The story of one of the greatest comic book icons Marvel's Captain America.

Rating: Null/10 (22 August 2011)

The First Avenger is finally with us, the superhero that embodies the American spirit and what it truly means to be a hero explodes onto the big screen in brilliant colour. The story of ninety pound asthmatic weakling Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who is so desperate to do his bit in the war against fascism that he submits himself to Dr Erskine's (Stanley Tucci) experiment to create the perfect human. Instantaneously Rogers becomes a poster boy for the Second World War and puts on about eighty pounds, he now runs faster and is stronger than any other human on Earth. But he is not alone in his abilities and he soon finds himself embroiled in the war he was so desperate to be a part in. Can the kid from Brooklyn be the hero his larger than life heart preordains him to be? If you're expecting this movie to be full of gross Americanisms and lots of flying the flag basically the ultimate U.S. propaganda spectacle and admittedly there is much that would appease the American sensibility. But this is a story about one man and his heart and courage of epic proportions, man with a propensity for good and fighting for the good of the common man. This has always been Marvel's answer to DC Comics man of steel Superman and by way of adaptation alone they have beaten Superman's most recent reboot. Joe Johnson has expertly captured that bygone era of periodic Saturday matinée serials and when you look at his resume you can see why he was chosen to depict the story of one of America's most famous sons.
The acting from the lead is again surprising; Chris Evans has previously played roles full of testosterone and ego but here skilfully balances a man full of humility and guts the size of a nation. His interpretation of the star spangled man of might accurately pays homage to a hero forgotten in recent years with the onslaught of comic book characters. Hugo Weaving is suitably maniacal as Johan Schmidt aka Red Skull and Tucci is excellent as the man of great wisdom and knowledge tasked with creating a new weapon against the rising tyranny of Nazi Germany. Mr Johnson has struck a great chord with the special effects which never overtake the telling of the story but instead are skilfully used to enhance the story. If Mr Snyder wants a tip on how to bring great power and heroism to the screen he wouldn't go wrong in watching this adaptation, one only hopes that the impending Avengers can continue in this vein. Captain America receives 3 ½ out of 5 and is in cinemas now.