It's 1942, and theUSis knee-deep in World War II. Having endured countless rejections for military duty, wiry-figured Steve Rogers (Evans) is given the chance of a lifetime in the form of Super Soldiers; a top-secret military experiment. Despite having the physique of a sickly 12-year-old girl,Rogersis picked out by Dr Abraham Erskine (Tucci) for his free spirit and good-hearted nature, even in the face of objections from Col. Phillips (Jones). The successful experiment dawns the new age of the super-hero: CaptainAmericais born, and he must defeat Hitler's head of weaponry; the very evil sounding Red Skull (Weaving).
Now we know what you might be thinking, because we were thinking the same: yet another Marvel super-hero film adaptation. The conveyor belt has produced the good (the X-Men,Spiderman and Blade franchises), the bad (Elektra, Daredevil, Fantastic Four) and the downright ugly (Hulk). So, although every release is a guaranteed money-spinner, it seems that their quality is about as reliable as their dependency on good logical science is.
Fortunately, Captain America: The First Avenger falls on the right side of average; but only just. The story develops predictably; a likeable underdog is bestowed with powers beyond his imagination and struggles to master them before going on to become the hero trapped inside of us all. However, the brain likes familiarity, and this is as good a version of the formula as any. The storytelling is fast-paced, full of surprises and pretty darn entertaining.
The film can also boast a modest but perfectly cast collection of actors. Taking on his second Marvel super-hero role (you may remember him as the human-torch from Fantastic Four), Evans has the whole package. Being this generation's CaptainAmerica is a lot of pressure to handle, but Evans carries said pressure with aplomb. British actress Atwell plays the glamorous but stern Peggy Carter; an officer of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and our hero's love interest.
Veterans Jones and Tucci only really function in supplementary roles, but are great as always. There is one letdown though, and it's a big one. Weaving, who of course found fame as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, is an intelligent character actor, but there's little he can do with the Red Skull. If Captain America is to be built up into the ultimate super-hero, he must have the ultimate foe, and the Red Skull falls short of his billing; a poorly written character.
What stands this out against other Marvel flicks is the setting. The nostalgia of a 1940sAmericaand war-tornEuropegives character to the aesthetics. It also highlights how good the CGI effects are. From Roger's painfully thin body to the Nazi battle scenes; the effects are realistic and feed into the whole narrative with ease.
A lot of people have been waiting for Captain America: The First Avenger, and although it's far from jaw-dropping, they won't be disappointed with this film. As with all the Marvel films, those who aren't comic book fans might fail to appreciate the details and nuances, but as a standalone action film, it isn't half-bad.
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