It's 1942. World War II rages across the globe. Hitler rules Nazi Germany and tries to extend his reach even further. American troops are fighting overseas and civilians on the home front are struggling to keep up morale. The various countries at war are all trying to get ahead of each other with new forms of advanced technology that will grant them a decisive victory. You probably know the story: in real life, the war was ended by America's use of the atomic bomb. But in the Marvel universe, the technology that changed the course of the war came in the form of the super soldier serum, a chemical formula that turns the scrawny Steve Rogers into a super-strong fighting machine of physical perfection. Enter Captain America: The First Avenger, the story of the one man whose enhanced muscles, strong morality, and unwavering determination made him the ultimate American hero. It's a story full of action, romance, bravery, self-sacrifice, and inspiration for all of us.
Captain America should be an enjoyable experience for new and old fans alike. Yes, it is a superhero film, and longtime comics fans will be glad to know that the film contains an exciting story and, for the most part, shows great respect for its source material. But it is also a period piece, a war movie, a journey into history and American patriotism. The film's visuals and sets make it truly feel like the 1940s, and the title character's unquenchable idealism is reminiscent of an older, simpler, and possibly happier time in American history. In many ways, Captain America embodies the American dream itself; he starts out as a poor, weak, young man but is able to make something great of himself in the land of freedom and opportunity, and still holds true to his ideals along the way, no matter what challenges he faces. The action scenes may be a bit intense at times (it is a war film, after all), but overall the film shows us a brighter, more hopeful era than the one we usually see in movies today. The film can certainly be appreciated by comics fans, but probably also by action movie fans, history fans, soldiers and veterans, and Americans of all backgrounds and interests.
Comics fans will appreciate the film's portrayal of familiar characters. I confess that when I first heard that Chris Evans had been cast as Captain America, I was skeptical because he was already the Human Torch, a very different superhero role, in the less-than-superb Fantastic Four movies. However, Evans proved my doubts wrong with his performance of Captain America. He not only looked the part of Steve Rogers, the Captain's alter ego, but he breathed life and personality into the character and made me want to believe that such a true and noble hero really could exist.
Other familiar characters from the comics include Cap's wartime sweetheart Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Cap's friend and partner Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), fellow soldiers Dum Dum Dugan (Neal McDonough), Gabe Jones (Derek Luke), and Jim Morita (Kenneth Choi), Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), the scientist in charge of the super-soldier project, and industrialist Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), the father of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Since Captain America leads into next summer's The Avengers, we also get a cameo from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), leader of the top-secret organization S.H.I.E.L.D., who appeared in the Iron Man films and Thor as well.
Naturally, no superhero film is complete without a supervillain, and Hugo Weaving offers a compelling portrayal of the Red Skull, Captain America's nemesis and Hitler's right-hand man. The Red Skull is the head of HYDRA, a terrorist organization prominent in the comics, and said in this film to be the Nazis' science division. Also present is Arnim Zola (Toby Jones), a scientist working for the Red Skull and HYDRA, though this film does not see him transformed into the monstrous human/robotic hybrid that he was in the comics. When the Red Skull gets his hands on the Cosmic Cube, a powerful weapon that was seen in the comics and also in the post-credits scene of Thor, it is up to Captain America to stop him from using its power to conquer the whole world.
In my opinion, the film's strongest impression on audiences comes in the form of Captain America himself and his boldly unyielding moral character. In the midst of modern comic book and movie characters growing progressively darker and grittier and blurring the line between good and evil, Captain America shines a beacon of light and hope as a traditional iconic hero with a definite sense of right and wrong. Steve Rogers clearly has the heart of a hero long before the super soldier serum transforms his body. Despite his initially puny physique, he is eager to enlist in the army and fight for what he knows is right. He stands up to a bully who disrespects the war effort and Steve patiently endures quite a beating at the bully's hands. He is smart and resourceful, not relying on physical strength (or lack thereof) alone. He is respectful of women (if a bit tongue-tied and underconfident around them) and says that he has been waiting for the right partner. He bravely endures the process that transforms him into a super soldier, even though it is painful and others want to turn it off. When things in life aren't going his way, he patiently waits for his situation to improve. He is reluctant to kill an enemy (but able to do so when necessary in the time of war). On multiple occasions, both before and after becoming Captain America, he shows willingness to put himself in harm's way and to sacrifice his own life to protect his fellow soldiers. He never shows signs of giving up, even when the odds are stacked against him. Though he does disobey orders at one point to go on a rescue mission (in which he ends up saving the lives of nearly 400 soldiers), he willingly submits himself for disciplinary action upon returning to the military base. SPOILER WARNING: Captain America's heroism and self-sacrifice stay strong through the film's climax, in which he hijacks an enemy plane loaded with a missile headed for America and plunges it into the ocean, knowing full well that the only way to save millions of Americans is by sinking the plane and sacrificing his own life.
Captain America teaches us a very important lesson: that anyone can be a hero as long as they are willing to serve others and determined to do what is right. In the beginning of the film when Dr. Erskine is looking for the right test subject for his super soldier serum, he chooses Steve despite the boy's frail figure, because Steve is "not a perfect soldier, but a good man." Erskine recognizes the potential moral strength of the underdog, whether that underdog is a physically weak young man or, like Erskine himself, a Jewish refugee from the tyrannical leadership of Nazi Germany. His philosophy is somewhat similar to the Christian ideals of finding strength in weakness (II Corinthians 12:10) and of God using the weak things of the world to put to shame the strong (I Corinthians 1:27). Viewers of all shapes and sizes can be encouraged by Captain America's inspirational example.
I am a fan of most superhero movies, and I remember how excited I was a few months ago that so many that I wanted to see would be coming out this summer. But now that I have seen the four major ones of the summer (Thor, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, and Captain America: The First Avenger), I can give my honest and heartfelt opinion that Captain America tops them all. I enjoyed the visuals, the action scenes, and the accurate treatment of both history and the comic books. I laughed at some of the dialogue. I felt the sincerity of the romance between Steve and Peggy. I got a little teary-eyed at the movie's tragic twist of an ending, even though I already knew to some extent what would happen from reading the comics. I clapped and cheered for Captain America's heroic moments (and for the post-credits scene--make sure you stay for it). Throughout the entire film, I felt inspired and encouraged by Captain America's strong and uncompromising moral example. Captain America: The First Avenger is an enjoyable, brilliant, and powerful film which I highly recommend. Go see it for yourself and learn what it truly means to be a hero.
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