When I began collecting comics around 1998 (until 2002) the first one I selected was an edition of Captain America and so it is no surprise that I felt compelled to watch this film. The comic itself was not spectacular but it did show off the power of Captain America's shield. While I accumulated several comic book editions of this superhero over the years I became more fascinated with his past in World War 2 especially as the editions I collected took place in the present day. There was one edition where a survivor in some decisive battle in the war spoke of the heroism of Captain America; his company was ambushed and surrounded by German troops and he, having held out until the last, was at death’s door when that famous shield came zinging about, befuddling the Nazi’s and thus saving the day. This was the legend of captain America in the war that I was aware of when I started collecting these editions. I eventually became weary of his captain America slogan and his modern day adventures and so I eventually stopped collecting these editions for I felt that his World War 2 adventures were more interesting. This film, Captain America: The first Avenger, explores the adventures of Captain America during the war and for that I was pleased.
This film does get the origin story down but it misses something which would have allowed the film to resonate with the audience members. While you watch it the film is entertaining however there are few elements that will have you discussing the viability of this character as a superhero. There are two elements that did resonate for me: the transition from the 90 lb Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who eventually becomes the 200lb+ Captain America and the chemistry between Steve Rogers and Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). Tommy Lee Jones does provide comic relief as colonel Chester. The film is about the weakling Steve Rogers whose determination and good heart sees him rewarded by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who chooses him to receive the formula that will see him become a supersoldier. After he gains notoriety for a daring rescue mission of prisoners of war he assumes the logo captain america and does battle with Johann Schmidt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) who with his mercenary army group, Hydra, is intent on using mystic energies to destroy the major cities of the world. The red Skull makes a break with Adolf Hitler in this film to form his own group (I will discuss this later as a weak element of the plot).
This film does skip over some material but its origin story is quite interesting albeit a bit rushed thereby denying the film of any resonance apart from the two elements I mentioned above. As a period piece it works fine although the visual effects and art direction does seem anachronistic i.e. instead of old fashioned bullets the Hydra mercenary group seems outfitted for modern day warfare. This all occurs while melding it with a 1940’s look. They are probably trying to emphasize Red Skull’s idea that he is way ahead of his time by discovering some mystical source of raw energy. This film does not come close to Nolan’s take on the Dark Knight however it does have enough to make fans want to come out and support; and yes it is better than Thor (2011) however these Marvel superheroes do seem to have similar traits of arrogance and seem to willingly exude this feature of style (image) over substance and it is this which eventually hampers this film. Compare Captain America with Tony Stark (whose father Howard Stark is in this film) as Iron Man and Thor. Spider Man is excluded here for Spider Man 2 (2004) remains the definitive marvel superhero film. There are two films here: a genuine character study which devolves into an action feast. Anyways let’s get rolling.
What’s good about this film?
The first thing I was impressed with was the transition from the 90lb Steve Rogers into the actual Captain America. He is chosen for the super soldier program because he is a clear idealist who embraces the collective spirit and this contrasts with the selfish Red Skull. He is prepared to die for his country even if this means lying on 5 draft applications and despite being a 90 lb weakling. Chris Evans does imbue Steve Rogers with a confident personality despite his miniature frame and you will see that the character does not change much when his body mass is amplified. His dogged character is due to the fighting spirit within him that will not be silenced or he has something within that tiny body of his that is yearning to be set free. There are poor elements here as well which I will discuss later however these elements are good, even if somewhat generic, when explaining the selflessness required of a hero. I also liked the transition from a happy go lucky image of the now muscular Steve Rogers performing on stage for the crowds to support the war effort by buying war bonds to support the military to one who is actually in the midst of the fighting. Even when his physique is amplified he is still not allowed to join the war effort because of the colonel’s reluctance to have him included as a member of the military although his reasons do not seem justified. It is a senator who decides to use Steve as a performing monkey (showing off his strength etc) to generate mass appeal in the war. He puts on a flimsy suit and shield and does commercials; comic books are also published about the image of a captain America saving the world although he really doesn’t. I liked the portrayal of the image of a dancing Captain America on stage however it still weakens the dramatic thrust (I will discuss later). I also liked the chemistry between Steve and Peggy and you will realize it in a scene where she enters a room dressed in red and becomes the centre of attention (yes they are ripping off the song ‘Lady in Red’ because the dialogue that follows talks about dancing and finding the right partner etc this is an anachronistic scene but it works I suppose). Also look out for the final scene of the film and it is clear that the chemistry you saw on display during the film was no fluke.
