Captain America

So Marvel's third summer blockbuster dropped last weekend and I, with characteristic nerdiness, caught the midnight screening. I was surprised to find out that the local Coliseum had sold out of tickets for it, meaning I had to make the trek to the next closest theatre. So far, a good sign. I was especially surprised since Captain America is not exactly Marvel's most famous property, but then, he's not as obscure as say, Ghost Rider (I can't believe they're making a second one.) Regardless, if you're unfamiliar with the Captain America mythos, the movie does a great job of summarizing it.

Set against the backdrop of World War 2, Captain America pits the forces of America's army, namely the 107th Infantry, against Germany's Johann Schmidt (played by Hugo Weaving). Schmidt is a scientist obsessed with finding an ancient and secret power which everyone believes to be fable. His search for power leads him to Dr. Erskine (played by Stanley Tucci), a scientist who has created a serum to enhance every aspect of the human body. After performing the experiment, Erskine realizes that the evil that was within Schmidt has now also been amplified, along with his strength and speed, and he defects from Germany and flees to America. Meanwhile, in the USA, scrawny and sickly Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is trying for the 6th time to enlist in the military. After initially being rejected yet again, he catches the eye of Dr. Erskine, who is now working with the American military. Erskine convinces Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) to take on the undersized fighter with the intention of administering the same serum to Rogers. Phillips reluctantly agrees to the procedure, while Rogers eagerly accepts Erskine's proposal and Captain America is born. The rest, as they say, is history.

I walked into this movie having very few expectations. Not to say that I was expecting it to be a bad movie, it's just not one of the Marvel properties i'm terribly familiar with. So I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the movie, particularily the acting - for the most part. Chris Evans is pretty good as Steve Rogers, funny, et cetera, but I feel like a lot of other people could have played the part equally or better. It wasn't one of those "born to play this part" roles. Tommy Lee Jones, however, is pitch perfect as Colonel Phillips. He's sharp as a tack, quick as a whip, and funny as hell. Old Tommy boy has still got it. In my opinion though, Stanley Tucci steals the show, as the gentle and kindhearted Dr. Erskine. Though he's in the movie only briefly, his performance is solid and witty. Now on the other hand, we have Hugo Weaving, who played Schmidt. Now I like Weaving. Who can deny how maliciious he was as Agent Smith, or how noble as Elrond the high elf? Weaving is an excellent actor - just not in this movie. Mostly, it is his accent that bothers me. It's not quite german. It's not quite anything else either, but German is what it's supposed to sound like. Otherwise, a solid job all around.

I particularly enjoyed this flick for its setting, during the era of world war. Many comic book films these days take place in the present universe - it's rather refreshing to see one taking place in the past. Plus, it's also a throw back to the Golden Age of comic books, and the campiness of some of the scenes is also definitely a reflection of this as well. Overall, I was also satisfied with the amount of shield throwing present in the movie.

Captain America is a solid flick. Any comic book lovers should check it out, and if you wanna see an entertaining movie, go check it out as well. If you're excited for The Avengers, stick around for after the credits ;)

Final Score: 7/10