I really wanted to like this movie, and although I didn't dislike it, it just felt a bit dated - but Captain America is a rather old comic book character, although the lead actors on it seemed photo-shopped right from GQ and Vogue magazines.
The look of Captain America, is really good. For those of you that are familiar with the comic books (or older comic books in general), they have really captured the look and feel of those very graphic and moving images. The color is a bit grayed, the buildings bold, the clothes stylish for that time, and story set up (nerd turned hero) is typical.
...too typical.
Maybe I have overdosed on the superhero movie - and maybe I was even more shocked to see that a trailer for another Spiderman movie had been made (WTF!) - that it would be nice to see the hero lose a battle or two these days, and maybe see what a villain would actually do if they really Ruled-The-World...world...world...world...<-- (place mountainous echo here). Hell, I'm sure The President would love to have someone to take over things at this point.
But without even seeing the movie, we all know how it is bound to end. When has a superhero ever NOT saved the day? But here's the rub...the movie is set in the 1940's - the best special effects to come along in that day was maybe Godzilla in a wet suit. You can only stretch the action so far and also keep it realistic to the times. There are no Magic-Wands, no Transforming Cars, no Phasers, no Aliens, no Lords or Rings...just a few made up inventions and a lot of Bang/Pow fight scenes (many done in slow-mo). It all is very fast-moving, but in the end, feels a bit dated - as if this would have been a better cable movie than a feature film. But Captain America - just like Thor - is a lead-in movie to introduce 2011's Avengers movie.
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| Beefcake Being Served - Table 1 |
"Super Soldier". So he is recruited in this special group, and is met by Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is there to train the troops, and Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), who is overseeing this secret operation. At first there are misgivings about Steve, because he can barely fit the uniforms he is given; until he does an unselfish act that gains their attention.
Meanwhile, Nazi officer Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving aka. The Red Skull), has stolen an object of unknown powers, which he believes will not only power his massive weapons, but also himself...and turn the war over in their favor, but the power is a bit unstable, and will need some time to be controlled. Moving forward...Steve quickly becomes the only one to achieve success in accepting the "Super Soldier" formula which changes his body into something every boy (and some men) can envy - even Agent Peggy, who looks like she walked directly off a pinup calendar and into this movie. Meanwhile...the greedy Schmidt decides to try the power stone, despite the dangers it possesses.
With The Red Skull's attempt to take over the War...then the World, Steve (Now Captain America) is there to thwart his every move, and the battles begin, Good vs. Evil, Live vs Death, Man vs Machine...and all that other superhero stuff. Unfortunately, it is stuff that we have seen before - of course with a less beautiful cast. In mentioning the special effects put upon Captain America (when he is scrawny, and I am starting to believe when he is in full-buffness too) cudos! It is a seamless technique seen both in "The Devil's Double", and "The Social Network"...and one that will do away with the split/screen when it comes to actors playing duel roles. As for the rest of the film, which was bathed in CGI - as an action film, it passes. I just found it odd that in World War II where there are soldiers on both sides, that none of them are skilled enough to hit a half/naked man in bright American Flag colors when aiming at him from all directions...really!
And speaking of the casting, it is very interesting to dissect this, because then you can see how it aims to attract the appeal, not of the hero, but of the range of audience members it is trying to lure. Agent Peggy will get the men in, Steve Rogers will get in the girls (both with enough personality and good looks that they will appeal to both sexes & genders easily), Colonel Phillips gets the older crowd...and various other actors, including Schmidt, who are so well known in other films, that their name alone brings in numerous fans of all persuasions (he starred in the Matrix and Ring trilogies). With a varied audience to pull from in this movie the Avengers movie will need much less advertising because it is being plugged in this movie as well as others. We all know it is coming...
...and coming it will, for at the end credits of the movie, you get a taste of what will happen; which in my opinion once again, would have made a better beginning to start off with (nuff said).
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