Captain America: The First Avenger Reviewed by eSquared Comics Tony Baker ii

It’s awesome beyond words.

Now on to Captain America: The First Avenger.

My colleague Eddrick has already given you a review but I will come on to share a few thoughts on the movie as well.

First off the movie is very good. As you have already read. It’s a very entertaining movie that is simply popcorn entertainment. It is by far one of my favorites, if not favorite Marvel studios movies to date. The reason why is…

It did not take itself too seriously and played the movie in a very fun and straightforward way. All this while dodging swastika imagery(Really, I don’t think I saw one Swastika in the entire film) which is impressive.

Steve Rogers’ story was rather straight forward and I loved every minute of it because the writers and director did not try to change an already fine origin. They even kept in Vita rays. Vita rays for crying out loud! Merely typing this I am giggling thinking about how cheesy that sounds, but they kept it in.

Which leads me to mention the fact that I love the overall feel of the movie. It felt like a giant old school propaganda film without any cultural typecasting or ethnic stereotyping. The movie just had that “Let’s get it done” gung-ho attitude that was prevalent in the World War II propaganda of the past. But it wasn’t done where it hit you over the head. That’s what was so great. It had so many little things that were cool about it. From the USO show scenes, the world of tomorrow area, all the way to the iconic Uncle Sam “I want you” poster that is displayed at the end of the movie. Not only was it fun, but it gave the viewer a glimpse into Cap’s world which will be great because that world will be so much different in the present time. Which will only serve to help audiences get his character in the Avenger’s movie. I do not know how the film’s attitude will be perceived by non-American audiences but I do not think the reaction will be negative as the film doesn’t put down any country. Including Germany… Unless you like Nazis of course.

The film even blended some of the comics into the movie pretty well. Even if it’s not verbatim. Let’s take the red Skull for example… Now I thought Skull was a good villain in the movie and did not need to see him level a city to do it. Merely seeing him double-cross two fellow nazi’s and vaporize them was enough for me. But I’m getting off track so allow me to get back to my original point of the story having many comic elements, albeit slightly different elements. Was Red Skull a nazi at some point? Yes. Was he a part of AIM? No. He’s a part of Hydra in the movie, but Aim was a part of Hydra in the comic so he is Hydra in both film and comic. Does he have a body possessing superhuman, Cap-like abilities? Yes. In the books he eventually had his mind implanted in a cap clone. I personally like the way the movie handles the powers much better but I’m getting off track again. He still had Captain America abilities and that’s what’s important. Did Skull get a cosmic cube? Yes he did. Was his red skull his actual appearance and did he wear a mask at some point? Yes and Yes. Both of these things happen in the comic as well at different points in time. Skull, with the help of Arnim Zola of course, even created an advanced weapon to help in the plans for genocide and world domination just like AIM did early on in the comics. I am just in awe of how the writers didn’t take away from the 70 years of Cap stories but were able to weave it all together in the film so well.

But I have prattled on long enough and I figure that you would want to see the movie for yourself and enjoy it. So all I’ll say at this point is…

It’s fun and it definitely get’s my recommendation.

Oh and stay after the credits. There is something really cool at the end.

Tony Baker ii