CHAD’S GRADE: B+
Marvel Studios took their second big swing after the solid success of “Thor” in the Spring of 2011. For its summer offering, they released “Captain America: The First Avenger” as the final building block of the MCU’s Avengers. Why was Captain America, their second most well-known character behind the Hulk, a significant risk? For one, Marvel made this a War World II period piece, a genre that makes both fanboys’ and general audience’s eyes glaze over. And then there is the “America” in the title. In the 2010s, China and Russia became increasingly important international markets, and featuring such a ra-ra team America character was an inherent risk. It’s no secret that the international title was simply “The First Avenger.”
The needle for a successful Captain American movie is difficult to thread. After the success of “Iron Man,” Marvel Studios was anxious to bring their legacy character to the screen. Marvel’s previous directors, Jon Favreau and Louis Leterrier, wanted to helm the film. Favreau’s pitch was to make a “fish out of water” comedy similar to his holiday smash “Elf.” But MCU producer/showrunner Kevin Feige knew their Cap needed a more serious touch. And Feige, known for his uncanny choice of directors, settled on Joe Johnston. Director Johnston was already a legend in the special effects world for his work on Star Wars and the creator of fan-favorite Boba Fett. Johnston eventually switched to directing, and his two-period films “October Sky” and “The Rocketeer” had the right ingredients for a successful Captain America movie.
And this was not the first on-screen incarnation of the First Avenger. There were two Captain America TV specials in 1979 starring Rob Brown in the title role (that featured Cap on a motorcycle!) On the movie side, there was the infamous 1990 version directed by Albert Pyun that starred Matt Salinger (son of JD!) as the star-spangled avenger. The film had quite the behind-the-scenes drama but has attained a small cult following. Shout Factory eventually released a remastered collector’s edition on blu ray for the curious viewer.
For the MCU version, “Captain America” is bookended by modern-day sequences where scientists discover a frozen Cap in a crashed plane near Antarctica. We then flashback to 1942, when the US has officially joined World War II, and Brooklyn resident Steve Rogers desperately wants to join the war effort. The small, sickly but scrappy Steve is frustrated that he’s repeatedly denied enlistment while his best friend James “Bucky” Rhodes and others go off to fight in the war. But his brave and heroic nature catches the eye of German scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine who’s working with the Americans on a super-soldier serum. Steve is eventually chosen to be the first subject and is transformed into the muscular and super strong Chris Evans that we know and love. Captain America joins Colonel Phillips and Agent Carter’s Howling Commando unit, where they battle the crazed Red Skull and his Nazi offshoot organization called Hydra. The Red Skull has found the Tesseract, an Asgardian relic that can power his dangerous weapon systems to alter the war’s course. The Howling Commandos manage to thwart Hydra’s plans but with tragic results as Bucky is killed and Cap goes missing in action.
Director Joe Johnston really shines here as “Captain America” is the first MCU film with a distinct style and tone. The muted color scheme and period production design give the film an art deco gloss similar to Johnston’s underrated “The Rocketeer.” Johnston and the writers also focus on Steve Roger’s heroism and nobility. This movie could have easily fallen into the American jingoism crap often seen in Michael Bay films. Thankfully, this Captain America is Marvel’s version of Superman and the heroic soul of the MCU. This is a nice contrast to the “arrogant neurotic is humbled and learns to be a hero” formula that the Marvel films often lean into. Captain America is a selfless hero from the first frame to his fateful goodbye in “Avengers Endgame.”
Johnston was smart to cast Chris Evans in the title role as his confident performance anchors the film. I was unsure of his casting compared to the other candidates, including John Krasinski and Channing Tatum. But Evans made Cap his own, revealing a seriousness and gravitas that I never saw before. And he’s the perfect counterpoint to the cynical Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. It’s sad that Evans officially retired from the role after Captain America’s send-off in Endgame.
Supporting Chris Evans is an excellent cast that gives stellar performances across the board. The standout is Hayley Atwell as fan-favorite Agent Carter. While playing the “girlfriend” role, Atwell brings a fierce intelligence that contrasts nicely with Cap’s noble strength. Their romance feels heartfelt and earned rather than tacked on, especially during their heartbreaking “rain check on that dance” finale. The supporting cast is just as exciting, featuring strong turns from Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper, and Sebastian Stan (who would become a major player in the ever-expanding MCU universe.)
The weak link is the underdeveloped Red Skull played by Hugo Weaving. I blame the writers on this one, as Weaving gives a delicious performance full of menace and dread. But when Red Skull rips off his human mask, his character devolves into the standard maniacal villain. It’s also where the film’s tone switches to a more serialized nature. Where the first half beautifully sets up Steve Roger’s arc and his romance with Agent Carter, the second act devolves into the Howling Commandos attacking the Hydra Forces. The second half also shows the limitations of the budget. Much like “Thor,” there was extensive green screen use for the big set pieces, and after ten years, the seams are starting to show. Marvel had yet to access the Disney money that was soon headed their way.
But these are minor caveats to one of the better Marvel offerings. I rank “Captain America” next to “Iron Man” as the strongest of the phase one films. There’s so much to like here, from the beautiful production design to the spirited introduction of Agent Carter and Bucky Barnes. The film also provides a definitive starting point to the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
MCU WORLD BUILDING:
Marvel was still tinkering with their shared universe, and at first glance, “The First Avenger” feels like a more separate and complete film. But there are still some major character introductions like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Rhodes, who would become the Winter Soldier and appear in several more Marvel films and the Disney Plus TV series “Falcon & The Winter Soldier.” Likewise, Agent Carter would make many small cameos and headlined ABC’s “Agent Carter” for two seasons, continuing Peggy’s adventures as a founding member of Shield. We can’t forget Dominic Cooper’s charming Howard Stark, father of Tony Stark, channeling the same energy that John Slattery brought to the role in “Iron Man 2.” Both Red Skull and Hydra would make reappearances, the former in “Avengers: Infinity War” and the latter in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” And we finally see the origins of the super-soldier serum introduced in “The Incredible Hulk.”
INFINITY STONE ALERT:
Yes, the Infinity War starts here. The film opens with Red Skull obtaining the glowing Tesseract that houses the “Space” stone. Like its namesake, the “Space” stone can open portals across the galaxy. The blue Tesseract would be seen next in “Avengers” then bounced around various Marvel films before ending up with Thanos in the opening moments of “Infinity War.”
WHERE’S STAN?
Despite having no hand in creating Captain America, that didn’t stop Stan Lee from making his traditional cameo. Playing a War World II general, Lee mistakes a short government exec for the strapping Steve Rogers stating, “I thought he’d be taller.” It’s a cute bit and in keeping with the film’s tone. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Captain America, and the first issue with the iconic cover of Cap punching Hitler is shown in a montage during the film.
POST CREDITS TEASER:
Like “Iron Man,” “The First Avenger” post-credit scene features Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury approaching a frustrated Steve Rogers punching a boxing bag. After Steve angrily knocks the bag off its mount, Nick Fury asks if he wants to help save the world. We then morph into a splashy trailer for “The Avengers,” which had just finished production. Disney marketing at its finest.