This movie came out a few weeks ago and all the big newspapers, snooty and judgemental critics, blogs, forums and websites have pounced on it already (in terms of reviews.....obviously, duh) and I know it is a little bit late for me to write and post this now. Of course, every critic needs some time to think about what to type and after seeing the movie twice, I started to carefully analyze it. This review will tell you why Captain America: The First Avenger is a good movie and to me, the best of the summer. This review will point out some of the reasons and examples that show why this movie is amazing, points that most critics usually don’t touch on. Reasons will include: effective comedic elements, the depth of the characters even though the main focus is on Captain America and how the movie is a good set-up for the upcoming Avengers film.
Spoiler Alert: This review does discuss about certain parts of the movie’s plot, if you want to read this but have not seen the movie, go to your local movie theatre or watch it online, however you watch movies. Or if you’re one of those people that like to read reviews before seeing the movie, regardless of spoilers, go right ahead. Anyway, in the end it’s your choice, no matter what you do in this kind of situation.
Although the movie was action-packed and had a very serious tone, it also contained some comedic elements that many may enjoy. Many will find that Captain America’s speedy metabolism created a laugh because while he explained it, he also explained why he cannot get drunk when he is trying to. Another humorous scene was when after Dr. Erskine told Steve about Johann Schmidt/Red Skull and raised a glass “for the little guys”. When Steve was about to drink, Dr. Erskine said “what I’m I doing? No fluids before the experiment”, and Steve said “Okay, we’ll drink after” and Dr. Erskine said “why after? I’ll drink now”. Many will find that exchange of sentences between the two very comical. Another humorous scene was when Steve and the other recruits were training; the drill sergeant showed them a flagpole and said that whoever gets the flag down first gets to ride back to the base with Agent Carter. So the recruits desperately tried to get the flag by climbing the flagpole. After they had all failed, Steve found the easy (and possibly obvious) solution, by taking the screws off the flagpole, making it fall and then getting the flag, earning his ride back to the base with Agent Carter. These are some examples of humour that were displayed throughout the movie.
Dr. Erskine (left) and Steve Rogers (right) sharing a drink, well... almost. What you see on the top is what Chris Evans (Captain America) looks like before they used CGI to make him short and skinny (as seen below). The use of computer graphics and technology used in the making of this film is impressive, I could go on and on, but that’s another story.
The characters in the movie had a lot of depth which is good for a film like Captain America because that way the movie portrays itself as a movie with good morals and moral complexities that people can relate to. Steve Rogers/Captain America was a very complex character with various troubles that occurred both before and after he turned into Captain America (i.e. girl problems, etc). Before Steve became Captain America, he was already courageous and brave. A good example of this expressed attitude was when Colonel Phillips threw a “dummy” grenade at the training recruits, all the men were hiding behind walls and vehicles, while Steve jumped towards the grenade and was covering it with his body, willing to sacrifice himself to save the people. Another good example of Captain America expressing his complexity was through the fact that he wanted to do more for his country and actually fight in the war, rather than being just a boytoy (propaganda figure) for the US Military. Examples of other characters showing depth included the fact that Agent Carter looked past Steve’s looks when he turned into CA and admired him as a person, not a pretty boy with abs of steel. These examples show why Captain America was not just an action hero, but a hero with depth, alongside with the other characters in the movie, who shared the same level of depth as Captain America did.
Captain America showing his courage and bravery by sacrificing himself to save NYC, a perfect example of well displayed courage.
The movie does an awesome job setting up and preparing cinephiles and comic book lovers for the upcoming Avengers movie, coming out on May 4th, 2012. The way they made Captain America the final “key” to the Avengers was smart because he was the first avenger who had much knowledge about The Avengers opponent, Hydra. If The Avengers was formed without CA then they would not know what they are fighting for or what their fighting against. He woke up after being “asleep” for at least 70 years. The ending of the movie (including the post-credit scene) will certainly keep fans on their feet for next year; the wait was over since SHIELD has found Captain America, the final member, who will now fight alongside The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, and Hawkeye, and will be guided by the leading Agent Nick Fury of SHIELD. These are some of the main reasons on why Captain America (as a film) has done a good job by setting things up for the upcoming Avengers film.
Now that’s what I call a fully assembled team, like The Expendables, only more epic.
There are many important elements that make this a good movie, such as: comedic elements, depth of characters and how the movie paves the way for the upcoming Avengers film. Most critics will look at other elements and judge the movie in a different way. The elements that I chose to consider are as important, looking deeper into the film.
Don’t waste your excitement my friends, the celebration will come soon, real soon.
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