The First Avenger, set mostly during the Second World War period, tells us the tale of Steve Rogers, a man who possesses the heart of a lion (“I hate bullies”), but a body woefully inadequate for his dream of joining the armed forces. When asked if he wants to kill Nazis that badly, Rogers says that he isn’t driven by blood thirst but rather by a need for justice.
After the military rejects him for the umpteenth time, Rogers comes across Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who has defected to the United States, and is looking for a candidate to experiment upon with his ‘Super Soldier Serum’.
We learn that before he switched sides, Dr Erskine’s first test subject was Nazi officer Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), whom comic-book aficionados know better as the super villain, the Red Skull. The film shows us that while the serum did bless Schmidt with super strength, it also amplified the very nature of his soul, driving his evil hunger for world domination.
After his own transformation is successful, Rogers dons the Captain America costume to become a symbol for the allied effort; comic books and TV spots starring him are produced. This is closer to the truth than you might imagine, as the superhero Captain America was actually written in the 40s as part of a PR effort against Nazis. Eventually, Captain America becomes more than an icon, leading on the battlefield and delivering decisive blows against the Axis powers.
It is human nature to cheer the underdog, and the dreamer in us identifies with Steve Rogers on an emotional level. And when he becomes the powerful Captain America, we love the fact that on the inside, he hasn’t forgotten that he is still that little guy from Brooklyn.
Chris Evans does a stellar job of playing Captain America, and his performance gives a surprising depth to what could otherwise have been a one-dimensional superhero.
In fact, the cast is the movie’s main strength: Tommy Lee Jones, who plays the sceptical Colonel Chester Phillips, adds to his reputation as one of the best actors in Hollywood. Hayley Atwell shines in her understated role as agent Peggy Carter. Finally, Hugo Weaving seems to have perfected the art of playing the menacing villain and is deliciously diabolical as the Red Skull.
Despite a few action sequences that are more serviceable than spectacular and hurried pacing in some scenes, director Joe Johnston (October Sky) has produced a solid character driven film here, that not only has a moving message of inner strength for the younger audience, but at its core, is a pretty darned good superhero movie.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, September 11th, 2011.
COMMENTS (6)
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waiting for Kaptaan Pakistan...no IK fanboys/girls I am thinking about a super hero not a ex-cricketer
@DC Comics Fan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE5uAzhxhnM
I waited till the end but at Cinepax Rawalpindi they didn't show anything after the end credits: was there anything?
So I took my mum, sis, and bro to see this, and a fight broke out at Atrium, during the movie, in the front row. It was right at the start, and two guys went apeshi* over something. It was a fist fight too! People ran down to stop it!
@Disco Molvi:
Yes, a lot of people waited till the end of the credits. :)
Best part of the film came after the end credits.;-)
OMG! we went to atrium for this movie but all the tickets were sold out.... after reading this review I am more excited about this movie.....