This is the fifth part in my 21 part series reviewing the MCU films in chronological order. Reading these in chronological order is not a necessity, but will help understand the ways in which Marvel films improve or regress.
Written Review
Directed by the same man that brought you both The Rocketeer and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Captain America: The First Avenger is the perfect blend of wartime action and superhero surrealism. What it lacks in complexity it more than makes up in schlock, offering one of the most consistent and interesting films the cinematic universe has to offer.
The story of Captain America is rather concise, choosing to parallel comics of the 1940’s and the simple manner in which serials presented character arcs. There’s something so pure in a story that asks the audience to hate “the evil man with a scary face,” and this film chooses to represent such a storyline as faithful as possible. Without the baggage of a Cinematic Universe (until the very end at least), Captain America tells the lovely story of an underdog doing what he can to leave an impact on a wartorn world. It’s clear that this story of patriotic sacrifice gets its origins in (arguably manipulative) wartime propaganda, but there’s a simplicity in that so endearing that the whole plot line becomes comforting. C
Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, a shrimpy teen in New York, desperate to fight on the frontlines of the U.S. army against the Nazi’s in WW2. Constantly failing his medical tests, he finally gets his shot when visiting the Stark Expo (Yes, the same one from Iron Man 2) as a scientist chooses him to specimen for his genetic testing. Rogers undergoes the procedure in some time, and becomes a (disgustingly) buff weapon of the U.S. army. Simultaneously, Red Skull (the leader of the Nazi’s science division HYDRA) plans to distance himself from Hitler (a key PR move for the MCU) while plotting his takeover of the world. Add in a romance subplot with Agent Carter for Cap, and a couple other cliche characters and you have a movie.
Though there are other themes underlying the film, I find it best to focus on the key outline here. Captain America succeeds because it does what very few superhero films take the risk to try, that being the deliverance of a simple story akin to the comics. The Incredible Hulk and Thor try to tell vast stories in epic proportions, but Captain America is a simple story about World War 2. Given the popularity of both the WW2 and Superhero genre, calling back to a simple style of filmmaking is genuinely fantastic.
Tommy Lee Jones plays the hard but compassionate general, while Hayley Atwell does a fantastic job in the role of Peggy Carter, an intelligent SSR agent at Cap’s side. Hugo Weaving as Red Skull and Toby Jones as Dr. Zola are textbook supervillains, evil to the core with no sympathetic story to guide them. Sometimes, it’s okay to choose familiarity over complexity, especially when the cast delivers their roles so perfectly. It’s clear that Steve Rogers cares for his country, and he embodies the patriotism of early WW2 films perfectly.
Alan Silvestri’s score is pretty spectacular, giving the vibe of a 1940’s war serial through big band and heavy brass. Every part of this movie works towards a common goal: capture the heart of a good vs. evil story. Remove the complexity while making the film enjoyable.
It could very well just be me, but I find joy in Captain America’s simplicity. Good vs. Bad is a refreshing theme in a universe with too many characters doing too many things. The Bad Guy here is literally worse than a Nazi, and the Good Guy is arguably a saint. Later films in the franchise expand upon Cap’s character by developing Rogers beyond a blind patriot, but in this case the altruistic perspective fits.
I do really like Red Skull as well, recognizing he is an awful person and that Nazi’s are awful. The design of his face, attire, and general villian aesthetic within his lair and on his weapons is a neat blend of fantasy, future, and hardened WW2 reality. Though I never wanted to see him win (and recognize he’s analogous to Hitler), I certainly enjoy an evil villian with a cool visual flare. Watching Captain America tear through goons in a blue suit is neat, but the towering stance of Red Skull, and the contrast of his crimson red face on the smooth black jacket gives him screen presence stronger than most MCU characters. Evil has power, and watching Captain America tear down HYDRA is satisfying.
The downsides of the film really fall exclusively in the pacing, where the film stretches certain scenes but condenses arguably more important ones. For example, the film gives a lot of time to the Prison Break scene, but later parts of the movie give the impression that Red Skull falls without much effort. There are battles shown in a montage, but I think the film would’ve benefited from further expansion on these battles. Red Skull is clearly powerful, but upon this re-watch I realized that most of this power is shown early in the film before any fighting actually occurs. Once Cap is on the front lines, Red Skull is suddenly capitulating in mere minutes of screen time.
In addition, the schlock of pure good vs. pure evil can only get the film so far. I praise the success found in simple but interesting storytelling, but I recognize that certain characters go underdeveloped here. The story really is good vs. evil, and because of that Cap and Red Skull get the most development out of the entire cast (maybe too much even). Agent Carter shows potential to be something greater, and later is in her mini-series, however in the film she’s really just Captain America’s will-they-won’t-they. A small subplot about Cap’s fame leading to admiration by women is shown, but very quickly given up on. Similarly, Howard Stark is just Cap’s “tech guy.” Each of these characters didn’t need extreme detailing, but it would’ve been nice to see these characters outside of their one-dimensional appearances.
Overall, Captain America: The First Avenger is a really enjoyable film. That’s the best way to put it, as it is as inoffensive as a movie can be. The action captures interest easily, and the story remains interesting throughout the film, if not a little shallow at points. You’ll find yourself rooting for the selfless hero and hating the monstrous villain, immersing yourself in the clear cut lines presented by the film’s plot. As the MCU moves towards complex villains and storylines, one last “down-to-Earth” film before the road gets bumpy is the proper transition into the next phase.
I give Captain America: The First Avenger a 9/10. Though burdened with a couple flaws, the film remains one of the most enjoyable films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist and the Content Director for the Boardwalk Times. He can be found on Twitter at @OpentheDorman, and as a host of the Boardwalk Talk podcast on iTunes.
