Captain America is Good Old Fashioned Fun

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2014)

Good old fashioned fun; that's what Captain America promises, and that's what it delivers. With Bullets, explosions, and fisticuffs aplenty, instantly recognizable good and bad guys, and a big side of gung-ho patriotism, Captain America is a throwback to the morale-building war films of Hollywood's golden era, only with higher production values. Highbrow it ain't, or especially original, but it's not trying to be.
The story is a familiar one, but well worth telling again. Steve Rodgers (Chris Evens), an asthmatic ninety-pound weakling from Brooklyn is turned down every time he tries to enlist- until scientist Emile Erskine sees something in the young lad and enters him into a top secret project to develop the perfect soldier. And with an injection of super-soldier serum, Rodgers becomes the courageous, muscle-bound hero Captain America and plants his shield right in the face of Nazi Germany- after staring in a nationwide bond drive that is absolutely side-splitting in its cheesiness.
This movie isn't much on nuance or complexity. There are no stunning revelations, no moral wrangling, and only simply drawn characters. Cap and his buddies are brave, selfless, and believe in freedom and standing up for the little guy, while Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is a power-hungry megalomaniac who seeks to conquer not only the allies but Hitler and the Nazis as well. It might have been nice to see Rodgers developed a bit further, but I suppose the whole point is for him to be a simple, wholesome everyman, and Evens has no trouble conveying this with his natural energy and innate charm. Expect to see a lot more of this kid in the coming years.
Weaving is likewise perfect to play the Red Skull. He's had plenty of experience playing the bad guy, and I got a feeling that he was enjoying himself, even if he didn't find the role very challenging. A more interesting casting choice is the inclusion of Tommy Lee Jones. He might seem an odd pick for a superhero movie, especially considering his rather sedate performance as Two-Face in Batman Forever. But here he is perfect a Cap's no-nonsense, tough-as-nails commanding officer.
The action scenes are well staged and generally exciting; even if they do become a bit repetitive towards the middle, and it really is cool the kind of tricks Cap can pull with his shield. I also enjoyed the blend of war movie and sci-fi type elements. This is WWII fought with ray guns, rocket planes, and tanks as big as a house- although it is worth noting that the Skull's one man rocket-copter was an actual German design.
I will admit that some of the supporting characters are introduced too late for us to really get to know them. And the romance between Rodgers and Peggy Carter is so under-developed as too be perfunctory. There are also a fair number of clichés, from the talking villain to the always reliable self destruct sequence, but these play more as homage to the movies and serials of yesteryear than as evidence of a lack of ideas.
Despite some flaws, Captain America is still rousing entertainment. And while I understand that things can't always be black and white, it's still good every now and then to see a movie that lets us root unequivocally for the good guys and be proud that we're American. Captain America is that kind of movie, and it's great fun for all ages.