Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a humble, patriotic kid from
Brooklyn. He wants nothing more than
serve his country in World War II. Alas,
he is a frail and sickly youth whose attempts to enlist in the United Stated
armed forces have been unsuccessful. His
fortunes change when he attends the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow Exhibition with
his friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan). While
there, he makes one final attempt to enlist at a recruitment center. He then makes the acquaintance of Bavarian scientist
Dr. Abraham Erksine (Stanley Tucci).
Erksine admires Rogers’s conviction and offers him the opportunity
of a lifetime. Rogers will be able to
live out his dream if he submits to Project Rebirth, a massive experiment that
will bless him with the physical attributes necessary to be a “super soldier.” The experiment is a success, and Rogers is
reborn as Captain America. He soon
engages the terrorist organization known as Hydra. Hydra’s leader, The dreaded Red Skull (Hugo
Weaving), has found an amazing new power source that he intends use in his
campaign of world domination.
Captain America: The
First Avenger is very similar to director Joe Johnston’s earlier cult
favorite The Rocketeer in that it is
an unapologetic love letter to an era long since passed. It is not merely a tribute piece, as it
would likely be right at home being made and released in the very time period
it pays homage to. Jhonston, who began
his career as a special effects technician and evolved throughout the past few
decades into precise if somewhat indistinct filmmaker, has crafted precisely
the kind of superhero film that fans expected.
Captain America moves to the
beat of its own patriotic drum, seemingly unaware of just how dated it is. Therein lies its goofy charm.
![]() |
Chris Evans as Captain America. |
Every frame of the film emanates the feel of the iconic recruitment
posters of the era. The crispness of the
images is obscured by a dreamlike blurry haze that enraptures everything like a
thick fog. The costumes, sets, and
hairstyles also add to this effect.
Johnston doesn’t so much accurately recreate the 1940’s as he presents
an idealized dream version of it.
Everything feels immaculately clean.
Not in an antiseptic sort of way, but like something that feels as
though it has been endlessly groomed and manicured. The preciseness of the images recalls a time
when everything was clear cut and obvious to the populace.
In contrast to current trends, the action is straight forward
and basic. There’s not a stitch of MMA choreography
to be found. The characters do not
execute tactics with the grace and speed of modern martial artists. Everything is in line with the gangster
movies, war films, and adventure serials of old. Cap strikes a number of iconic poses in the
midst of the action that could easily be frames of an old Jack Kirby comic. The obvious silliness of cap using his shield
as boomerang-like weapon is not explained away in Nolan-like fashion. It’s a part of the characters image, and as
such it is presented without shame.
The middle act of the film tantalizingly deals with the idea
of war time propaganda. The government
plays to the naïve youthful idealism of its teenage population. Those who prove exceptional become tools of propaganda
themselves, rather than being allowed to actually join in the fight. Captain
America introduces this theme in an amusing montage of stage performances
in which Rogers travels the country in order to convince his fellow Americans
to invest in war bonds and the like.
Just when things get interesting, the movie switches back to standard
superhero mode. This isn’t necessarily a
bad thing, but it does feel a bit anticlimactic.
Captain America: The
First Avenger is perhaps exactly the kind of film it should be. It offers its quaint little message in as
straight faced a manner as possible, and actually seems to believe in the
ideals it purports. That kind of
sincerity is sorely missed in the current era.
While it is admittedly appealing, it also holds the movie back from
really being the colorful, thinking man’s adventure that it could have been. Still, Cap stands out from his Marvel Studios
brethren in an unexpectedly astute way. Hokey
as he is, I actually like the guy, and would gladly follow him into battle for
a sequel or two.
No comments:
Post a Comment