Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Starring: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% Critics, 74% Audience

Rotten Tomatoes Description: “It is 1941 and the world is in the throes of war. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to do his part and join America’s armed forces, but the military rejects him because of his small stature. Finally, Steve gets his chance when he is accepted into an experimental program that turns him into a supersoldier called Captain America. Joining forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain America leads the fight against the Nazi-backed HYDRA organization.”

Short Version:

An origin story for one of my favorite superheroes, I forgot how much I love this movie.  It has a snappy sense of humor, heart to spare, and doesn’t skimp on the action.  If you want a classic Marvel action movie with some classic 1940’s vibes to shake things up, this movie will become a familiar comfort for you like it is for me.  It is also the gateway into the Marvel movie marathon.  Though there are a few missed passes along the way, the movie is easy to love, quick paced, and follows the traditional hero’s story. 

Long Version:

In my opinion, Captain America is one of the best origin stories the Marvel franchise has turned out.  It is a straightforward storyline that isn’t overly complicated.  Steve moving from ordinary citizen who wants to be more and do more for the nation.  The focus on Steve as he embraces his new role, first as a showpony, then as a true hero, learning how much he is capable of without bragging.  This is a movie that knows whether to through a punch or a punchline, and when its time for both. 

One strength of this movie that many other origins are missing is the strength of the ensemble cast.  There is a reason that so many of the characters, “minor” character, from this movie appeared in other Marvel works.  Peggy Carter with her own spin-off series, however short lived, Bucky Barnes returning as the Winter Soldier, even Red Skull and Zola returning as villains in later films.  Its because even the lesser characters in this film were so well written, and so well acted that the ensemble cast made the film exceptional.

The fact that this film is largely a period piece, and that the music and even the color shift of the film is adjusted to better reflect the 1940’s.  It is something that Marvel doesn’t get enough credit for sometimes, the amount of detail that goes into the music selection and themes that are given to their heroes and villains and the way the music is geared to ellict emotion and reaction during crucial moments, and in this film, when there aren’t many familiar songs to play off, the score shines even more readily.

Now, this movie does get a few ticks off for some rough cuts during action scenes, and one especially atrocious jump.  (You know the one, over the exploding factory that they can’t even show all of.)  But it is something that comes with Marvel’s action movies as they work on their fight sequences and especially in the first major fight sequence as Steve discovers what his new “Supersoldier” body can do.

Overall, this is one of my favorite movies to rewatch when I’ve craving a familiar story and some action along the way.  It ranks high on my Marvel scale and I will stand by my Captain America until my dying day. 

My favorite moments:

• Cap’s shield in the ice
• Steve trying to use the trashcan lid as a shield when he was getting beat up
• “We are gonna win this war because we have the best…men.”
• Steve taking the pin out of the flagpole to topple the whole thing
• “He’s still skinny.”
• “No, I don’t have a procedure tomorrow, why drink it after?  Drink it now.”
• Peggy reaching out to almost touch Steve’s chest after his procedure, but pulling back at the last moment
• “Go get him!  I can swim!”
• Steve’s drawing of himself as a monkey on a unicycle
• “If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself.”
• “I’m not kissing you.”

All images come from the film and belong to Marvel Studios and Disney. Thanks for stopping by and I would love to hear your thoughts. Up next in the Marvel Movie Marathon is Captain Marvel.