Captain America: First Avenger fights superhero fatigue - and wins

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2011)

In many ways, Captain America: The First Avenger resembles its title character, that iconic symbol of good, ol'-fashioned, American patriotism. Like the Cap, this movie has been embellished with all the bells-and-whistles of modern-day technology, supported by state-of-the-art special effects and blatantly high production values, but just as Captain America is, deep down, still the scrawny, scrappy Steve Rogers, at the heart of the film lies the simple, noble intention of telling a good story and, hopefully, entertaining the audience while it's at it. It's this modesty that helps Captain America succeed where others have failed, or at least fallen short.
Much has been made of the recent glut of superhero and comic book-based movies. There are only so many origin stories, prequels, sequels, spin-offs and reboots most people can take before they all begin to look the same. While I would argue that this genre is as valid as any other (romantic comedies have seen little internal change even though they've been around for decades, but do you ever hear someone demand they no longer be made?), the truth is that, though they may now be high in quantity, the quality of the majority of these superhero films has been sub-par. Perhaps this stems from the difficulty of balancing the needs of the comics' vicious, passionate fan bases with those of the average movie-goer. Regardless of the reasons, not since 2008's formidable duo of Iron Man and The Dark Knight has any superhero movie made a real impact; even box-office returns have largely been nothing special.
Just when it looked like we'd have to wait yet another year, along comes Captain America. Though it is nowhere near as weighty or transcendent as Chris Nolan's Batman movies, it follows closer in the footsteps of Jon Favreau's surprise hit, which similarly took a B-list comic book character and turned him into the star of a wildly enjoyable blockbuster. Like Iron Man, Captain America works because, despite some flashy visuals, cartoonish action sequences and mythic gobbledy-gook, the film-makers and writers never lose sight of the characters or their motivations, keeping the story grounded even in its most fantastical moments. Recent Marvel films, like Iron Man 2, have felt like nothing more than superfluous and lazy marketing gimmicks whose soul purpose was to set up next year's The Avengers, which will unite all of Marvel's heroes in one film, but while studio execs probably had similar intentions for Captain America, Joe Johnston and his colleagues do not approach it as such. They treat it as a stand-alone film and, for the most part, the story arcs feel self-contained; the viewer's enjoyment is not dependent on prior knowledge or attachment based in separate movies or in the comics, though there are plenty of Easter eggs that will no doubt please those fans.
The writing is unfussy, never overreaching in unnecessary attempts at grandeur, and the plot is easy to digest: basically, kill Nazis, or, more specifically, H.Y.D.R.A. soldiers, who are like super-Nazis with guns that shoot blue lasers instead of ordinary bullets. Though there are a few recognizable names and faces in the cast, Captain America benefits from a relative lack of true A-listers who might've made the production feel too crowded or chewed too much scenery. As our central hero, the very Aryan- (and buff)-looking Chris Evans does a fine job. Whether he is portraying Steve Rogers or his more muscular alter-ego, Evans never lets go of the heart and stubborn determination that drives his character from beginning to end. Among others, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones provide solid support, and Hugo Weaving still makes a mean villain, even if his German accent often sounds more like a British one. However, the real surprise here is unknown actress Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, who, in a breath of fresh air, is the first superhero heroine I can remember who is never forced into the role of victim or damsel-in-distress. Bearing a striking resemblance to Scarlett Johanssen, albeit with brown hair and a light British accent, Atwell plays Peggy Carter with grace and poise, more than holding her own against her more seasoned male counterparts.
The film's only significant misstep comes at the end with an epilogue that is tacked on after the story's surprisingly emotional climax. Though comic book fans will be familiar with the twist, the conclusion lacks the closure needed to be truly satisfying. Fortunately, like Marvel's other movies, Captain America features a post-credits tag, and for the fanboys (and girls) out there, boy, oh, boy is it worth the wait.