Set during WWII, Captain America tells the tale of scrawny young man Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who volunteers for a super-soldier program. After he is injected with a serum, he becomes four times stronger than any other man on the planet. Cap uses this strength to fight nazi super-genius, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).
Captain America really wants to be Indiana Jones (makes sense, considering how director Joe Johnston got his start working on Star Wars and Indy flicks). However, it works surprisingly well. The carefree style of storytelling, the setting, and the crazy nazi villain all contribute to one of the most fun popcorn movies I’ve seen in some time. It plays like an homage without ever feeling like a ripoff.
Chris Evans, who normally plays arrogant assholes, actually does an amazing job playing the incredibly earnest Captain America. His strong performance holds the movie together and this could be the film that makes him an A-list star. Also great- Tommy Lee Jones as a gruff army sergeant and Hayley Atwell as a british soldier and Cap’s love interest. The normally reliable Weaving plays the Red Skull too straight- it’s a nazi with a bright red skull without flesh. A role that called for scenery chewing is made bland by such a restrained performance.
The art direction also works surprisingly well. Relying on a heavy use of CGI is generally both distracting and unpleasant, but in this rare case it actually made the film’s world seem more real. Besides this, I was so interested in the goings on onscreen that I didn’t have time to be distracted. This script is easily the best for a superhero film since 2008, when Iron Man and The Dark Knight proved that these sort of films can actually be well written.
Captain America is not a perfect film however. Chris Evans face is superimposed onto a scrawny man’s body for the first 20 minutes or so, which is incredibly distracting. The ending changes tone abruptly, which makes what should be tragic funny instead. These are small flaws in one of the best blockbuster films of the summer though. If you’re looking for brainless fun, look no further.
4.5 out of 5 stars
© Tanner McCullough, 2011
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