The Best Superhero Origin Story Yet!

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2017)

Sorry, Nolan. Your Batman origin movie is very good, but this is far better. First and foremost of the reasons why: it doesn't take liberties with the comic book version to facilitate its own plot. Second, Chris Evans is absolutely spot-on casting for the brave, righteous but sickly young man who becomes America's living secret weapon in the fight against the Nazis; despite his limitations as an actor he projects all the qualities the role requires without resorting to a ridiculous growling bellow while in costume. Third, it's set in a period in history we've all come to believe (or would like to believe) when a global conflict really was about 'good vs evil'; 'Captain America' fits perfectly into the role of a hero for that age, giving his subsequent projection into the modern world, with its relativistic moral view of conflict far greater force. Fourth, the character established in this origin movie remains constant in his future appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unlike the subsequent iterations of Nolan's Batman. It is the constancy of Cap's character that 'assembles' the superhero team in 'Avengers Assemble', unites it in 'Age of Ultron' and ultimately destroys it in 'Civil War'. By contrast, Nolan's Bruce Wayne grows weary of his crusade against crime in 'The Dark Knight' and seeks to pass the task on to Harvey Dent so as to preserve his relationship with Rachel Dawes (all three developments contrary to Batman canon). In 'Rises', the character is portrayed as an imbecile who understands neither the basic principles of tactics nor elementary detective work. Fifth, Tommy Lee Jones. Sixth, its ending isn't shamelessly ripped off from the train fight in 'Spider-Man 2' (a better movie) and the subway train crash sequence from 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' (an equally good film, but with a far better executed 'crash' sequence than 'Begins').Production and costume design are first rate, particularly Cap's 'operational dress', the interiors of the SSR HQ (clearly based on the actual Churchill War Rooms)and the Valkyrie bomber, the 'exteriors' of 1940s New York and the Red Skull's six-wheel automobile. Overall, one of Marvel's best efforts to date, if not the outright best, IMHO.