The summer of super heroes has come to an end with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger. This super hero movie is different from most of them because it stays true to who the hero is and how he becomes the First Avenger. But, the movie itself doesn’t do him justice. It has its fair share of action and entertainment, but it lacks any real excitement or interest. Unfortunately, this is a case of a movie being over-hyped and us expecting too much. It fails to meet expectations.
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) loves his country and is willing to do anything to get the chance to fight for it. Set during World War II, Rogers wants to be in the military, but he is too small and has a long list of health issues that labels him unfit for military service, but he has the heart and passion for it. So when presented a chance to participate in an experimental program that will let him be apart of the war, he has no choice but to take it. This experiment turns Rogers in to a super soldier and gives birth to the man dressed in red, white, and blue.
At first, Captain America is used as a show attraction. But it doesn’t take long for Rogers to put his new body and abilities in to action. He teams up with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to not fight the Nazis, but one of Hitler’s weapon manufacturers called HYDRA, lead by the sordid, villainous Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), who is a lot like Captain America when it comes to having super-human strength and agility.
Captain America takes us back to where it all began. For his fans who read the comics, this movie is sure to satisfy them all. But even for those who aren’t followers of Captain America, what you see is what you get. An American hero kicking some ass. The story is simple, maybe a little too simple, but it delivers in what it promises. Director Joe Johnston mixes war with super heroes, and it works quite nicely. Having WWII as the backdrop adds more interest and intrigue to a predictable premise and gives it some authenticity.
Now with that said, Captain America: The First Avenger is not as impressive as I was hoping. It has a fast pace, but feels too rushed. The movie seems jumpy and offers no depth. And even the fighting sequence between Captain America and Red Skull just abruptly ends with nothing cool happening at all. However, Evans does a great job playing the First Avenger and Weaving is always enjoyable, and just to see Tommy Lee Jones in a movie like this is fun.
Johnston really stuck to the basics for this movie and it becomes a blessing and a curse. It has a nice look and environment with some terrific entertainment, but the thrills and emotion have been left out. A friend of mine made a comment that this movie appears to have been made just so they can make The Avengers. After seeing it, he may be right. But I must say, the famous shield of Captain America is awesome. So no matter how you feel while watching this movie, you can always depend on the shield to lift your spirits. So there is some stuff to look forward to just don’t go in having high expectations. It’s no Thor or X-Men: First Class.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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