On Friday morning, I went to see Captain America: The First Avenger. I left the theater impressed and feeling like I got my money's worth. If you only can see one CBM this year, this one should your pic.
Synopis: The movie tells the story of Steve Rogers, a frail but brave young man who has been picked on his whole life and does not like bullies. When he sees footoage of the Nazis tearing Europe apart, he sees them as bullies and tries 5 times to enlist in the army but is turned down due to his frail body. Eventually, after almost being arrested for falsifying enlistment forms, he is offered a chance by a Dr. Erskine to participate in a super soldier experiment. Erskine believes that despite Steve's weak body, he is the ideal choice because he will be able to see the true value of strength and will not abuse it once obtaining it. Despite reservations, Colonel Phillips goes along with Erkine's choice, and after training, Steve is given the serum and exposed to Vita Rays which sucsessfully turn him into a super solier. Unfortunately, an assasin from an offshoot of the Nazis known as as Hyrda blows up the lab and fatally shoots Erskine being being caught by Steve. Unfortunately Erkine has the formula only in his head and no more super soldiers can be made. Being the only one of his kind, the army puts Steve to work as U.S.O. performer. While performing overseas though, Steve learns that his childhood friend friend and protector Bucky and other soldiers have been taken captive by the Red Skull who is Hydra's leader. With the help of Agent Peggy Carter, who Steve is beginning to fall in love with and Howard Stark, he is dropped behind enemy lines where he frees Bucky and the prisoners and comes face to face with the Red Skull. A short battle ensues with the freed prisoners and Hydra and Steve and the Red Skull. As the building comes down though, the Skull flees and Steve, Bucky, and the prisoners escape. Seeing his work, Colonel Phillips makes him an official operitive. Steve goes by the name Captain America, just like in the U.S.O. shows, but thanks to Howard Stark, gets an upgraded for combat and a shield made from an indestructible metal known as vibranium. As Captain America he selects Bucky and a team selected from from the prisoners he selected. They become known as the Howling Commandoes, and along with Cap, they defeat Hydra on several missions that are shown in a montage. Eventually, we finally get witness a mission where they all raid a train holding, Arnim Zola, the Skull's leading scientist who is helping him harness the power of the Cosmic Cube(from Thor). Zola is captured but only after Bucky plunges from the train to his death. Swearing vengance, Steve and the commandoes go on a final mission to defeat the skull and stop him from from dropping bombs all over the world. Captain America and the Red Skull do battle in the Skull's plane, where the Cosmic Cube is accidentally released and either kills the Skull or beams him to Asgard. Steve then removes his mask and radios in to tell Peggy that he will have to crash land the plane in the ocean so it does not hit America. He does so over a cold continent and for years is preserved in the ice until he is found by S.H.I.E.L.D. and revived in a facility made to resemble a 40's error recovery room. Steve sees the trick and escapes into modern day Times Square, where he is confronted by Director Nick Fury, who wants to recruit him for a team.
The Performances: Everyone does an awesome job in this movie. Tommy Lee Jones delivers some fun dry wit as Colonel Phillips, Stanley Tucci acts as good mentor to Steve, Sebastian Stan gives him a good friend and partner in Bucky, Hugo Weaving plays a good villain as usual, and Hayley Atwell makes for one of the best love interests in a superhero movie yet. Of course though, the most credit must be given to Chris Evans. Many fans were a bit puzzled when he was cast as Cap. This is because everyone knows him from mostly comedic roles in films like Not Another Teen Movie. Many people also remembered him because he played The Human Torch in The Fantastic 4 movie, where he was mostly a supporting character and there for comic relief. The minute you see him on screen as Steve Rogers though, you will forget that he ever played those rolls. And even if you don't, they won't matter. Evans will be remembered for Captain America, not the Human Torch, and that is all. He plays Steve as a humble guy who always wants to do the right thing, and does not expect anything for doing it either. Even as a 90 pound weakling, Steve stands up to bullies who mock soldier in film reels of the war playing in the local movie theaters, knowing fully well that he will get his ass handed to him. And he never once runs away. and he never lets the power of being Captain America go to his head.
The Action/ Special Effects: The action in this movie awesome. Watching Cap run into a group of Hydra soldiers and throw his shield against a tank to have it take multiple enemy combatants out qite a sight to see. Battles scenes involving gunfire are great too. And it's not just other soldiers shooting either. Cap has a pistol in this movie and does use it a few times. Theres a great scene in the montage of battles that everyone has scene by now in the trailers of Cap and the Howling Commandoes entering a warehouse and just lighting the place up. I only wish it was a full scene. The scene where Cap and Bucky are pinned down on the train trying to capture Zola was cool too. And towards the film's end Cap tosses a knife into a guy's back.
In terms of visual effects, this movie was great too. Seeing Chris Evans as a 90 pound Steve Rogers looks very convincing. The entire film is shot beatifully fully too. And the Red Skull looks great. The 3D was fine and did not make or break the experience either.
The Length: Captain America: The First Avenger closcks in at 2 hours and 4 minutes and has more than enough time to tell it's story while getting the audience into the story and characters, and giving them great action scenes too. The movie never drags either. Every scene has some sort of action it or advances the plot forward. Director Joe Johnston did a great job, despite some people's concerns about him from The Wolfman.
Overall: This movie was great and really delivered where it needed to and more( I'm talking The Avengers teaser at the end). Out of all the superhero movies from summer 2011, this on was the best and i would even go as far as to say that it's Marvel Studio's best movie since the 1st Iron Man. Stop reading and go see it.