Though I seriously jonesed to see it in the theaters, I never quite managed it (it’s been a busy year), and while I’ve had it on Blu-Ray for multiple weeks, it was only last night that I actually managed to wrangle the family into watching Captain America: The First Avenger.
I. Am. Impressed.
In terms of canon, Captain America plays fast and loose with any number of pieces — Bucky, the Red Skull, Hydra, the Howling Commandos, Howard Stark, the Cosmic Cube, the final fates of Cap and his sidekick, etc. and so on. Unlike so many other “comic book movies” (or book adaptations into film), though, the changes that are made form a new organic whole. It all holds together, it all makes sense, it simply works … at least as well as seventy-odd years of comic book continuity does.
(The only false note, as far as I was concerned watching through it, was Bucky’s fate — which simply seemed forced, in timing, by the plot.)
The other elements of the film — the actors, the action, the FX, the costumes, the fight scenes, the sentiment and flavor — all gelled beautifully. It’s not Oscar material, but it’s Grade AAA Pulp, and that’s just what I want from a Captain America movie.
Chris Evans does a great job making the role of Steve Rogers (old and new) and Captain America his. He’s earnest almost, but not quite, to the point of Boy Scoutishness, but steps away from that line to make the character decently real. Hugo Weaving similarly steps back from chewing the scenery too badly as the Red Skull (“Welcome to Nazi Germany, Captain Rogers!”) to create a character who’s lovingly menacing.
Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter) is suitably lethal yet romantic, Tommy Lee Jones (Colonel Phillips) is emphatically Tommy Lee Jones-like, Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) is nicely cocky and gung-ho, Stanley Tucci (Prof. Erskine) is remarkably human … and all the other supporting characters do their job professionally (if, perforce, sketchily).
And not only do the production folks manage to make the shield work (metal, rubber, and CG alike), but they make the costume(s) work, too. A nice challenge, and hats off to their success.
There’s sort of a competition out there as to “which is the greatest comic book hero movie of all time.” I’m pleased that the field is getting large enough to start making that competition difficult, but, bottom line, Captain America: The First Avenger is definitely a contender.
(Speaking of which, we rewatched Thor tonight. And it’s certainly in the Top 5 as well.)
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