant setpiece hasn’t been shoehorned in every 20 minutes but the film is better for it. The finale ends in a tragic and surprising note I wouldn’t have expected which makes me like it even more for daring to go there. I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Thor” or “Iron Man,” liked both but loved neither but next to this film it’s fascinating to see how different each take on the characters is and exciting to think of how they’ll fit together next year.
