A Clash of Real World vs. Comic Book Action

Rating: 6/10 (11 April 2014)

I was a fan of the first Captain America primarily because the director chose to evoke the pulp comic version of WWII (like Indiana Jones and the director's own Rocketeer). This film decides to steer into political intrigue territory, a genre I happen to be a fan of. To make that evident, Robert Redford is cast to represent the political characters he played in the past (3 Days of the Condor, All The President's Men, The Candidate, and later in Spy Game). The action centres in Washington D.C., with S.H.I.E.L.D. turning into just another bureaucracy.
Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, a man who seems lost in time and place. He is a superhero, but can't settle in an era that he didn't grow up in. The hole in our main character becomes a problem in the screenplay. At one point he is asked what he makes him happy, the answer is "I don't know". If the audience can't a get a sympathetic grip on this somewhat two dimensional character, will we care if he gets in harm's way? The main problem lies in how Captain America is so broadly drawn. Like Klark Kent, he has an unobscured view of right and wrong, and the only motivation needed is what is good for our country. So it is necessary to depend on the supporting characters to fill that hole. One could fault the actor Chris Evans, who unfortunately did not help his career being in the mid-2000s Fantastic Four. In that short lived franchise, he played an annoying show-off, again somewhat two dimensional. Does that mean Evans lacks depth in his acting? Since I liked that boy scout mentality in the first Captain America, I find it appropriate he retains that naivety as he tries to discover who is corrupting SHIELD's intentions. Scarlett Johanssan is the female lead, providing the kind of sexy and tough role that Angelina Jolie used to dominate. She has become well established as Black Widow, and doesn't need much character exposition. She is given plenty of opportunities to fight bad guys. Samuel Jackson has the most to gain from any of his appearances in previous Marvel films. His background gets a boost by making him a protégé of Robert Redford, and anchoring the character of Nick Fury in a more gritty real world situation compared to a more fictional comic book history.
The balance between action and tension building drama can seem a little talky, especially as the true villain is explained in the third act. This can be a welcoming moment of character development, especially if Steve Rogers can find happiness. But his relationship status still remains unresolved (as plot bait for subsequent sequels). I found that the big twist about the main villain to be a little lame, but my understanding is that the comic book universe prescribes it. I thought it helped to bring back some of the more appealing elements from the first film, so it has good potential.
I am still a fan of Captain America as much as perhaps Ironman. His bright-eyed view of justice is appealing and does a lot of inventive moves with his shield that he carries as a projectile, amongst other things. All the action scenes are up to snuff in high caliber destruction and high volume firepower. I was less intrigued by the bureaucracy, but the screenplay smartly injects action just when the dialogue needs a spark (at one point borrowing from 'Mission:Impossible"). Once I returned to the theatre to watch it a second time, the comic book elements seem to clash with a real world approach. The character of Falcon, for instance, has a backstory from Afghanistan, and attends PTSD meetings. But it is hard to keep that kind of grip on real world when in the next scene we are back to the James Bond gadgets and superhero flying vehicles. Trying to please both worlds and kind of getting away with it is better than not trying to build intrigue and leaving us with empty characters destroying lots of stuff.
Compared to the similar price tag given to the most recent Marvel release, Thor 2, the film feels big and sure of itself, keeping the momentum going after the big-bang explosion of the Avengers. I still prefer the first film for it's style and nostalgia, but the Russo brothers find their own tone and keep the momentum chugging along past the two hour mark. There is a big story to tell, and I didn't feel like there was any wasted screen time. I guess the best compliment to how well this Marvel machine is humming is the sense of excitement of what the next installment will provide.