Captain America:
The First Avenger (2011) (124 min)
iReview: Version: Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray);
Video: AVC 1080p; Audio: DTS 5.1.
Genre:: Action | Adventure | Science Fiction | Thriller | War |
Sub-Genre/Type:: Action & Adventure | Graphic Novel Adaptation |
Master Villain Film | Sci-Fi Action | Superhero Film |
Settings:: 1942, 2011 | Alpine Region | Nazi Germany |
New York City, New York, USA | World War II Era.

Mood?:: Adrenaline Rush |
For Love Of Country |
Guy Movie | Tough Guys.
iRate:: 4 / 5
Director:: Joe Johnston.
Writers:: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (characters and graphic novel);
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (screenplay).
Cinematography:: Shelly Johnson.
Editors:: Robert Dalva and Jeffrey Ford.
Music Score:: Alan Silvestri.
Cast:: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell,
Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper,
Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Stanley Tucci,
Natalie Dormer, Samuel L. Jackson.

Credits (Click to expand)

Trailer (HD):

iReview:
OK, time to fess up… As a kid, a big chunk of my entertainment came from comics and among my favourites were Superman, Batman, The Phantom, The Flash, Spider-Man and Iron Man. Occasional reading of a friend’s Captain America comic was as close as I came to being a fan. Even as a kid, the over-the-top flag waving American nationalism of the character and his anachronistic shield was a turnoff. However, watching Iron Man 2 last weekend, whet my appetite for a bit more from the Avenger crew. So I settled back to take a fresh look at Captain America: The First Avenger with a large glass of the wonderfully smooth and subtle, Evans & Tate Metricup Cabernet Merlot (2008) from Margaret River, Western Australia (that’s a shameless plug for our excellent local wine).

What Happens:
In this Marvel blockbuster, it is 1942 and as war rages across Europe, a brave but under-strength soldier, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into a Super Soldier. Deemed too valuable to be risked in combat, he is named Captain America and is used as a celebrity to win public support for the war effort, sell war bonds, and build morale among the troops. However, when the diabolical Nazi HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), threatens the defeat of the Allies, Captain America joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in a desperate battle to save a war-weary nation and the world.

“It was a pleasure to realize, once “Captain America: The First Avenger” got under way, that hey, here is a real movie, not a noisy assembly of incomprehensible special effects”.
(Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)

Story (Click to expand)

It seems Director Joe Johnston together with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, were aware of the frailty of Captain America’s hold on his super-hero status with the reservations of viewers like me. The way they handled the Captain’s acquisition of his cornball costume and shield, was inspired. It was as though they’d all been out at a screening of Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers (2006), the night before writing the plot-line and had the same epiphany. There are such obvious parallels between the Iwo Jima ‘flag-raising heroes’ touring the country spruking for war bonds and our freshly muscled up and taller ‘hero’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), embarrassed at his role in a touring showbiz spectacle. There’s also the added flourish of the Captain America comic arising as part of the marketing campaign which very neatly explains the real world model’s OTT name, eccentric clothes and accessories. These scenes also provide some light comic relief from the otherwise, serious endeavour. With my doubts about Captain America’s super-hero viability, deftly allayed, I was free to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.

From the outset, I was intrigued by the visual trickery involved in shrinking Chris Evans (Steve) to his pre-transformation puny size. It seems there was a fair bit of CGI trimming as well as the use of body doubles with Evans’ head digitally grafted on. Although a mighty fine attempt, the grafting process doesn’t quite convince me as the head seems just a little too big for the body in many shots. I know, I’ve wrecked it for you now because if you haven’t seen the movie, you’re going to fixate on the out-size head instead of chilling and enjoying the action… sorry.

Tying together the histories of the various Avenger super-heroes leads to the revelation that Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), father of Tony (Iron Man), was instrumental in providing the technical support required to create Captain America. Anyone who has seen the Scorsese biopic (The Aviator) or is familiar with the story of Howard Hughes, the eccentric industrialist, innovator, filmmaker and celebrated Hollywood player, would have been forgiven for imagining that Hughes had led a secret double life as Howard Stark. Here, Cooper has produced a playful, while not slavish caricature of the enigmatic legend.

There’s something reminiscent of the old matinee films in this which works very well in establishing the atmosphere of the period. As a consequence, there’s not a lot of subtlety on display, but then not much was needed as the story is a pretty straightforward old fashioned battle between good and evil with nary a smidge of nuance required. This treatment combined with the wonderful period production design, does a great job of drawing the viewer into the realistically portrayed parallel universe that this story inhabits.

A standout in this movie is that attention to detail in the period design. What was the mix of physical sets and CGI, I don’t know but the resulting shots of wartime London and Brooklyn were stunning in their resolution.

As well, the top shelf costuming of the Nazi characters, including their glistening black boots, provides a striking clue as to why the original Hugo Boss designed uniforms, particularly for the SS, had such an alluring impact in Hitler’s Germany (Yes folks, Hugo was indeed a Nazi and a founding sponsor of the despised SS. Indeed, without the patronage of the Nazis, Hugo Boss would have been just a forgotten footnote in history).