The action scenes were ok but it was more of a vehicle to showcase Captain America’s abilities rather than to push the story forward. He throws the shield around and unleashes crunching fists and kicks to his opponents and demonstrates his superior agility. It was also good to see characters like Howard Stark (father of tony stark) in the film. As this film is yet another prelude to the avengers, set to be released next year, the title does work for (based on my limited knowledge of the character in the comics) as he emerges from the ice, after a 70 year hibernation, he jumps in immediately into the avenger mix. It is in the avengers that Captain America seemed to be most alive in the comic books as opposed to his own singular adventures which became monotonous because of his obvious limitations. This is why of all the marvel characters he most benefits from the upcoming Avengers film for his singular adventures in the modern day are not as eventful as when he is a member of the avengers where he is supposed to be the leader. (The Avengers film better be good since so much work is being done to promote it)
The legend of Captain America was established in the days of World War 2 and this movie is rightfully set in this period for in the comic most of his villains particularly the Red Skull also emerged in the modern day to begin the age old battle of good vs. evil. The Red Skull is his major villain and seeing that he will not be around for the modern day captain America does not have any other villain of interest. This character is inextricably tied to the Avengers. When the Avengers premieres next year do not be surprised to see other members of the crew hold him in high esteem having heard all these stories of him when they were children (except Thor).
The special effects that make Chris Evans look 90lbs and 200lbs are seamless. Lastly the anachronistic element is good for it seems to offer a contrasting style to the mundane 1940’s. It seems that World War 2 was pushing the frontier of technological development much like the cold war which proceeded from it and this was a good element to add to the mix for we all know of the atomic bomb.There are some elements borrowed from the Star Wars trilogy of the 70's and early 80's. It is more obvious in the battles that take place between captain America and Hydra in the forests which borrow heavily from The Return of the Jedi. This can distract from a film and diminish its original thrust however genuine filmgoers will appreciate this aspect of the film.
Lastly, there was an atrocious Captain America film released in 1992 and I said to myself if this version can surpass it I will be pleased. It surpassed it by miles and has thus resurrected Captain America.
The action scenes were ok but it was more of a vehicle to showcase Captain America’s abilities rather than to push the story forward. He throws the shield around and unleashes crunching fists and kicks to his opponents and demonstrates his superior agility. It was also good to see characters like Howard Stark (father of tony stark) in the film. As this film is yet another prelude to the avengers, set to be released next year, the title does work for (based on my limited knowledge of the character in the comics) as he emerges from the ice, after a 70 year hibernation, he jumps in immediately into the avenger mix. It is in the avengers that Captain America seemed to be most alive in the comic books as opposed to his own singular adventures which became monotonous because of his obvious limitations. This is why of all the marvel characters he most benefits from the upcoming Avengers film for his singular adventures in the modern day are not as eventful as when he is a member of the avengers where he is supposed to be the leader. (The Avengers film better be good since so much work is being done to promote it)
The legend of Captain America was established in the days of World War 2 and this movie is rightfully set in this period for in the comic most of his villains particularly the Red Skull also emerged in the modern day to begin the age old battle of good vs. evil. The Red Skull is his major villain and seeing that he will not be around for the modern day captain America does not have any other villain of interest. This character is inextricably tied to the Avengers. When the Avengers premieres next year do not be surprised to see other members of the crew hold him in high esteem having heard all these stories of him when they were children (except Thor).
