Run Time: 124 minutes
Rating: 13+
It would have been easy to turn up thinking this would have be little more than a shameless propaganda film – and to a certain extent it is.
But a humorous tone and over-the-top action prevent us from taking Captain America too seriously, as the film performs a delicate balancing act that will ultimately please, if not excite, almost everyone.
Set in a sumptuous recreation of the 1940s, the movie begins with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as a much-bullied 90-pound weakling whose relentless ambition to enlist in the US army is repeatedly denied due to his physical limitations.
Thanks to some rather creepy Benjamin Button style digital trickery, Evans is able to transform from a scrawny, prepubescent physique into a rippling hunk of man muscle as he undergoes an experimental procedure to become a new breed of “supersoldier” (though some of his initial charisma is lost in the process).
Destined to be his nemesis is Hugo Weaving, at his villainous best as a red-faced, German-accented Nazi supersoldier – a caricature so fanatical about racial purity and world domination that even Adolf Hitler’s bureaucrats are scared of him.
Hayley Atwell is somewhat stiff as the smoldering brunette love interest, but otherwise, the supporting cast is beyond reproach. Tommy Lee Jones is hilariously gruff as a colonel who doubts Steve’s powers and Stanley Tucci skilfully delivers his payload of exposition as a German refugee who serves as Obi-Wan Kenobi to Steve’s Luke Skywalker.
What truly shines through Captain America though is the appreciable human dimension to the character story at the core of the mega-scale superhero shenanigans.
Rogers’ struggle is an underdog story that is immediately engaging. We feel a genuine attachment to his support characters, and the fact that, even with his new-found strength. he remains inherently vulnerable, adds a dimension of realism and believability.
It adds to the overwhelming feeling that Captain America is not really a superhero movie, but more of a war film and a period piece with a superhero plot thrown in for good measure.
Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and director Joe Johnston clearly understood this going into the film, as it never forgets itself or falls into spandex-draped cliché. Ultimately the movie feels less like a superhero flick set in World War II, than a World War II movie that just happens to have a superhero running around in it.
The way director Joe Johnston propels the narrative is also impressive and builds on this more epic sense of scale, giving a sense of broad story rather than the impression of a series of sensational set pieces, as has been the norm for the recent string of comicbook film failures.
This is still a fairly shameless setup for Marvel Studios’ upcoming The Avengers, which will see Captain America join forces with Thor, Iron Man and Hulk in another addition to Hollywood’s seemingly endless repertoire of comic book adaptations. But it’s a setup that at least has some substance, and is a fairly solid standalone film.
It’s also showing in 3D at Central Festival, but there’s probably no point in shelling out the extra money. All the visuals were converted in post production, and it shows. Most of the movie can be watched with the glasses off anyway, as only a couple of scenes have been given the visual trickery treatment (although the 3D rolling credits are particularly enjoyable).
With plenty of pulpy action, a pleasantly retro vibe, and a handful of fine performances, Captain America is solidly old-fashioned blockbuster entertainment that will please, if not wow, everyone from the most cynical theatregoers to the most die-hard comic fans.
– Dane Halpin
3 stars