I haven’t seen any of Chris Evans’ (Steve Rogers / Captain America) earlier work so his performance here was a welcome introduction. While he doesn’t appear to have the range of a Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), he has the look of a sensitive, rather than brutish Captain America and he dealt convincingly with the script.

Hugo Weaving (Johann Schmidt / Red Skull) gives us a suitably sinister (but fun to watch) villain. Weaving seems to revel in playing stony cold bad guys named Smith (or Schmidt in German); this time, channeling the voice of Klaus Maria Brandauer quite convincingly. His over-the-top badness also plays well to the movie’s gritty but wholly comic-book roots.

Stanley Tucci (Dr. Erskine) has a short but pivotal and memorable role as the refugee German scientist running the super soldier experimental program that transforms Steve into a super-human. Tommy Lee Jones (Col. Phillips) is also good as the craggy, no nonsense officer in charge of that program.

Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), as Steve’s go to gal, no… not like that, there’s nothing even PG about the romance in this, as befits a movie of this ‘period’. Hell, even sex is enigmatically described as fondue. As Steve’s confidante and walking thought bubble, Peggy Carter, Atwell does a fine job and has just enough matinee heat and red lipstick to qualify as a ’40s calendar pin-up.

Director, Joe Johnston, does a good job of keeping the narrative humming along. I was kept attentive throughout without any flat spots; sometimes tense, sometimes amused and sometimes with a wry grin. He also gives the audience just enough meat on the characterization bone to keep us engaged with the wide array of characters while still providing a nice balance between action and drama. With this material, Johnston displays a sure grasp of what’s needed to satisfy fanboys and newbies alike; in fact, I’d go so far as to say… he’s nailed it.

The effects are handled well with futuristic weaponry and general wizzbangery neatly encumbered with the technical limitations of the time such as the mechanical analog count-down timer in the self-destruct sequence. It was also clear the design department had done their research in coming up with Hydra’s strange aircraft which were not beyond the scope of German technology at the time. Hydra’s aircraft were based on radical German WWII concepts such as the Horten H.XVIII flying wing bomber, a long range stealth bomber originally intended to bomb New York, and the Triebflügel fighter plane which had been designed as a vertical take-off intercepter.

Another feature of the movie only became apparent to me right at the end, during the contemporary New York sequence; the desaturated colour palette employed throughout the earlier 1940s scenes, evoked just the right drab ambiance for that time. When the time-line reaches the present, the contrast with the supersaturated vibrancy of the surroundings, very succinctly conveys the culture shock that would have ensued from the sudden transition from the 1940s to Times Square (2011)… Nice job.

And, as has become de rigueur with these films, there’s a short bonus scene after the credits.

The Picture:
Once the deliberate desaturation of the 1940s sequences became apparent, I had no fault with the 1080p transfer, particularly when the contrast with the spectacular contemporary Times Square sequence comes into play.

The Audio:
This is a well mixed DTS 5.1 audio track. The buzz and whir of vaporizer weapons together with engine noises, were nicely distributed through the 5.1 channels. The explosions and gunshots also thumped and thudded from the appropriate speakers and contributed to a great overall sound.

Verdict:
The filmmaker’s have done such an excellent job of turning this mildly skeptical viewer into a fan of Captain America, that I’ll even give Marvel Studios’ treatment of Thor, my least favourite super-hero, a go with an open mind.

iRate:: 4 out of 5.

4Movie Tragics

Extras:
Disc One:
• Feature Commentary by Director Joe Johnston, Cinematographer Shelly Johnson, and Editor Jeffrey Ford (This is an informative, if a little dry track which seems a bit screen specific. It nevertheless bolsters my impression that this film was made by a group of comic-book literates).
• Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer
(a curious short film featuring SHIELD’s agent Coulson, a mild-mannered but explosive crime fighter) – 4min.
• Featurettes Menu:
• • Outfitting a Hero
(an an enjoyable look at the evolution of Captain America’s suit) – 11min.
• • Howling Commandos
(looks at the supporting characters, including comments from some of the actors) – 6min.
• • Heightened Technology
(looks at the advanced weaponry and vehicles) – 6min.
• • The Transformation
(looks at ‘skinny Steve’, the shrinking of Chris Evans) – 9min.
• • Behind the Skull (looks at the casting and creation of Red Skull) – 10min.
• • Captain America’s Origin
(looks at the comic-book history of the character) – 4min.
• • The Assembly Begins (a puff piece preview of the Avengers) – 2min.
• Deleted Scenes (4 scenes with optional commentary) – 6min.
• Trailers (4 theatrical and game trailers) – 9min.

Disc Two:
• DVD (standard definition movie only)

You want More!
Captain America: The First Avenger – IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Captain America: The First Avenger – Rotten Tomatoes
Captain America: The First Avenger – allmovie.com
Captain America: The First Avenger – Wikipedia

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The more I see of this fine, current Marvel Avenger series, the more I’m reminded of how mind-numbingly mundane Spiderman 3 was. Do you agree?
:: Please leave a comment ::

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