Captain America: The First Avenger
Set in World War 2 and focusing on the origins of Captain America. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers for an experimental program that transforms him into a ‘super soldier’ known as Captain America. Joined by Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and others, they fight against the HYRDA organization led by the villain Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). I was suffering from “superhero burnout” after the recent overload of comic book film adaptations. However, director Joe Johnston succeeds in not letting special effects and CGI overpower the cast, seen in Thor and The Green Lantern. I admit though, the CGI fusion of Evans’ head placed on a skinnier body double was unbelievable! It’s refreshing to see Evans tone down his brash and cocky attitude from “Fantastic Four” and having a sense of humanity dressed in a simple jazzed up combat outfit instead of the cliché spandex number! Peggy Carter’s 50’s style and sexy red-hot lipstick are gorgeous, but I’m more pleased to see a strong and independent female character, with no hesitation pulling a trigger in combat! To conclude, most of the intensity is seen in the film posters. It’s not the most thought provoking film as there are no hidden ambiguous messages, just clear portrayals about compassion, inner strength and good overcoming evil. Yet, still funny and incredibly noble and a definite ‘thumbs up’ for the boys!
Reviewer: Karen Byers
Filed under: Reviews
