America, F*@K Yeah!

Rating: 6/10 (24 July 2011)

Captain America is one of the noblest of characters. With the most recent flooding of superhero films for what has seemed like a decades worth, what we get this time around from Marvel is nothing short of...pleasurable. Which might seem like faint praise for those who want to analyze the term pleasurable when referring to a superhero of his stature. Like a visit to a great aunt's house. A late night snack while watching an old western. Pleasurable has it's place. And this First Avenger has definitely found his.
In fact good ol' Steve Rogers is so gosh darn pleasurable, that he in fact is quite... colorless. Sure the cannon fodder outfit is a solid costume. But when you start holding the mirror up to the Captain is when we start to see cracks. One could be quite confused as to what exactly the scope of his powers are. We aren't really introduced into his capabilities or where he actually stands morally. We are told he is good. What that means and how far that actually gets investigated is of no importance I guess. What I'm suggesting is that while Evans does his best Norman Rockwell painting impersonation, he just doesn't over ride us with charisma. He is just good. Good at looking good, good at fighting and just all around a good guy. There is no depth here. No conflict. The contrast between a man like Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans is night and day. And yes, Captain America is supposed to be banal. But surely the serum can tap into the small part of his brain to crack a joke, a smile or even flirt properly. Joe Johnston has flirted a little more successfully in this genre, with a very toned down Rocketeer and a wonderful character film in October Sky. But action is not where Johnston shines. I felt cramped watching most of the action play out. It felt busy but underwhelming. I almost hoped the action wasn't so generic because as I left the theatre I was more confused to what exactly Captain could and couldn't do with his new found powers. He can run fast, I gathered. But how fast? He can jump, but how high? Where does the limits of his strength run? So far this all probably sounds highly negative. I assure you it's not. It's a solid base hit for the likes of Marvel films who have really let me down more than they have succeeded over the course of their blockbuster onslaught. While the film plays on the kooky levels of an old 1940's serial with large organizations, spies and laser guns, it does so with at least a solid vision as to what tone they were aiming for. Something DC failed with Green Lantern. The supporting cast add much more richness to the characters and storyline, and that helps Evans at least keep his noble nature in check. Captain America's strength is the 1940's back drop and while I can't see a second film centre specifically on Cappy himself, it's a solid move to surround the Marvel boy scout with a more interesting cast in The Avengers. And that's pleasurable enough.