This summer someone in Hollywood seems obsessed with making movies about super heroes whose comics I haven’t read. And so enters, "Captain America: The First Avenger." Is this Marvel’s newest super hero masterpiece, or just another prelude to “The Avengers?”
Don't let the "First Avenger" part of the title scare you. This movie is all about Captain America. The Avenger part is only at the beginning and end to create a framework for the coming "Avengers" movie. The remaining film length is spent following Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in his growth from a weakling wannabe warrior to the embodiment of America. For the first hour he barely sees any action, but these movie minutes are far from wasted. His dedication to freedom pushes him into overcoming adversity and learning to control his abilities. He soon becomes a hero everyone can root for.
Helping him on his journey is Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), who sees the hero he can be from the very beginning. Even when Steve disappoints her, she stands by his side and ends up unwittingly inspiring him to become the hero the world desperately needs. Standing in his way is Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), also known as the Red Skull. His villainous plots rival those of the Nazis he works for. The Red Skull becomes the embodiment of pure evil, making him the perfect counterpart to Captain America.
Evans, Atwell and Weaving create a solid core for this film to revolve around. Joining them is Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci and Dominic Cooper, who all deserve mention for their performances. Although Evans could have progressed Steve as a character without them, these side characters are what give the movie heart and soul, and create the world that Steve inhabits. They do such a great job that it's disappointing that the Avengers movie takes place seventy years later because consequently, this is their only chance to shine.
Captain America stories have felt dated for years. His best moments take place during WW2 or when he's alongside the Avengers. The creators seem aware of this, and the script takes a wartime film approach with comic book style dialogue. Don't expect the same non-stop wit of earlier marvel films — although there is plenty of humor to keep you smiling, this movie is all about Steve’s personal growth.
Everything isn't perfect with this latest Avenger epic. The action is well crafted and the Captain America’s unique shield fighting style works well on screen, but the balance of story and action is off. The first half of the film is extremely story heavy causing the second half to be mostly action. Many of the battle scenes feel unnecessarily long or unnecessary. Beyond that over compensation, the overall action is solid. There are a few moments of poor pacing and random cuts that slow the film down. It also seems like the inclusion of many traditional Captain America characters comes down to fan service and adds to the overall length of the film.
"Captain America: The First Avenger" is a solid addition to Marvel’s movie portfolio. It has a great story, exciting action and a hero for the ages. Its sprinkling of flaws keeps the movie from becoming the next big comic movie, but it's still a must see for fans of super heroes, action, or fun action films.
I give it four "Star Shields" out of five.
Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron
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