The Rocketeer.

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2019)

During a run of viewing Action flicks from 1991,one of the main titles I was utterly charmed by was The Rocketeer. Reading trivia afterwards on the movie,I was surprised to learn that director Joe Johnston had been hired by Marvel due to what he did with Rocketeer, which led to me seeing the first Avenger arise.
View on the film:
Standing out from the "Phase 1" stable, director Joe Johnston & cinematographer Shelly Johnson offer the nearest tantalising sight of what the planned Rocketeer 2 would have been, in the 40's setting being painted in a dusty bronze straight from the serials of the era, and The Red Skull and Captain America being given a prime pulpy appearance. Whilst not fully able to escape Marvel's Blue Beam of Light, Johnston fits the exciting superhero action set-pieces into the serial mood, from the rousing score by Alan Silvestri and chases in 40's cars, to Captain America throwing his shield at hissing Nazi goons. In a genre known for being on the nose, Johnston displays a surprisingly subtle "show, don't tell" approach towards the origins, thanks to a seamless blending of CGI and practical giving a pre-Captain Rogers a scrawny appearance, with Johnston crushing Rogers into corners, and upwards shots giving everyone else a towering look over Rogers.
Becoming the main writers for the Marvel Franchise after their first entry here, the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely does very well avoiding the cynical glance Captain America could fall under, by having those around Rogers emphasis the importance of his part in the war effort. Giving the pulpy daring hero and cackling Nazi/ Mad Scientist of the script and directing an extra spark, Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Jones (not related) Dominic Cooper,Stanley Tucci and Hugo Weaving giving the flick the feeling of being from the Golden Age of Hollywood character actors, such as TLJ and Cooper buckling down with troops on the battlefield, and the Weaving/Toby Jones duo howling like baddies from a 40's Mad Scientist flick. Whilst he does well flexing the action chops, Chris Evans brings the Captain most to life in the sweet-natured, elegant romance with Hayley Atwell's adventurous Agent Peggy Carter, who joins the first Avenger, as Captain America picks up his shield for the first time.