movie review
Captain America: The First Avenger
chris evans portrays patriotic hero with heart
Despite the best efforts of my comic-book-loving friends, I haven’t been able to get into comic books since my Archie and Veronica days as a youngster. Even then, I never read superhero comics (though my brothers wish they still had all of their now-valuable comics). So my appreciation for ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ is strictly movie-based.
Here’s the thing: the best superheroes can span any generation, and Captain America certainly does that. Most of this movie takes place during World War II in Nazi Germany, and the attention to detail is spot-on: the settings, vintage cars, military uniforms, even the sepia-wash of the film. But beyond that, Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, is the ultimate hero.
He’s brave, compassionate, loyal, kind and resourceful. He believes in something greater than himself, and he’s willing to die for it. He gladly stands up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. He doesn’t have the personal demons that torment other superheroes like Iron Man and Batman. And even though he will do anything to become a soldier and start fighting Nazis, he says at one point that he doesn’t really want to kill anyone. He’s the sort of hero that’s relevant in both the 1940s and modern times.
The movie begins in 1942 with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) trying to enlist in the Army time after time, but his puny body and health issues keep getting him turned away (digital technology was used to “shrink” Evans down for those early scenes). But Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) recognizes something greater in Steve, so he helps him enlist. Scrawny Steve is put through rigorous training paces by Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and meets the lovely but stern Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). Then he’s taken to a super secret location and injected with a serum that turns him into the buff and brawny Captain America.
At first, Captain America becomes the face of the war, touring the country and making appearances with dancing ladies to sell war bonds. But when intel is uncovered about the nefarious HYDRA, Germany’s experimental science division led by the evil Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), Captain America puts himself in the line of fire. With a rag-tag team of soldiers, he leads a rogue rescue mission to find his buddy Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and stop Schmidt’s powerful super weapons before they’re unleashed on the world.
While some of the dialogue and scenes are a little corny – picture Captain America returning from a dangerous mission with his team, striding towards the camera over a distant hilltop, and dropping a one-liner to his unbelieving superiors as he approaches – there’s a lot to like about ‘Captain America: The First Avenger.’
In addition to Steve’s aforementioned hero qualities, it’s fun seeing the 90-lb. weakling become instantly transformed into a beefy superhero who’s ready to go after the bullies. Marvel fans will enjoy seeing the backstory to his shield and red-white-and-blue outfit, as well as appearances by Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Tony Stark/Iron Man’s suave dad working his tech-savvy magic in the war room, and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). As with the previous Avengers-related movies, be sure to stay through the credits for a glimpse of what’s to come.
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