Chris Evans is a flat and basic character who hits one note. I don't mean to be disrespectful and I'm sure he was doing what he was told, by the production team behind the film, but he shows very little emotional depth. Basically, Evans plays the most manly, silent, archetypal hero figure, with out internal conflict.
Some may say that this is a failing of the movie - that most heroes like Spiderman, the Hulk, etc, have some sort of inner turmoil and the fact that this is missing in Cap A is a weakness of the film. But I would venture to say that what those people are missing is the propaganda aspect of these movies. Cap can't be weak, or suffer turmoil over his decisions. The closest he gets is when he regrets (SPOILER ALERT) the loss of Bucky. But for anyone who has read the comics, or watched the Avengers animated series, you know that this is inevitable.
After mourning Bucky, he moves on quickly with advice from Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell. After that it is smooth sailing for the Captain as he does what is right. All the time. He never falters from his moral high ground and that is what brings him victory. He is selfless, and self-sacrificing and self-effacing. That is a lot of self... but none of it makes him self-absorbed.
The point being that he is the best soldier. He is an intentionally patriotic creation of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon from 1941. That means that he is meant to be a role model for kids - teaching them to be strong soldiers and stand up for what is right. Oh, and teaching them to join the army if they want to be like Captain America, which was pretty important in 1941.
With that out of the way, I enjoyed the movie. The supporting actors did a great job. Stanley Tucci made us feel loss, with his portrayal of Dr. Erskine. Tommy Lee Jones did a great job being himself as Colonel Phillips. And that is exactly what was needed for this character. Sometimes when an actor is cast, it is just for his or her name. With Tommy Lee Jones, it is because you know what you are getting and you get what you want: A gruff, loud, southern army / police / old man type.
The movie was mostly a development movie. It moves the plot along in order to set things up for the next movie: The Avengers. And for that I applaud Marvel. They have done a great job creating a franchise that people want to see, just to find out what development will bring them closer to the next movie. It's like a running serial made for the big screen.
The action was good, not great, but good. There were a few, "YEAH!" moments, and a few "Did you see that?"s. But overall, I'd say that it wasn't better than any of Marvel's previous outings, such as Thor, or Iron Man 2.
What does make this movie worth watching is this: It is filmed exceptionally well. The costumes are great, and the feeling of the photography is very nostalgic. I felt like I was watching a comic book, 1940's news reel. Complete propaganda from start to finish, but that is what Captain America is all about and they acknowledged that even in the final credits, with all of the war-time advertisements plastered across the screen. At least the director, Joe Johnston didn't have any illusions about what he was doing. And he did allude to many of the great themes of the 1940s: One man can make a difference. Men win wars, not guns. And the list goes on, but those ideals were what made America what it was. And as a Canadian, I can say that I appreciated those values. They remind me of such movies as The Sandlot, or Stand by Me. Kids who want to be something, and feel invincible.
Thanks Captain America, you one dimensional, patriotic symbol you.
Some may say that this is a failing of the movie - that most heroes like Spiderman, the Hulk, etc, have some sort of inner turmoil and the fact that this is missing in Cap A is a weakness of the film. But I would venture to say that what those people are missing is the propaganda aspect of these movies. Cap can't be weak, or suffer turmoil over his decisions. The closest he gets is when he regrets (SPOILER ALERT) the loss of Bucky. But for anyone who has read the comics, or watched the Avengers animated series, you know that this is inevitable.
After mourning Bucky, he moves on quickly with advice from Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell. After that it is smooth sailing for the Captain as he does what is right. All the time. He never falters from his moral high ground and that is what brings him victory. He is selfless, and self-sacrificing and self-effacing. That is a lot of self... but none of it makes him self-absorbed.
The point being that he is the best soldier. He is an intentionally patriotic creation of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon from 1941. That means that he is meant to be a role model for kids - teaching them to be strong soldiers and stand up for what is right. Oh, and teaching them to join the army if they want to be like Captain America, which was pretty important in 1941.
With that out of the way, I enjoyed the movie. The supporting actors did a great job. Stanley Tucci made us feel loss, with his portrayal of Dr. Erskine. Tommy Lee Jones did a great job being himself as Colonel Phillips. And that is exactly what was needed for this character. Sometimes when an actor is cast, it is just for his or her name. With Tommy Lee Jones, it is because you know what you are getting and you get what you want: A gruff, loud, southern army / police / old man type.
The movie was mostly a development movie. It moves the plot along in order to set things up for the next movie: The Avengers. And for that I applaud Marvel. They have done a great job creating a franchise that people want to see, just to find out what development will bring them closer to the next movie. It's like a running serial made for the big screen.
The action was good, not great, but good. There were a few, "YEAH!" moments, and a few "Did you see that?"s. But overall, I'd say that it wasn't better than any of Marvel's previous outings, such as Thor, or Iron Man 2.
What does make this movie worth watching is this: It is filmed exceptionally well. The costumes are great, and the feeling of the photography is very nostalgic. I felt like I was watching a comic book, 1940's news reel. Complete propaganda from start to finish, but that is what Captain America is all about and they acknowledged that even in the final credits, with all of the war-time advertisements plastered across the screen. At least the director, Joe Johnston didn't have any illusions about what he was doing. And he did allude to many of the great themes of the 1940s: One man can make a difference. Men win wars, not guns. And the list goes on, but those ideals were what made America what it was. And as a Canadian, I can say that I appreciated those values. They remind me of such movies as The Sandlot, or Stand by Me. Kids who want to be something, and feel invincible.
Thanks Captain America, you one dimensional, patriotic symbol you.
