Easily the best comic book film of 2011 so far, Captain America: The First Avenger excellently displays how comic book movies can in fact be full of heart and soul. Movies like Thor and The Green Lantern try to tell grounded and heartfelt stories, they both failed to reach their respective goals. Thor's dark and incomprehensible action sequences took me out of it's more human moments. The Green Lantern's Hal Jordan, played by Ryan Reynolds who was surprisingly the biggest strength of the film, lacked any real reason to care for anything that happened to Hal or for anyone else for that matter. Joe Johnston's Captain America not only strives to be a more grounded human story, it surpasses what came before it and is ultimately a success, all without The Green Lantern's reportedly 300 million dollar budget(For that much money, you would expect the villain not to look like the Smog Monster from Godzilla.) By giving us something to care for and by having small but important action sequences, the film succeeds not only as a super-hero movie, but as a story that happens to have a super hero in it.
Beware SPOILERS AHEAD.
Beginning in the present, an arctic expedition takes place to unearth a mysterious craft buried deep within the ice, the movie quickly flashbacks to Norway 1942. Here we get our introduction of another great Hugo Weaving character, Johann Schmidt, or better known to comic book fans as the true Red Skull. Red Skull seeks the "jewel of Odin's treasure room". After a quick Inglourious Basterds-esque opening scene, we find ourselves following the scrawny Steve Rogers. Steve has tried numerous times, under many different names, to try and enlist in the U.S. Army. His toothpick build is only one of the many reasons why he is rejected. His best friend Bucky Barnes(Sebastian Stan)
Evoking my earliest childhood memories of watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, Captain America strives to stand out from the rest of the super hero pack, for he truly is the First Avenger.
Just like Zombies, Nazi's always serve as fantastic film villains. No set up is necessary. Everyone understands why Nazi's are evil and why they must be stopped.
One of the more disappointing aspects of the film is the fact that once the action picks up, we do not get to see any of the raids on any of the HYDRA facilities. Only in quick montage do we see any of this. It's disappointing because I really enjoyed the Captain's supporting cast, especially bowler hat wearing, shotgun wielding, Dum Dum Dugan. I would have loved to see more of them in the film.
The most problematic part of the film is the films ending. I really wish the film would not have gone to the future so quickly but since Marvel has to cash in before The Avengers is released I can see why the ending was made this way. All in all, this is another clear example of why so many people enjoy comic book films.
3/4 Muffins.
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