The special effects that make Chris Evans look 90lbs and 200lbs are seamless. Lastly the anachronistic element is good for it seems to offer a contrasting style to the mundane 1940’s. It seems that World War 2 was pushing the frontier of technological development much like the cold war which proceeded from it and this was a good element to add to the mix for we all know of the atomic bomb.There are some elements borrowed from the Star Wars trilogy of the 70's and early 80's. It is more obvious in the battles that take place between captain America and Hydra in the forests which borrow heavily from The Return of the Jedi. This can distract from a film and diminish its original thrust however genuine filmgoers will appreciate this aspect of the film.
Lastly, there was an atrocious Captain America film released in 1992 and I said to myself if this version can surpass it I will be pleased. It surpassed it by miles and has thus resurrected Captain America.
What’s bad about this film?
Firstly this film is not as in depth as it should be. The character of Steve Rogers seemed to be tied so inextricably with the war effort that it comes to define his heroic spirit; it does not seem as if he will be able to have much of a heroic persona beyond the war. When the Avengers film is released he will be portrayed as a nostalgic character with leadership qualities. This contrasts with Nolan’s take on the dark knight where it is Bruce’s subjective experiences that determine his character and how he is able to emerge as an objective (ideal) force in Gotham city. When asked why he wants to dress up as a bat, Bruce responds ‘Bats frighten me it’s time my enemies feel my dread.’ (not exact quote). Spider man becomes a hero because with great power comes great responsibility. If you were to ask Steve Rogers, ‘Why do you want to be a hero?’ he would respond, ‘ Because of the war effort men are risking their lives out there.’ ‘The war is over Steve. You can go home now.’ It is also a good thing that Captain America went to sleep for 70 year because his character would look like a buffoon in the Vietnam War which the US did not win. This would also explain why a character like that can easily fall out of sync with the times. In the 70s how funny it would have been to have the politicians use captain America as a means to encourage belief in the US. He would always be defined as a performing monkey. His portrayal as a superhero is therefore wrong for it is not necessarily his subjective experience that makes him a hero but a propaganda campaign where the senator has him performing dance numbers for the public. How will he ever live that down? (part of the blame lies with the creators of the comic: yes stan lee in another poor cameo)
This brings me to another poor element: the actual legend of the character as portrayed in the film. In this film there are no elements that celebrate his deeds during the war apart from his daring rescue of prisoners of war and his pursuit of the Red Skull. After the successful rescue attempt where Captain America becomes more than just a symbol to the people there should have been added features where people back home began getting a gist of the many heroic deeds this man is performing (by incorporating him in actual famous battles involving US troops); the screenwriters instead just focus on his daring escape attempt to create the legend.
The war stretched on for years yet you never get a sense of this in the film and this is due primarily to the hasty second act where Steve is on the hunt for the Red Skull. I also disliked the portrayal of the red Skull in this film. In these times we are treated to high class villains in superhero films, most notably the Joker in The Dark Knight, and so you come to expect that other films of this sort will endeavour to make the villains interesting. The Red skull as played by Hugo Weaving is uninspired and as usual he spars physically with Captain America while the world hangs in the balance. He has no interesting discussions with Steve and so they seem to be played along ordinary lines. I do not even have to make reference to The Dark Knight and will focus instead on Spider Man 2 and the character of Doc Ock who is clearly an ambivalent character whose great intellect once saw him venerated but when he tries to restore lost pride he is seen as a villain ( I won’t mention the control of his mind by the tentacles). In the red Skull’s case he is already aligned with the Nazi’s (the villains of the war) and then seeks to be a distinct villain both of the Nazi’s and the allied forces. This throws the picture out of focus for by trying to make the red Skull a distinct villain he should not only have Captain America on his tail but also the Nazis whom he betrayed(this element of his betrayal of the Nazis is played down). The comic clearly stated that the Red Skull was the German attempt at creating a super