Review: Captain America The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston
Cast: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan
Running Time: 125mins
Certificate: 12A
Synopsis:

Captain America: The First Avenger” will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)

Finally one of the first and foremost Marvel Superheroes has been successfully translated to the big screen. Timely Comics’, later re-christened Marvel Comics, ‘First Avenger’ has had a number of adaptations over the years with various radio serials, TV shows, cartoons and an ill-fated, poorly financed, 1990’s feature film starring Matt Salinger as the title character. Captain America, thought of originally as a risque venture has now faithfully been brought onto the big screen for some great shield-slinging fun.

From the moment the film opens a number of elements that Marvel and Joe Johnson, the director, set out to do, happens; Number one, the film has to tie in with the ever expanding Marvel film continuity which it does straight away showing the discovery of the Cosmic Cube, seen in the post credits of THOR (2010), and with numerous mentions of Odin. Secondly they wished to re-create the feel of the original INDIANA JONES Trilogy. This is perfectly done with the production design and a great score from Alan Silvestri (A-TEAM) re-embodying the feel of Spielberg’s adventurer. Of course if anyone was to evoke this classic feeling would be Joe Johnson having directed the much loved Hollywood cult film, ROCKETEER (1991), another forties, Nazi, superhero film.

But even with the INDY nostalgia, the great production and score, a film such as CAPTAIN AMERICA always lives or dies on the strength of the hero and villain. In this case Chris Evans as Cap and Hugo Weaving, doing his best impression of Werner Herzog, as the Red Skull. Evans does an excellent job as someone, who begins with an incredible yearning to be a part of something bigger than himself to grow into the heroic leader that he was destined to be. His puny self in the first quarter of the film is fantastic, making the audience belief Evans could of undergone a Christian Bale type dietary regime. Weaving for the most part is a great villain, but at times seemed not as menacing as the character demanded and was probably scarier before he rips his face off, exposing his skull face. The exposing of his skull probably could of been held off until further into the film for a greater dramatically reveal especially as Weaving’s face is incredibly expressive and a joy to watch, so more of that would of been good.

Cap also has a great supporting cast, primarily with Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Philips, the tough talking, one liner machine bringing most of the funnies, Stanley Tucci as Dr Erskine, Hayley Atwell (ANY HUMAN HEART) as the love interest, Peggy Carter, Dominic Cooper (DEVIL’S DOUBLE) as Howard Stark, Iron Man’s daddy, and Sebastian Stan (BLACK SWAN) as Bucky Barnes. There are also a number of nice comic cameos with The Howling Commandos, a legendary military unit originally led by Nick Fury in WWII. Also the Red Skull’s head scientist at Hydra, Dr Zola (Toby Jones / THE MIST).

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER manages to play tribute to the mythology of the fictional character with elements of the real world mixed in for fun. This can be seen after the success of the Super Soldier experiment with Senator Brandt (Michael Brandon / THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE & FRIENDS) roping Steve Roger’s into becoming a promotional puppet where he dresses in a loosely fit Captain America uniform identical to the 1940’s TV show and jokingly punching out Hitler in a different city every night.

Overall the film is very entertaining yet it certainly has it’s flaws with the overuse of green screen, reminiscent of SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROR (2004), leaving a slightly hollow feel to some of the environments. The third act is weak in dramatic tension, with no reason for the audience to care too much about the outcome, especially since everyone knows Cap would seemingly die at the end, but is just frozen in time. There is a major plot hole in the final confrontation of the film which rips the audience out of the action and what is supposedly the emotional core of the film. Finally, and this is not just an issue with CAPTAIN AMERICA but the majority of tentpole films, the film seems to rushed at times with beats missing or edited out, possibly to keep the film under a certain length. This, speaking for myself, can greatly ‘de-power’ the emotional story of any film as it just seems the actors do not consider whatever confronts them and just spit out their lines.

Do not let the negative comments stop you from seeing this film as it is the best comic film of this year and has a great sting at the end, if you wait till the credits roll with the much talked about teaser for THE AVENGERS out next year.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER is out July 29th 2011.