Review of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) by Jonathan L — 03 Apr 2014

Captain America: The First Avenger is one of the better marvel movies to come out as of late. It may not be for history buffs, who will definitely have something to say about how the time period is portrayed, but as a sort of prequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America works in more ways than one.

One reason Cap America stands out is because it almost plays homage to Stephen Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies. If you are not a comic book movie fan you can at least appreciate the subtleties of old fashioned entertainment that Captain America has to offer.

I appreciate how Joe Johnson didn't take the usual approach here. He could have easily turned Captain America into another Ghost Rider or Fantastic Four dud. But he managed to give it an original spin unlike any other marvel superhero movie in the sense that when you walk out, you feel like you just went on a thrilling action adventure movie from the eighties.

The writing isn't as witty as say, Iron Man. But Johnson makes up for it through the movie's positive spirit and thought provoking messages about strength vs. heroism. The acting is also good, with Chris Evans stepping out of the Fantastic Four slot to fill the shoes of Steve Rogers/ Captain America himself (I think it's safe to say that we won't be getting another F4 film very soon). I think Chris Evans is more suited for this role anyway. He has that Boy Scout quality that makes Cap America fun to watch, and also fun to laugh at because of his by the books method. Let me put it this way, Captain America is the polar opposite of Iron Man when it comes to following the rules of heroism. Hayley Atwell is Cap's love interest, and while she doesn't steal the show with her acting per say, she is still a much more interesting presence than Megan Fox or Rosie Huntington Whitely. Hugo Weaving plays the villain of the movie, the faceless Red Skull, who is the leader of the Nazi succeeding organization, Hydra. Hugo Weaving is as sinisterly fun to watch as the old villains of classic adventure flicks. He's like a Bond villain fused together with some Stephen Spielberg face distortion nightmare. Toby Jones is also present here. I'm really appreciating how more and more a-list actors are being attracted to do these movies. It shows that Marvel knows what they're doing. Anyway, Toby may have just a small part as Red Skull's personal scientist, but he owns it to the best of his ability. Tommy Lee Jones is just plain perfect in this movie, as he plays the gruff WWII General in a way that makes him born to play the part. And Stanley Tucci is as great as ever as the crucial scientist character who makes Captain America the hero that he is.

If you love comic book movies and you're also a WWII buff, this movie should be a dream come true. If you're not a comic book fan but you're a WWII buff, I still recommend it, but you may not enjoy it as much as much as the Marvel crowd. And if you love comic book movies, and still have yet to form an opinion of the horrors of WWII, then there's really no reason why you wouldn't love it to pieces. And the pleasing throwbacks and reminiscences of old adventure movies like Indiana Jones and the heyday of cheesy eighties filmmaking is sure to please film purists everywhere.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the campy fun.