As a movie created for fanboys, Captain America: The First Avenger has spread a buzz of excitement in the Marvel fandom, triggering that all too familiar childhood feeling of idolizing a favorite superhero, and the giddiness that comes along with seeing the hero in action, i.e, saving the world against evil.
Captain America: The First Avenger introduces the origin of the iconic patriotic guy circa 1941, clad in the American flag motif, with his indestructible shield, and how he came to be a superhero.
It’s World War II, and stick-thin Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants more than anything to join the military-- his wafer-thin build, including a plethora of health problems, not stopping him from trying to enlist. After repeated rejections, his desire and determination to fight the Nazis are not deterred, until ultimately, he is finally recruited by Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), who notices that despite Rogers’ physical built that is similar to that of a concentration camp prisoner rather than of a military man, he’s got a heart of a true soldier.
Erskine turns out to be a creator of a super-soldier serum for a top secret government project to defeat Hitler, the Nazis, and Johann Schmidt a.k.a The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and his evil Hydra organization. Rogers volunteers for Operation: Rebirth, and the somatic cell engineering turns him from a 90-pound boy into a manly all-American beefy super-soldier Captain America. And thus begins his adventure.
Captain America: The First Avenger, directed by Joe Johnston (The Wolfman, Jurassic Park III, October Sky, Jumanji), is not a bad film, but it lacks the superpower punch that elicits the wide-eyes and the oohhs and aaahs expected from a superhero film. After Rogers’ physical makeover, my excitement has waned. The fight scenes are like huge theatrical Broadway shows, or an extension of Captain America’s initial task to travel the country in a promotional tour to sell war bonds. The action scenes did not feel real, like an elaborate cosplay with super effects. Even the villainous Red Skull did not induce fear and hatred, his presence weak and almost boring. The fight scenes are incredibly light and child-friendly that I was almost expecting KLAPOW, BAM, KA-POW to pop everywhere. There was no tension, no fear, no intensity.
Captain America: The First Avenger is not a movie that will grip you (when the end credits began rolling, the super fan in my row, in his Captain America costume, exclaimed, "I am underwhelmed."), but it will take you just fine through the end. The winning factor of the movie is that it elicits a lot of LOL's and is fairly well-paced and visually pleasing. It’s a very, very light and simple wholesome comedy-adventure movie that kids will enjoy with the family. But even the little kiddos won’t hide when The Red Skull appears.
3D is unnecessary and even makes the film darker. But in a “secret surprise scene” after the end credits, Marvel fans will surely feel a surge of excitement.
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