soldier to rival Captain America; he never sought to depose Hitler. When he and captain America are resurrected in the modern day he still proudly wears the swastika. His portrayal in this film is quite absurd and so Captain America as a hero loses momentum when he singularly pursues the red skull as opposed to fighting the real war against the Nazis. It would have been simpler to just follow the comics and have him be the German response to the American super soldier program; instead they try and futilely intertwine the two characters by their ideals without any appropriate discussion. If the screen writers looked at the wider picture of the war this would not have been necessary. Imagine it like this: Captain America is making headways into German territory and so the German scientists respond with their own super soldier who starts to take the fight to the Americans. When the Red Skull and Captain America meet in battle they are more concerned with whose fists are tougher and so there is no profound meditation on what distinguishes the two unless you count the one time where the red skull is trying to speak above the explosions about his nature as a freak which was borrowed from the Joker monologues in The Dark Knight. It is this reason why Captain America’s own legend is not so definable in this film. If the red skull sought to blow up the east coast of America this would only highlight the efforts of the Nazis in the eyes of the American populace and not that of the Red skull. They should have then made the Red Skull remain a member of the Nazi party to add some gravitas to the Captain America legend in the war; his defeat of the red skull would therefore count as a major turning point in the war. This is why some people will have a problem with the second act for it is only a duel between the Red Skull and Captain America and does not appear as a significant offensive against the Nazis. The second act also suffers from few intimate moments that would make it seem more than just another action movie. The last scene with the children running around with images of captain America’s shield seem to be inspired more by the performing monkey than his efforts in the war. His mission is also limited by its secretive status; he seems more like a member of the CIA than of the army.
The anachronistic element also seems to be highlighted to appeal to modern audiences; why couldn’t the member of skull’s Hydra group shoot regular bullets? This would have been in keeping with the realistic look of the 1940’s. The anachronistic look thus makes the film inconsistent.The stunted elements of the final act show that the filmakers forsook the template of the earlier scenes in order to cash in on the set pieces. The battles ring hollow and they seem to be following in the tradition of the likes of Thor which emphasised the bravado of the character rather than his motivations. It is also in the second act that one becomes aware that the film is borrowing formulas from other films to keep it going thereby losing the thrust of its original elements. The love scenes are so poorly written that they have to sample a song (Lady in Red) to try and make the relationship between Steve and Peggy seeem distinctive. The action scenes borrowed from Star Wars, particularly the Return of the Jedi, deny us of seeing the distinct approaches taken by a Captain America and his crew in a specific battle. In the first section he focuses on espionage however in the second act he launches full frontal assaults in every set piece.
This is the hollow element prevalent in most Marvel superhero films. The battles do not carry sentient weight and this is also because Captain America himself is only duelling with the Red Skull as opposed to the Nazis. If one were to include him in the actual battles of the war it would have been refreshing for one can imagine the Red Skull and the Captain coming to blows in the middle of that battle that could be a changing part in the war. The eclectic mix of Captain America's team is also filled with stereotypes: the black man, the frenchman, the japanese etc. Captain America wages battle against the technological monstrosities of the Red Skull while ordinary Americans are dying on the beaches of Normandy on d-day.
This brings me to another poor element: the actual legend of the character as portrayed in the film. In this film there are no elements that celebrate his deeds during the war apart from his daring rescue of prisoners of war and his pursuit of the Red Skull. After the successful rescue attempt where Captain America becomes more than just a symbol to the people there should have been added features where people back home began getting a gist of the many heroic deeds this man is performing (by incorporating him in actual famous battles involving US troops); the screenwriters instead just focus on his daring escape attempt to create the legend.
