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Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger

A 2011 film Based on the Marvel Comics Character

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Captain America: The First Avenger

  • Aug 1, 2011
Rating:
+3
The movie has a lot to do and very little time to do it.Captain America: The First Avenger needs to tell its origin story, explain how he got from fighting Hitler to today, and needs to set up for next summer's blockbuster The Avengers all while entertaining the audience. It has only two hours to do it in and must be done this summer to get as much revenue as possible while allowing the whole cast to be available to film the epic team up. That is a lot to ask one movie to do, and to its credit, it does just that. Much like the comic hero Captain America achieves its goals in a no nonsense manner

So how do we get there? Well for starters you need the right director, and the studio went with Joe Johnston. He has done a lot of work for kids movies but he was picked for his work on period pieces and the attention to detail he used forThe Rocketeer and October Sky. He didn't fluff up the background, props, and costumes with too many effects or gimmicks (read X-men: First Class) and it looks like everyone belongs.

The only effect that may have made a difference to the viewers’ eyes is how to make Chris Evans smaller. Steve Rodgers starts as an asthmatic 90 lbs nothing and becomes a super soldier. It would be one thing to ask him to pull a Bale and either bulk up or lose weight but the visual that needed to happen here required a body double or some CGI. They went with the computer as Johnston didn't believe a body double would be able to capture some of Evans more subtle body movements. The only downside is that some of the darker backgrounds look hokier as a green screen was needed to fill the empty space. It is noticeable but luckily not too discerning as it could have easily been the 3D cameras demanding sharper focus. Once he bulks up and becomes what would probably be a poster boy for the Aryan race the 1940 visuals become clearer.

What doesn't charge is the charm and modesty of Steve Rodgers played by Chris Evans. Evans is an interesting choice as his past roles have had him playing characters with some pizzazz and wit. He is no stranger to the spandex as he was one of the very few bright spots in The Fantastic Four, and was great in Scott Pilgrim. Here he is asked to play a role that is much more noble and modest. Rodgers as a character has about the same amount of flare as DC's Clark Kent, so why cast someone known for their playfulness when you can't use any of it on screen. For whatever the reason the casting decision works out great and you believe what his character does. Evans is able to play himself down and be the man that is required for the guy behind the shield; he lets the people around him handle the flare.

The cast around Evans is fantastic. I never get tired of seeing Tommy Lee Jones and he brings the same dry wit delivery you are used to seeing him however few and far between that is. Stanley Tucci is also fantastic and appears to be having fun sporting what appears to be a “Hogan's Heroes” rendering of a German accent. Hugo Weaving is a great selection as a go to bad guy, the unfortunate part is when he actually becomes the Red Skull, we lose the facial tics that go with the baritone voice. And our 1940 beau looks like she got plucked right from the era, Hayley Atwell looks the part and stands just as tall as the Hollywood notables that surround her.

This is what you expect from your summer blockbuster. There is plenty of action and star power and the movie is fun, just not exceptional. Of all the super hero movies that came out this summer this is the best one. I don't know how much that says considering the competition it had. It certainly doesn't hold a candle to the charisma of Robert Downey and is nowhere near as good as the bat but it is a good option if you need some action based fun. Plus I'm still really excited to see what all that talent can do next year (make sure you stick around after the credits). Until then Captain America just about hits the spot. B

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August 01, 2011
Great review; I like how you stuck to the actors and their skill as well as the suprisingly great choice for the director and Chris Evans. And thanks for posting this in my community.
 
