The Sentinel of Liberty

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2014)

Captain America is Marvel's Superman. A hero respected by all. All who matter, at least. It was a daunting task to bring him to the big screen but they did an amazing job. The acting is terrific. Chris Evans IS Cap and was spot-on casting, though I initially had my doubts when he was first announced. He brought the character to life in ways that few actors today could have. He's immensely likable and gives Cap that presence that he has to have for us to believe people would respect and follow him, especially since the movie has to unfortunately rush his earning that respect. Hayley Atwell is an excellent Peggy Carter, beautiful and strong. Hugo Weaving is a little one-note as the Red Skull but that's a problem with the script more than his performance. Tommy Lee Jones is fine in an unnecessary role as a cynical Army colonel.
The special effects are fabulous. The look of the Skull and the way they convincingly placed Evans' face on the skinny body were both praiseworthy effects. I also enjoyed the old school sci-fi machinery and technology. They did a great job getting down the look of the period, if not always the lingo. The action was good, though there were no real stand-out sequences. The tone of the film was perfect. It's nice to have superhero films not steeped in navel-gazing and pathos. The Marvel films in general are excellent in this area compared to the DC films or the Marvel ones made by other studios. Superhero films don't all have to follow a mold but it's good to have bright, positive characters like Captain America represented in films the way they should be.
However, it's not all perfect. I did have a few problems. First, the costume. I guess they did their best and this is likely to be the most faithful representation we'll ever get but I still wish it had been more classic Cap than modern Cap. Comics fans will know what I mean. Second, the fight with Red Skull was extremely brief. All that buildup for something that lasted a minute. Third, I'm not a big fan of movies that don't feel like they have a beginning, middle, and end. I give some latitude on intended trilogies like Lord of the Rings but movies like this should be able to stand on their own while also setting up for sequels. I just felt this one ended just as things were getting really good. I knew the story would continue on in other movies but I don't see why Cap, like Thor and Iron Man, couldn't have a complete movie of his own that also served its purpose on the larger shared universe story with the other films. The last half-hour felt rushed and the cliffhanger ending, while poignant, stuck a bit in my craw.
Those criticisms aside, it's a marvelous film (no pun intended). It accomplished what it needed to. It brought a hard-to-translate character to the big screen in an impressive way. It paid proper respect to Steve Rogers, the man, and Captain America, the symbol. It treated the character seriously with no snide sideways remarks or 21st century cynicism about patriotism. Most importantly, it's just a fun movie with the right mix of humor, action, and heart.