The war stretched on for years yet you never get a sense of this in the film and this is due primarily to the hasty second act where Steve is on the hunt for the Red Skull. I also disliked the portrayal of the red Skull in this film. In these times we are treated to high class villains in superhero films, most notably the Joker in The Dark Knight, and so you come to expect that other films of this sort will endeavour to make the villains interesting. The Red skull as played by Hugo Weaving is uninspired and as usual he spars physically with Captain America while the world hangs in the balance. He has no interesting discussions with Steve and so they seem to be played along ordinary lines. I do not even have to make reference to The Dark Knight and will focus instead on Spider Man 2 and the character of Doc Ock who is clearly an ambivalent character whose great intellect once saw him venerated but when he tries to restore lost pride he is seen as a villain ( I won’t mention the control of his mind by the tentacles). In the red Skull’s case he is already aligned with the Nazi’s (the villains of the war) and then seeks to be a distinct villain both of the Nazi’s and the allied forces. This throws the picture out of focus for by trying to make the red Skull a distinct villain he should not only have Captain America on his tail but also the Nazis whom he betrayed(this element of his betrayal of the Nazis is played down). The comic clearly stated that the Red Skull was the German attempt at creating a super soldier to rival Captain America; he never sought to depose Hitler. When he and captain America are resurrected in the modern day he still proudly wears the swastika. His portrayal in this film is quite absurd and so Captain America as a hero loses momentum when he singularly pursues the red skull as opposed to fighting the real war against the Nazis. It would have been simpler to just follow the comics and have him be the German response to the American super soldier program; instead they try and futilely intertwine the two characters by their ideals without any appropriate discussion. If the screen writers looked at the wider picture of the war this would not have been necessary. Imagine it like this: Captain America is making headways into German territory and so the German scientists respond with their own super soldier who starts to take the fight to the Americans. When the Red Skull and Captain America meet in battle they are more concerned with whose fists are tougher and so there is no profound meditation on what distinguishes the two unless you count the one time where the red skull is trying to speak above the explosions about his nature as a freak which was borrowed from the Joker monologues in The Dark Knight. It is this reason why Captain America’s own legend is not so definable in this film. If the red skull sought to blow up the east coast of America this would only highlight the efforts of the Nazis in the eyes of the American populace and not that of the Red skull. They should have then made the Red Skull remain a member of the Nazi party to add some gravitas to the Captain America legend in the war; his defeat of the red skull would therefore count as a major turning point in the war. This is why some people will have a problem with the second act for it is only a duel between the Red Skull and Captain America and does not appear as a significant offensive against the Nazis. The second act also suffers from few intimate moments that would make it seem more than just another action movie. The last scene with the children running around with images of captain America’s shield seem to be inspired more by the performing monkey than his efforts in the war. His mission is also limited by its secretive status; he seems more like a member of the CIA than of the army.
The anachronistic element also seems to be highlighted to appeal to modern audiences; why couldn’t the member of skull’s Hydra group shoot regular bullets? This would have been in keeping with the realistic look of the 1940’s. The anachronistic look thus makes the film inconsistent.The stunted elements of the final act show that the filmakers forsook the template of the earlier scenes in order to cash in on the set pieces. The battles ring hollow and they seem to be following in the tradition of the likes of Thor which emphasised the bravado of the character rather than his motivations. It is also in the second act that one becomes aware that the film is borrowing formulas from other films to keep it going thereby losing the thrust of its original elements. The love scenes are so poorly written that they have to sample a song (Lady in Red) to try and make the relationship between Steve and Peggy seeem distinctive. The action scenes borrowed from Star Wars, particularly the Return of the Jedi, deny us of seeing the distinct approaches taken by a Captain America and his crew in a specific battle. In the first section he focuses on espionage however in the second act he launches full frontal assaults in every set piece.
This is the hollow element prevalent in most Marvel superhero films. The battles do not carry sentient weight and this is also because Captain America himself is only duelling with the Red Skull as opposed to the Nazis. If one were to include him in the actual battles of the war it would have been refreshing for one can imagine the Red Skull and the Captain coming to blows in the middle of that battle that could be a changing part in the war. The eclectic mix of Captain America's team is also filled with stereotypes: the black man, the frenchman, the japanese etc. Captain America wages battle against the technological monstrosities of the Red Skull while ordinary Americans are dying on the beaches of Normandy on d-day.
Conclusion
It’s a good film but with some deficiencies in the script that are not ironed out. At least it surpasses the last captain America film in 1992 which was an outright abomination. The 3D in this one is quite hazy
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