Captain Am-ehh-rica
- Details
- Category: New Series and Movie Reviews
- Published: Saturday, 06 August 2011 11:58
- Written by E.H. Mortimer
We begin our fun, but corny adventure following a scrawny, young, asthmatic lad named Steve Rogers. Rogers, played by Chris Evans, desperately yearns to be enlisted in the army to help fight “ze Fuhrer.” After continuous failed attempts, he's finally given the opportunity to join, thanks to the soft-spoken doctor, Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), who recognizes Rogers’ inherent goodness. But, here’s the catch; Rogers must undergo a top secret, surgical procedure where he is injected with a glowing blue, cosmic goop. This treatment is arranged by the U.S. government in an attempt to create the perfect American warrior, capable of taking down the Nazi regime. Sure enough, he comes out of surgery looking like an Abercrombie model, leaving behind a weirdly “CGI’d,” skinny physique. Then the action begins.
Captain America had some decent moments weaved throughout, though the film ultimately fell a bit short. Let’s start off with the negatives. If you’re expecting a comic book classic, your expectations will most likely be crushed. You may want to test your luck with next summer’s blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. If you’re expecting a jaw-dropping 3-D experience, Captain America’s post-converted 3-D is a headache that will steal 10 extra “smacka-roos” from your Calvin Klein wallet. The score also proved to be as forgettable as my mother telling me to take out the trash. There was no powerful melody to help emotionally carry the film, so it often dragged. I also found that the writing didn’t do the actors much justice. The dialogue just came off as a bit rigid and heavily scripted, while lacking the important layers of philosophical depth that I really look for and savor in great superhero flicks.
Now onto the silver lining:
Let me first start off by saying Tommy Lee Jones is a complete bad-ass. That gritty character that we have all grown to appreciate is back with even more growl. Chris Evans did a decent job, but that’s pretty much all you can say about his performance. He’s likeable...I guess. Nonetheless, I have to give credit to the Director, Joe Johnston, for creating a captivating, “comic booky" vibe reminiscent of his 1991 film, The Rocketeer.
So, if you want to embark on an entertaining yet forgettable cinematic adventure, Captain America is the film to see this summer. Overall I give it a 6.5 out of 10.
Ethan Falk
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