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More Captain America: The First Ave... reviews
review by . July 23, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Not Quite The Definitve Film About The Sentinel of Liberty....
“Captain America” has been one Marvel character that has been so overlooked, underused and definitely misused. I think this is already the 5th comic book adaptation this year and the 3rd one released that featured a major Marvel comic character. “Captain America The First Avenger” has been released with little to no major promos and it feels like a movie that follows a formula that has been used by many other comic book movies so many times before. To appreciate Joe Johnston’s …
review by . December 11, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
In a "alternate" universe (a la Inglorious Basterds) where Nazis had ray guns, planes that look like stealth bombers and lab equipment that looks modern day, we have another tale of World War II. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans with amazing special effects that have him looking shorter and pencil thin) keeps getting rejected by the Army for health reasons. He is not dissuaded and just keeps enlisting in other stations.    He appears ultra-patriotic and doesn't care if bullies beat …
review by . August 29, 2011
Shields Up!
Captain America:  The First Avenger is a solid action yarn that tries, at least in my opinion, to do too many things at once.      The plot of the film revolves around Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a scrawny wannabe soldier who gets turned away time after time when he attempts to enlist in the US Army to fight for the Allies in World War II.  His "never give up" attitude attracts the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist …
review by . July 28, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
*** out of ****     Well, what a pleasant surprise. It's been a long, mediocre summer of good-to-sadly-decent superhero flicks. There have been many of them; although not all of them have been worthwhile. Meanwhile, "Captain America: The First Avenger" is some sort of minor miracle. It's one of the most cliché-laden films I've seen all year, but the beauty of that fact is that it embraces these qualities; and never lets them become part of the movie's flaws.    I …
review by . July 23, 2011
The Star-spangled man is here to kick bubblegum and chew ass
 Thor, X-men First Class, Green Lantern, it’s been like Christmas all year for comic book fans everywhere. If you read my quick tip then you know I’ve been hyped for this movie all year, in anticipation for the Avengers movie may of next.       Asthma, Heart palpitations, if you can name it chances are Steve Rogers has it. A physically weak man in every sense of the word but if there is anything that’s a constant in comic books it’s that strength …
review by . August 01, 2011
posted in Speech Bubbles: Comics & Graphic Novels
Taking place in 1942, a young brave man named Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to do his part in fighting the war against the Nazi conquest. However, he does not have the physical ability to be considered for military service. After having his paperwork faked, Rogers joins the military anyway, and under the supervision of a doctor by the name of Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), Rogers undergoes a procedure that will increase his strength, size, speed, durability, and endurance, in other words, …
review by . July 21, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
'Captain America, The First Avenger' 'Two Jews On Film' Don't Salute This Marvel Super Hero (Video)
      'Captain America, The First Avenger', directed by Joe Johnston (Wolfman) is the latest superhero to come out of the 'Marvel' stable.      The year is 1941...Hitler and his merry band of Nazis are storming through Europe. One particular Nazi, Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is in Norway searching for an ancient artifact known as Odin's Tesseract.      This artifact is very, very powerful. We know this, …
review by . July 23, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
A Mess Worthy of Being Called Captain
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER   Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely   Directed by Joe Johnston   Starring Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving       Peggy Carter: You can’t give me orders!   Captain America: The hell I can’t! I’m a captain.       I was weary of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER before watching it but still optimistic. After all, …
review by . July 23, 2011
With the release of Captain America: The First Avenger now out, the comicbook summer of 2011 now comes to a close.  We had our ups with X Men First Class and our downs or at the very least dissapointments with Green Lantern but when the Golden Age hero Captain America now hit the big screen, the summer was going out on a high note.      The movie takes place with Captain America's origin, during WWII with Steve Rogers, a stringbean of a man who cannot get enlisted into …
review by . August 23, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
   So I'm just going to say right off that I enjoyed this movie, although the bar was set pretty low what with Thor, which - lets face it - was not a very good movie.  I had also, just before seeing Captain America, happened to catch an early 90's/late 80's looking version (I later determined it was released in 1990) starring Matt Salinger.  So after all that, Captain America blew me away.      The story begins with the discovery of a gigantic, …
see all Captain America: The First Ave... reviews (21)
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About this movie

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Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci. The film tells the story of Steve Rogers, a sickly man from Brooklyn who is transformed into super soldier Captain America to help the war effort. However, Captain America must stop Red Skull, Adolf Hitler's ruthless head of weaponry and leader of a terrorist organization, who intends to use a mysterious tesseract energy-source for world domination.
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Tags

Movies, Action, Comic Book And Graphic Novel Adaptations, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Superheroes
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Details

Director: Joe Johnston
Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Thriller, War
Release Date: July 22, 2011
Runtime: 124 minutes
Studio: Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures
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