Captain America

Saw it opening night ( I just HAD to!). Very, very good; about what I expected. I enjoyed it immensely.

A few points (a few spoilers, beware):

-- At first I had serious misgivings about the ability of Chris Evans to be Captain America. I was thinking someone with more of a clear-cut "leader" aura about him, maybe even someone a bit older. I couldn't get his cocky, obnoxious turn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch out of my head. Since then, I saw him as Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which he did well, and I was hopeful. Let me tell you, he freakin' NAILED the role of Steve Rogers AND Captain America--all aspects. Through not only the digital magic, but via his acting, he perfectly matched Steve Rogers as a scrawny weak but strong willed little guy. He perfectly portrayed the early Cap as idealistic and driven. And by the end of the movie, he was clearly Captain America: the go-to guy, the leader. Not once did get an inkling of him as Johnny Storm-- the whole movie all I saw was Steve Rogers and Cap. Fantastic acting on his part.

-- Since it was released in drawings, then movie stills, then in trailers, I have NOT been a fan of the costume as depicted. After watching the movie, however, I don't feel as strongly. The segment of the movie when he wore what was essentially the same original Kirby/Marvel comic book costume (on stage with the USO) provided a great juxtaposition to the more "Ultimates" practical look he sports in the end. I still think, however, that they could have toned down the amount of "straps" and "accessories" and such on the final costume, making it look a little closer to the traditional Cap costume... for instance, they had the scene where Howard Stark described apparently the entire costume as being some sort of protective material, as opposed to the traditional Cap costume having a chain mail tunic underneath or incorporated in the costume (the reason for those "scales" often seen in the blue areas of the chest and shoulders).

-- I think they left out an important part of what makes Captain America, Captain America-- training. Of course, the super-soldier treatment brought him to the pinnacle of human physical perfection, and heightened his senses and reflexes, etc. and doubtless his intelligence. But did it teach him how to physically fight (man-to man combat), battle tactics, how to master all types of weaponry, etc.? My remembrance of Cap was that the serum helped make him a quick learner, but he still had to be trained. That was missing logically from the movie-- it seemed that he went directly from scrawny kid to physical perfection, then went from awkward bond-seller to polished showman, then somehow immediately became capable of being a one-man assault and rescue team for POWs and leading squadron missions.... somehow I think the 'boot camp" he went through was not sufficient training.

-- I'm old school so I'm not as sure with the "Ultimates" thing, but it was different seeing Bucky as being the older(?), "bigger" old friend of Steve Rogers from the neighborhood and not the "kid sidekick".

--Two great nods in the movie to the comics-- (1) At the World's Fair: a display for Dr. Phineas Horton's artificial man, in a glass enclosure wearing a red suit. This, of course, is the original android Human Torch, and Chris Evans played the Fantastic Four Human Torch in earlier movies. (2) When we first see Arnim Zola, we see only his face, which is distorted/rounded through a view piece, almost like we are seeing him as being broadcast through a camera. This is, of course, his visage is presented in the comics, where his face is located, via a screen, on the chest of his artificial body,


All in all, it WAS the big tent popcorn movie I was waiting for all summer.