Despite being a fan of comic books as a kid, I wasn’t really too jazzed up to go see this. The reason? I always thought Captain America (the comic books from my youth) kinda stunk. Iron Man (the comic book) didn’t do it for me, either, but I thought Robert Downey, Jr. was brilliant in the movie versions. So, on a lazy summer evening, with the Red Sox playing somewhat meaningless games against Kansas City, and largely because I live within walking distance of a theater, I did just that and strolled over to the cinema. Popcorn and soda in hand, I forgot it was opening weekend and was lucky to get a good seat (in the back row, middle) before the crowd started filling in.
I would call this a period piece as much as anything. I really liked the “feel” of the movie. As I’ve said, I’m not a big Captain A fan, but the way the film was conceived and shot gave it a vibe that is perfectly in keeping with what I recall from the comic books – an iconic 1940’s hero who fights Nazis (and the Red Skull – more on him in a bit) on behalf of the good ol’ U-S of A. That the film took a turn to poke a little fun at our rose-colored notions of how “good” the Second World War was made me give it extra marks – it wasn’t just a flag-waving sap-a-thon (I’m talking about the scene when Captain America goes on a war bond drive to the front and the troops just skewer him. The scene is short, but pointed. The troops don’t want to hear about war bond drives. They’re battle-weary and looking for a diversion – pretty girls will do just fine, some clown in a suit called ‘Captain America’ is a bit much. Perhaps it simply resonated with my own experience overseas as a Marine, but it was well-done, IMO.)
If the end seems somewhat predictable, it is, after all, patterned on a comic book. The good guy wins – mostly. The attempt by Marvel to “link” the movie to the other parts of the franchise works. It does so pretty slickly, in fact. We now have Samuel Jackson and “S.H.I.E.L.D.” showing up in all of the Marvel classic comics-cum-films: The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and now Captain America. For those keeping score at home, those were four of the original “Avengers” comic book series, a staple of the Marvel franchise for many years (first started in 1963). And, a recent press release shows that Marvel has been planning this “reunion” for quite some time, along with its movie partners, since 2005. The new “Avengers” release date is listed as 2012.
The Captain America movie itself does a very nice job with both the good guys and bad guys. The “early” (shrimpy, scrawny) Steve Foster is a digitally created dead-ringer for the later, suped-up Steve Foster/Captain America – played by Chris Evans – who is, as one would expect, yes, that good-looking and ripped. Tommy Lee Jones delivers the comedy as the crusty, old Army Colonel, with wonderful timing and the sec of a Bond martini (shaken, not stirred). Hugo Weaving as the bad guy was a brilliant choice. Anyone who has seen either the Matrix Trilogy or Lord of the Rings knows that Weaving has a great voice as an actor and he knows how to use that asset. He is wonderfully maniacal as a serum-altered Nazi officer gone off the rails. The scene where he explains to the Fuhrer’s emissaries that he has plans beyond even Hitler’s aspirations is both chilling and hilarious. Dude is convincingly certifiable – and a worthy adversary for any superhero. Hayley Atwell as Peggy rounds out the cast and is lovely, playing the 40’s brunette archetype with just the right combination of spunk, yet chaste sex-appeal that we’ve come to think of as typifying women of the era. In the one scene where they “dress her up” at the officer’s club, she’s stunning in a way that the modern bare-it-all sex kittens will simply never get. That the love interest remains unrequited as Captain A plummets toward his (apparent) death with Peggy on the radio (as they chat about a future date) gives the movie both a hokey, yet heroic feel for the man in Red, White, and Blue.
I would call this a period piece as much as anything. I really liked the “feel” of the movie. As I’ve said, I’m not a big Captain A fan, but the way the film was conceived and shot gave it a vibe that is perfectly in keeping with what I recall from the comic books – an iconic 1940’s hero who fights Nazis (and the Red Skull – more on him in a bit) on behalf of the good ol’ U-S of A. That the film took a turn to poke a little fun at our rose-colored notions of how “good” the Second World War was made me give it extra marks – it wasn’t just a flag-waving sap-a-thon (I’m talking about the scene when Captain America goes on a war bond drive to the front and the troops just skewer him. The scene is short, but pointed. The troops don’t want to hear about war bond drives. They’re battle-weary and looking for a diversion – pretty girls will do just fine, some clown in a suit called ‘Captain America’ is a bit much. Perhaps it simply resonated with my own experience overseas as a Marine, but it was well-done, IMO.)
If the end seems somewhat predictable, it is, after all, patterned on a comic book. The good guy wins – mostly. The attempt by Marvel to “link” the movie to the other parts of the franchise works. It does so pretty slickly, in fact. We now have Samuel Jackson and “S.H.I.E.L.D.” showing up in all of the Marvel classic comics-cum-films: The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and now Captain America. For those keeping score at home, those were four of the original “Avengers” comic book series, a staple of the Marvel franchise for many years (first started in 1963). And, a recent press release shows that Marvel has been planning this “reunion” for quite some time, along with its movie partners, since 2005. The new “Avengers” release date is listed as 2012.
The Captain America movie itself does a very nice job with both the good guys and bad guys. The “early” (shrimpy, scrawny) Steve Foster is a digitally created dead-ringer for the later, suped-up Steve Foster/Captain America – played by Chris Evans – who is, as one would expect, yes, that good-looking and ripped. Tommy Lee Jones delivers the comedy as the crusty, old Army Colonel, with wonderful timing and the sec of a Bond martini (shaken, not stirred). Hugo Weaving as the bad guy was a brilliant choice. Anyone who has seen either the Matrix Trilogy or Lord of the Rings knows that Weaving has a great voice as an actor and he knows how to use that asset. He is wonderfully maniacal as a serum-altered Nazi officer gone off the rails. The scene where he explains to the Fuhrer’s emissaries that he has plans beyond even Hitler’s aspirations is both chilling and hilarious. Dude is convincingly certifiable – and a worthy adversary for any superhero. Hayley Atwell as Peggy rounds out the cast and is lovely, playing the 40’s brunette archetype with just the right combination of spunk, yet chaste sex-appeal that we’ve come to think of as typifying women of the era. In the one scene where they “dress her up” at the officer’s club, she’s stunning in a way that the modern bare-it-all sex kittens will simply never get. That the love interest remains unrequited as Captain A plummets toward his (apparent) death with Peggy on the radio (as they chat about a future date) gives the movie both a hokey, yet heroic feel for the man in Red, White, and Blue.
All in all, I came away pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I’ll give it 4 out of 5 stars, for nostalgia, but I’ve been called a patriotic sap in my day, so take that for what it’s worth…