At the beginning of the film we find our weeny, skinny protagonist Steven Rodgers who whenever he tries to enlist in the army is refused entry becuase of one thing, his size. Chris Evans portrays Rodgers (C.America) in this film and I think his best performance was actually as this skinny wannabe soldier. He was so charming and convicing as someone who wants to go to all ends to defend his country that you just root for him becuase he is so pitiable. I have to say, the effect that made Chris Evans look the way he did in the first quarter of this film was so convincing so all kudos go to the special effects team becuase not once did I see a blurry line or anything around his neck so I was just blown away watching this film.
Despite a slightly slow beginning which is devoted to really setting up the plot, the film does really pick up when Rodgers becomes Captain America, I admired all the action scenes and just marvelled at the fact that here we have a film that just seems to get better and better as it ran, which is something many blockbusters fail to do nowadays, often having a stellar beginning....that just kind of peters out towards the middle and sometimes end.
The thing I admired most about the film was the feeling of it. It took on very much the feeling of an old-fashioned blockbuster, you were'nt meant to take it seriously but you were there to marvel at what you were watching, enjoy it and just let it wash over you. Part of that feeling, I think had to do with the way the film was shot aswell, the colour palette, particularly in the army scenes were very old-school, slightly rustic and I enjoyed that part very much, it felt like 1940's propaganda filled America.
However, there were also things about the film that I really wasn't to keen on aswell. I really didn't like the point and character of Red Scull and the parallels with the Nazis. There is a point towards the end where it turns into something quite cartoony and silly, and I know this stems from a comic so it's not completely the film's fault but it just didn't fit with what the film had been giving me. In my opinion, have Captain America fight Nazis and make Red Scull and completely different villain, with NO Nazi parallels!
Captain America is hugely enjoyable, expect a film that really picks up its pace and just acumilates more and more excitement as it goes along. I loved the action scenes and the feeling of the film, maybe there were one or too many "the hero within you moments" but who cares? The film had a heart of its own and gave me everything I wanted to see from a good summer blockbuster.
