A model superhero movie? The main character is an earnest do-gooder who can't stand bullies. I decided to watch the movie last Thursday, even though I could have used a longer nap in the afternoon to prepare for the ride-along, because of the bimonthly street cleaning. How much money is the city spending on that?
There is very little patriotism explicitly stated in Captain America's initial motivations, though the movie takes place during World War II. It's implied that he wants to fight alongside other American soldiers in repelling the Nazi threat. Could he be a hero for neo-conservatives, seeking to bring freedom, human rights, and democracy to the rest of the world? Dr. Erskine pics Steve Rogers to be the test subject for the super soldier serum because of he is a good person first of all. But I find the story to be a rather shallow exposition of the virtuous soldier/hero.
Although Rogers's strength and body have been augmented through the serum, I found the action sequences to be rather uninspired. The massed armed combat was rather unrealistic, something you'd expect from a B-movie or a cheap TV show. There wasn't much hand-to-hand combat in comparison with a movie like Batman, and what was in the movie was simplistic. It didn't seem like Captain America was overwhelming his opponents because of superior strength and ability. I had the impression that the action directors were too lazy to be more creative.
Roger continues to exhibit an "aw shucks" American humility and the sort of courage and moral resoluteness one associates with "the Greatest Generation." But as for his charisma and leadership qualities... they weren't much in evidence. Captain America is meant to be an inspirational figure, but we aren't given the opportunity to witness Captain America's abilities being exercised, due to the rather rapid pace of the movie and the editing. Bad movie-making, I would think. He is supposed to be the leader of the Avengers, but there's very little meat onscreen to his command of the Howling Commandos. Maybe that is to be expected from a comic book movie.
Watching Captain America made me pine for something actually from the 40s, a movie for adults. Would the director's The Rocketeer be a slight improvement in that regard, is it a more gentle and quieter movie? I was reading some of the entries in the Marvel Database. The Marvel Universe and its superheroes may have appealed to me a long time ago, but I find it and superhero movies to be rather juvenile now. (With the possible exception of the first Iron Man movie, though that's not great art, either.)
*spoiler warning*
Some may be pleased by the retro sci-fi used in the movie for HYDRA. (It is justified by being tied to the other Avengers movies and the Marvel Universe as a whole.) I found it didn't enhance the story, and may even undermine the logic of the story. If HYDRA had so much power and if Hitler was an obstacle, why didn't they take over Germany? After Red Skull kills 3 visitors who become aware of his ambition and the technology that he possesses, wouldn't Hitler have become suspicious when they failed to report back to him? Why wouldn't he shut down the HYDRA factories and facilities himself, and placed Red Skull under arrest? And what was HYDRA's purpose in trying to take over the world? Red Skull hints at eugenics, but he hag genetically superior humans since he was unable to get the serum. So why turn on his fellow countrymen by destroying Berlin along with the other Western capitals?
One more criticism: the ending should have been more emotional and was too abrupt. Steve Rogers wakes up in present-day NYC after being recovered in the arctic, and he escapes from SHIELD HQ. SHIELD agents are pursuit and Nick Fury stops him. Captain America's last line is that he missed his date (with Agent Carter). Cut to credits.
If they couldn't have saved this scene for the Avengers movie, they could have drawn it out a bit, or had better ending with Captain America coming to terms with what his sacrifice involved; some sadness evoked before the sis boom rah credits sequence using WW2 posters.
Samuel Jackson appearing again as Nick Fury is starting to wear out its welcome, even if he is the character that unifies all of the Avengers movies? He is the embodiment of Blaxpoitation cool and attitude but I prefer the tough guy persona of the original Nick Fury. What if the origin story of Captain America had also included the origin story of Nick Fury? Wouldn't that have been something. At least the movie included Bucky Barnes; will he return as the Winter Soldier?
Hugo Weaving as villain -- makes you forgot he played an elf in Lord of the Rings.
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