Eye-catching sets, a highly watchable cast, and a brisk action-packed story make this film a treat.

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2012)

The film that could have been one of the worst by Marvel Studios instead turned out to be one of the best. Captain America: The First Avenger gets everything right, but the studio hasn't really released a bad film yet. Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is pretty much perfect here. He's believable as someone who goes through a big transformation, but more importantly he's believable as a righteous sickly young man who wants to serve his country. He's transformed into the super soldier Captain America, and he gets a good-looking costume which looks perfect for its era. The 1940s in this film is an optimistic retro-futuristic time that's important in world history. Director Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Jumanji) captured that era very well. The talented supporting cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper and Stanley Tucci. Jones is great as usual in the role of Colonel Chester Phillips. Tucci gives an interesting performance as the deeply humanistic Dr. Abraham Erskine. And Atwell as the tough Peggy Carter looks just like one of those pin-up girls of the 1940s. Captain America: The First Avenger is an action-packed summer blockbuster, so there isn't a dull moment. One of the highlights is a motorcycle chase reminiscent of the one in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989). But there's still a good deal of drama, and the film takes an honest look at its hero. Even though the Nazis, or more precisely the terrorist organization HYDRA, have things like laser weapons this still seems perfectly believable. Some people might interpret the film as a piece of American propaganda, but I don't care because it's an exuberant great-looking superhero film. For some reason Captain America has always been one of my favorite superheroes (maybe it's the cool costume and shield), and I'm glad that now there's finally a good film about him. In conclusion, Johnston and cinematographer Shelly Johnson crafted a satisfying colorful adventure film. I recommend seeing it.