“Captain America: The First Avenger” #movie review

Heroes are either born or made. In “Captain America: The First Avenger” it’s both. In a summer (and year) filled with these comic movies old Cap in a big budget comic adaptation isn’t a bad entry nor is it a surprising one either. The result is a solid summer action adventure movie that unfortunately loses its direction halfway through and leans on one action set piece after another.

Set during World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a puny kid who tries time and again to enlist in the Army to fight the war against Hitler. Thinking he’s about to be turned down again Rogers is selected to be part of a “super soldier” program where science takes the best about him physically and mentally and quantifies it, making him a superhero.
The first half of “Captain America” is an origin story and the film, directed superbly by Joe Johnston (“Rocketeer,” “The Wolfman”) really shines. We see the guts and the heart of Rogers, the how and the why he’s chosen to be part of the super solider program. Johnston focuses on characters as much as possible here and his direction is decidedly old school, a far cry from the rapid fire cut, cut, cut of something like “Transformers.” Evans, shrunk and pasted on a tiny body, pays off and the special effect is alarmingly good.
Now muscular and super strong Rogers is used as a propaganda tool instead of as a fighting element in the war (a great way to explain that costume for modern audiences). He sucks it up and goes out to sell war bonds. Overseas as part of a USO tour to cheer up the troops he finally gets to show what he can do saving a captured platoon.
From here on it’s mostly action and the film’s nemesis, the Red Skull, is glossed over. We know he’s the bad guy, its obvious he’s the bad guy, but he’s a Cliff’s Notes version of a bad guy. Hugo Weaving is a great Red Skull but he’s given little to do and the only explanation is that much of his storyline left on the cutting room floor.
Like “Thor” and 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America” is part of a larger puzzle that will culminate in next year’s “The Avengers.” Where “Iron Man 2” suffered from having its story mauled and mashed to fit into the “Avengers” upcoming storyline, “Captain America” is mostly left to stand stands on its own.
It should be noted that the film’s 3D is a conversion and that film’s finale has been used in television spots so try to ignore them if it pops up on your TV. Also, at the very end of the credits is a trailer for next year’s “The Avengers.”

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