Posts
2011, 07-27:
Review of film: “CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER”
The time was March, 1941, as World War II was going on in Europe. Joe Simon & Jack Kirby created a character called “CAPTAIN AMERICA” for what became MARVEL COMICS...
... Originally, the character was a small, weak young guy named Steve Rogers who was very patriotic & wanted to fight for the UNITED STATES against the evil Nazis & their associates...
... The basic concept was to use an experimental SERUM on him to try to give added STRENGTH & POWERS to help him combat the evil-doers. This new movie is designed to “introduce” the character to the film-going public...
... As the film starts out, we are in “modern” times. A military group is in an Arctic-like area, & are attempting to reach & enter a huge unusual-looking metallic craft of some type that’s partially sticking out of the snow & ice...
... After entering it, the military people initially can’t tell exactly WHAT the device is “designed” for, or how or why it GOT there...
... The time period switches back to America in the early 1940’s. We meet a thin, short guy named Steve Rogers (played by CHRIS EVANS) who keeps trying to ENLIST in the military as his buddy James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (SEBASTIAN STAN) has done...
... Chris is deeply discouraged at how he himself is regularly rejected for service as “4-F” (unfit for duty)... After one of these failures, he meets a scientist named Dr. Abraham Erskine (STANLEY TUCCI), who’s very impressed at the inner integrity he “sees” in Chris...
... At one point, Chris is brought into an antique store in Brooklyn, which is a front for a hidden U.S. MILITARY-related operation...
... He meets up with a pretty woman military officer named Agent Victoria (?) / Peggy Carter (HAYLEY ATWELL), & a rich (Howard-Hughes-like) industrialist named Howard Stark (DOMINIC COOPER)...
... Stanley (who’d escaped from Nazi-run Germany) introduces Chris to his “Project Rebirth”, designed to use injectable serums & the like to try to create a “SUPER WARRIOR” to help fight the enemies of America...
... U.S. military officer Colonel Chester Phillips (TOMMY LEE JONES) thinks Stanley’s research is a waste of time & effort, &, in any case, feels that Chris is the WRONG person to try to “improve”...
... Stanley, however, is adamant that Chris has the personal “CHARACTER” he’s looking for, & should be the one to try his experiments on...
... Although Chris is skeptical that Stanley’s procedures will work, he agrees to UNDERGO an attempt to recreate him as a more POWERFUL person, & lays in a special device created by Stanley to try to effect the desired changes...
... There are numerous government-affiliated people watching Stanley’s efforts... But, one of them who’s purportedly a special U.S. government agent is really a NAZI agent named Johann Schmidt (HUGO WEAVING) who was “familiar” with Stanley & tries to STOP his experiment with Chris...
... Hugo works to blow-up Stanley’s lab & everyone in it, but newly-powerful Chris & Haley pursue him outside & try to STOP him in a lengthy action / chase scene where Hugo escapes back to Germany...
... In time, we learn Hugo was himself a subject of experiments done by people like Stanley in Germany, & Hugo now runs a secret Nazi research project called HYDRA...
... As a character called Red Skull, Hugo is working to try to “adapt” some of Stanley’s work (+ using a hidden power device he’d stolen in Norway) to try to create his OWN super-warrior group, with the help of scientist Dr. Arnim Zola (TOBY JONES)...
... While Stanley’s experiment has WORKED on Chris, with the lab blown-up & all, the government decides it’s too EXPENSIVE to try to duplicate his work & produce MORE super-powerful soldiers like Chris...
... But, the military decides to make some USE of the newly-enhanced Chris by sending him around the country as a PROPAGANDA tool (to USO service & bond-selling shows & the like)...
... Chris grows very weary of being little more than a hyped-up “PAWN” of the government, & wants to do actual FIGHTING to help the country in its War efforts...
... Altho he’s initially reluctant about Chris & what he can “do”, Tommy Lee lets him gather together a group (including efforts by Hayley & Dominic) and try to engage in actual COMBAT, including using his special titanium-like shield & costume done in the colors of the American flag...
... Chris starts becoming very successful, & becomes known by the troops & media as “CAPTAIN AMERICA”... He eventually helps lead an attack on the German “RED SKULL” lab run by Hugo...
.... And, Chris & Haley & others initiate huge BATTLES with Hugo & his “robot”-like warriors there & in OTHER places...
... What will happen when Chris’ old buddy Sebastian joins him in his fighting efforts?... Will Chris grow “closer” to Hayley, & how will she “respond” to that?...
... Will Chris be able to STOP Hugo & his underlings?... Will he be able to get a “handle” on the scientific knowledge gathered by the Nazis & use it to AMERICA’S advantage?...
... What’s the “connection” & “story” behind the item found buried in the SNOW around 60 years after the War (which we saw at the very START of the film)?...
... Is there a possible “follow-up” movie in the offing?... (If you stay until the very end of the credits, you’ll SEE scenes of what’s being planned for May, 2012 release in that regard, “linking” this story with various OTHER MARVEL characters such as Thor & Spider-Man!...)
... I’ve purposely given only a fairly “bare-bones” description, because there’s so much satisfying enjoyment in the “growth” of the story & the “SURPRISES” that keep “popping-up” in the plot...
... There are some wonderful CGI effects in the film (including what’s been reported as in-effect “shrinking” work being done to help create the look of the “OLD” frail Chris)...
... Another report has described all the time & energy that went into creating unusual & “FUTURISTIC” items as they might be “viewed” thru the “outlook” of people living in the 1940’s Wartime years, & those items are indeed very IMPRESSIVELY designed...
... The acting is unusually GOOD for a “super-hero” movie, led by an understated but devoted & eager Chris, properly “bombastic” Tommie Lee, wicked Hugo, self-confident & competent Hayley, “breezy” adept Dominic, & humanistic genius Stanley...
... It’s not easy to create an “EFFECTIVE” & “BELIEVABLE” Super-Hero story, especially an “introductory” one-- but this one is exceptionally SKILLFUL in achieving its goals...
... It’s got wonderful ACTION scenes, interesting character development, & it’s a “FUN” ride as they effectively set-up possible SEQUEL stories.. Thus, I’m rating it at 8.75 out of 10 stars...
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