Although Marvel Studios deserves some blame, I will take majority responsibility for the most memorable aspect of our screening of Captain America: The First Avenger. I had been saying since before the film started that we'd be treated to a trailer for next year's superhero jamboree, The Avengers. The credits rolled, and like a good little fanboy I sat there waiting for it. All the way until the lights came up. Certainly I wasn't alone in being disappointed, and we're all trained to hang out after these flicks anyway. But after thinking about it, I'm over it. It's my colleagues who I may have persuaded to stay that I feel some guilt over. The reason why it doesn't bother me is because the film itself was there only to get us to The Avengers with a minimum of fuss.
For evidence you need look no further than director Joe Johnston. He's a perfectly fine filmmaker, one who was trained by the likes of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and even though he's had a number special effects heavy films, he's yet to find one anybody remembers fondly. He's perfectly fine, but compare him to the rest of Marvel's guiding forces: Joss Whedon, Kenneth Branagh, and Jon Favreau. These guys are more than just "fine". They bring an imaginative flair that Johnston lacks, and it becomes a major issue with why Captain America is merely an average film.
A shame, too, because Chris Evans is impressive as the nationalistic hero, but perhaps he's even better before Steve Rogers dons the red white and blue suit. Rogers is a 90lb weakling of a man. The kind that Charles Atlas would save from getting sand kicked in his face. But he's brave, feisty, a scrapper that believes wholly in America. While other men his age, including his best friend James "Bucky" Barnes(Sebastian Stan) are overseas dying for his country, Rogers is stuck watching it on news reels. These scenes are awkward, with Evans' head digitally placed on the body of the world's thinnest man, yet his deep booming voice remains. It's kinda creepy, really.
Stanley Tucci shows up as Dr. Erskine, wielding an accent fitting of an extra in Inglourious Basterds
. The creator of the experimental super soldier serum, he finds Rogers' patriotism and heart to make him a worthy subject for testing. Rogers agrees because it gets him into the army, he undergoes a procedure that would make Wolverine squirm, and emerges a buff, chiseled beast of a national symbol. His previously dismissive superior, Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell), is suddenly very interested in him. She's a looker, and a tough girl probably capable of kicking Rogers' butt. But she might be hooking up("having fondue") with playboy futurist, Howard Stark(Dominic Cooper). Yes, that Stark. The father of our beloved Tony. Recognized as a potential recruiting tool, Rogers is dolled up in a cheap cloth costume you wouldn't wear to a Halloween party, and used to sell bonds. That is until he gets an earful of jeers by real soldiers, and he decides to use his powers to actually fight the enemy. That enemy is Dr. Johann Schmidt(Hugo Weaving) aka the Red Skull, leader of a terrorist organization known as Hydra. They get their goose stepping, "sieg heil" saluting style from their ex-Nazi leaders, dispatched in hilarious fashion by a massive laser beam powered by a mysterious all-powerful cube. Comic book nerds will recognize the object immediately as the "Cosmic Cube". Red Skull has a plan to destroy then dominate the world using the energies from his newfound prize.
Captain America isn't a terrible movie by any means. In fact it's actually pretty good despite the problems I have with it. I feel good for Evans, having improved significantly from his previous superhero effort as Johnny Storm in both Fantastic Four movies. He's got more charisma than I gave him credit for, and gets Cap's square jawed intensity exactly right. I only wish he had more to work with, and that goes for his supporting cast as well. Tommy Lee Jones is...well, Tommy Lee Jones. He growls every single line in the way only Jones can do. He's clearly having fun, whereas I don't know what the heck Hugo Weaving is doing. It's not his fault, it's just that the Red Skull isn't given anything to do. Nor are we ever shown how much of a threat he can be. This is a major problem that the script by Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely never overcomes. Where is the scene where we think all might be lost? Where is the Red Skull's show of force? We're never given any reason to see him as anymore than a clownish villain with hammy dialogue and a bony face.
The film is steeped in WWII nostalgia, capturing nicely the jingoistic zeal of the time. Johnston's strength has always been in art design, and he gets the look of the period exactly right. In particular a fabulous sequence at a state fair with Stark showing off his latest toy. It has a World of Tomorrow feel about it that made me smile. But where Johnston's lack of imagination comes into play again is in the action sequences. None of them are particularly creative, bordering on dull. Shot in 2D but converted to 3D later, it retains a vibrancy that most of these films lack. Looking good isn't the issue.
Captain America gets by on atmosphere, and a genuinely sincere, rugged performance by Evans. The Avengers is due out next summer, where he'll be only the fifth most colorful character on set. Under the guidance of Joss Whedon, I'll be expecting Cap's next adventure to have more guts than this one.
