On a warm July afternoon, I fired up my copy of Captain America: The First Avenger in the blu-ray player. My 80 year old father-in-law was watching TV with me and I thought to myself "Captain America might work and just may be something he'd enjoy watching. After all, beneath it all, it's a World War II movie." I was right and even someone 80 years old enjoyed Captain America. (I'll the drop the First Avenger part of the title- that was added to help placate foreign audiences who aren't necessarily fans of America)
This was probably my fourth or fifth viewing of Captain America - directed by Joe Johnston and my feelings toward the film have remained consistent. It is one of Marvel Studios best efforts with maybe only the original Iron Man and The Avengers better films (and that's debatable depending on how I feel). Captain America is superior comic book story telling in live action setting. The story never lags a bit from beginning to end and you have to give a great deal of credit to the sensational cast put together for Captain America, especially Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Dominic Cooper. And while I knew nothing of Chris Evans acting before Captain America, I have to admit, he fit right into to the role of a comic book hero who many find difficult to take seriously - the earnest hero who is also kind of a joke.
Captain America is a throwback movie in the superhero age and that is exactly what it should be. It pays homage to the WW II films of decades past while remaining on the cutting edge the current trend superhero films. It's an honest movie with a heart of gold and that's why an 80 year old man struggling with memory and health issues thoroughly enjoyed it right along with me.
The next installment of Captain America comes out in the spring of 2014 and as of now, it's the film I most look forward to seeing next year (now with Robert Redford in the cast). Joe Johnston left a strong foundation with Captain America that carried right through with The Avengers. One could only hope the character continues to build in the next installment (and not fall all over itself like with what happened with Iron Man 2).
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