Captain America never did appeal much to me, since he looks kinda goofy and I'm not even American. I do however know the significance of the character and from trailers, the movie looked to be a fine entry to the Marvel series of movies.
The story of Captain America is about a little guy with a big heart. Short and scrawny Steve Rogers (amazingly still played by tall buff Chris Evans) is on a mission to join the US Army in the midst of World War II. Constantly rejected by army recruiters, he finally gets his chance when selected by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) to take part in an experimental super-soldier program. Under the guidance of Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and British liaison Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), he eventually becomes Captain America and earns the ire of Johann Schmidt a.k.a. The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a Nazi and old 'associate' of Dr. Erskine working for Hitler. Schmidt has his own plans however and of course, it's up to Cap to stop him.
This movie is a great example of what a superhero movie should be - not too heavy on the drama, not too over-the-top on the 'comic-bookness'. The script and pacing are handled well and takes its time to tell the story. The imagery of the 1940s comic-book world is visually compelling. There are pretty good effects and pronounced '3D-ness' - clearly not a cheap conversion. Props, set design, and effects all blend perfectly together to bring the world to life.
The acting by Evans, while not mind-blowing, is all you could want. As Steve Rogers, he is earnest, brave, and madly patriotic. As Captain America, he's well, Captain America. Weaving is menacing as Red Skull, even if a little one-dimensional. But then, sometimes villains should just be villains. Atwell shines as the love interest and Jones has fun with his small role. The small but important role played by Tucci adds pathos and a deeper meaning to the plot. Most of the movie, however stands firmly on the impossibly broad shoulders of Evans and he sells it very well.
There's a great line in the movie that says that only a weak man knows the value of strength. Captain America: The First Avenger has a strong message of perseverance, inner strength, and patriotism. With a strong script, good effects, and decent actors, who could fault that?
Seven out of 10 baby seals agree and look forward to watching The Avengers next year.
Note: There is an extra scene after the credits, so do stick around.
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