"It captured the essence of what made the comic book so addictive for many of us when we were kids" -M.M.
"The acting was way better than expected and it was just a ton of fun to watch" -A.S.
"The story was good and not as predictable as I thought. Chis Evans did a good job of playing Cap but could have done a better job at playing Steve" -K.M.
"The lessons of Captain America are profound: patriotism is yummy and Nazis are dumb" -M.M.
"A truly epic thrill ride. Nothing but pure clean fun for the entire audience. Not since the first Iron Man have I been this entertained by a Marvel movie. Bravo!" -T.S.
T.S.? Wait a minute that's me! That must mean we're in the middle of my review of Captain America: The First Avenger. Captain America follows the determination of a scrawny big hearted young man by the name of Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans). Steve's parents were killed in service of the country and he feels it's time to do his part. After being rejected several times by the army because of his meek stature, he is selected to become a part of a secret super soldier program due to his integrity and good nature. Steve decides to use his new found abilities to go deep into enemy lines and attempt to dismantle the Nazi group know as Hydra and stop it's dementedly evil dictator, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), from achieving world domination.
This film is great and follows suit in showing us why Marvel Studios is at the forefront of the entertainment industry. It was a little slow to start out but then the movie grabs you by the scruff of the neck and doesn't let go. The decision to shoot it as a period piece was the perfect route to take. This allowed the studio to rely on some of the same formulas that made Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk so good but it still had it's own flavor. As much as Chris Evans is saturated in the comic style movie industry (Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Scott Pilgram, The Losers, Push, TMNT) he was a perfect fit for this role. Speaking of perfect casting, how amazing was Hugo Weaving? He was demented, scary, and just down right evil. It was like taking Agent Smith and Col. Hans Landa (mastery played by Christoph Waltz) in a boiling cauldron of fear and depravity.
Let's get down to brass tacks here, I mean it's not all candy canes and lollipops. The CG in some of the scenes (two in particular: first, when he chases the Nazi spy after first getting his abilities; and second, when he is chasing after Red Skull's plane in the hanger) was put together with a lot of follow-through. It felt like a mix of re-colored scenes from Spiderman and a bad taste of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Also I didn't feel that they made a solid connection between Cap and Bucky. They were supposed to be the best of friends but they didn't nurture that relationship enough for me to care what happens to Bucky throughout the film. All of that aside, I will say, the work that went in to making Chris Evans look like a puny little guy was spectacular. I know it was the same technology that went into making The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but holy crap it was spot on and flawless in this film.
Overall this is probably the best movie I have seen all summer and if you have an inkling of a curiosity to see it, DO IT, you will not be disappointed (and don't forget to stay till the end, one word, EPIC!). In the curious case of Captain America: The First Avenger I give it 5 Shield Shaped Head Concussions out of 5!
Tony S.
The Revolution Review 2011
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