Captain America Review

Captain America Review
Surprise, Captain America was actually not as bad as I had predicted. Those of you who read my July Movie Preview know my initial thoughts on this film, and after walking out of the movie I was pleasantly surprised.  That's not to say that Captain America is a great movie, or any where near the top for the genre. My true feeling is that those involved didn't hit one out of the park, but certainly hit a stand up double, with a bit of polishing and perhaps some changes could have easily been a triple.

First I enjoyed the casting. Each member of this ensemble does a picture perfect job of playing their role. The most enjoyable of these actors was Tommy Lee Jones perfectly cast as Colonel Phillips, he is gruff, he is tough, all the things Tommy Lee Jones is typecast for. But what you might not know, and what might surprise you is that he is quite possibly the funniest person in the movie, and without question gets the biggest laugh of the movie. Also well cast was Chris Evans. I know that a lot of people, myself included, were disappointed by this casting. After all he was already engrained in my mind as the Human Torch. As good as Evans was as Johnny Storm, Evans does an equally fantastic job of owning this role, and becoming Captain America.

Also very well done was the romantic elements. The chemistry between Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, and Haley Atwell's Peggy Carter never once felt forced or even awkward like the other super hero films this year. Their relationship felt genuine, honest, and plausible. Before Steve Rogers becomes Captain America, he's just wimp, but despite being scrawny he is heroic, he falls on grenades, and doesn't shy away from a challenge. The reason their relationship doesn't feel like your typical forced hero relationship is that you can tell that she likes him, and his spirit, long before he becomes Captain America. While his physical transformation may allow him to be a soldier, and amplify his abilities, it is his heroism, and his spirit that connects them. When the film ends you really want more of this relationship, but unfortunately I don't think we will see any more of it.

I also enjoyed the tone, and spirit of the film. As confusing and oxymoronic as it may sound Captain America is a light hearted and fluffy war movie. Let's face it Captain America as a character is not much more than American War Propaganda. The movie accepts that and even has a bit of fun with that concept. The USO show segment may be long winded and take away from the action but it is true to the nature of the character, so I didn't mind it.

The movie is set in the 1940's and making it a period piece actually works to the film's advantage. I know so many Superhero movies want to update their characters to make them modern, and that's understandable. But given the current, and recent political climate having this film take place in the 1940's was the only setting they could make this film work. Everyone hates Nazis, and you can easily shout "USA! USA! USA!" guilt free when the bad guys are hailing Hitler. Although I did have to  chuckle a bit when the villain says "I see a future without any borders, and with no flags." In 1940's America, this was unfathomable, but in today's world of globalization, free trade, and immigration, we are pretty close to that, albeit without the red faced global dictator.

Now for the things that I didn't like. These are the things that bothered me, and frustrated me. These below things don't make me dislike the film, but they take the movie from being great to being just good. if these things had been changed, or even altered, then this film could easily become brilliant.

First the loose ends. They leave so many millions of unanswered questions about what happens next. The creators were shoehorned into this Avengers movie, that they force Captain America into the future without tying up all the strings. I don't think it spoils anything to let you know that Captain America ends the film in the present, he is out of the 1940's with no discussion of what happened to the other people in the film. What happens to Bucky, to the Colonel, and to Peggy? Of course we have all been given a history lesson on what happens to Mr. Howard Stark. I am aware that in this universe of super heroes, and science fiction, they can always send him back, but time travel is always the quickest way to poke big holes in your plot lines and universal continuity. Plus, if I send Captain America back in time, I think I would have him stop some of the terrible things that happened between 1940 and today, wouldn't you?

I also felt that his best friend James "Bucky" Barnes is under used. He is given a few moments at the beginning of the movie and then disappears for much of the second act. When he does return we are supposed to care about him, but because we don't get much of a connection with him, we don't which makes the third act fall a bit flat.

I know that it would have been tiresome to see war scene after war scene, but it also bothered me that most of the action in the movie is all montage. They made a couple of really great music videos, and in a clever way it made a great match to the USO scenes. But those action scenes really don't serve the story. I would much rather have seen one all out attack on a base, and have it filled with these moments instead.

Hugo Weaving, is a great actor who unfortunately keeps getting stuck playing the same flaccid villain he played in the Matrix. Given a little work Red Skull could have been more than we got. Quite frankly his Red Skull is my biggest complaint of the movie. He isn't menacing, frightening, or even all that productive as a villain. It was sad to see such a great talent wasted behind lousy makeup, and poor writing.

Overall Captain America hits all the right buttons, and plays all the right notes, and as great a job as it does, it still doesn't quite work. When all is said and done, there is something shallow and superficial about the experience. Of course sometimes its nice to just go to a movie and eat popcorn.