Capitán América: El primer vengador

It wasn't that bad of a movie, but undoubtedly it had a few flaws in terms of screenplay. The story itself was fine, and I'm personally a big fan of Captain America's origin story so this movie was a nice watch for me. Maybe not so much if you don't care at all about superheroes such as CA.

ONE LINE REVIEW : Utilitarian use of CGI and thoughtful story make this a don't miss movie RATING : See it in theaters (Rating scale : "See it in theaters", "Wait for the instant download", "Don't waste your time")

NO SPOILERS

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a 98-pound weakling who wants nothing more than to kick some Nazi butt. He goes to every recruiting station in Brooklyn to get accepted and keeps getting turned down. On top of that, he is the neighborhood punching bag, constantly getting into scrapes with bullies bigger than him. And that is what drives Steve - he hates bullies and there are no bullies bigger than the Nazis.

He finally happens upon a special recruiting drive where a scientist (Stanley Tucci) is looking for someone with Steve's kind of guts. But tough-as-nails Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) is more than dubious and runs Steve ragged in basic training. But Steve's kind heart and determination make him the perfect personality for an injection that turns him into a super-strong Captain America.

It turns out that the Nazis aren't the biggest bullies on the block. No, it's Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) who is just using the Nazi platform as a way of taking over the world. All the players are set and we're off as Captain America goes into battle with the forces of evil.

This movie is the beginning of the Avengers series and we're no doubt going to see more of the classic Avengers from Marvel comics in coming years.

It is set in the 1940's during the second world war and the costuming and period sets are excellent. I really felt drawn into this world. However it's a sort of bizarro world where Nazis really don't show up that much and Red Skull's "Hydra" forces are everywhere.

And speaking of Red Skull - Hugo Weaving is amazing. Not just for his delivery and persona. But for being the best actor behind a mask since Michael Keeton's Batman. Weaving was the man behind the mask in "V for Vendetta" where he delivered the entire movie wearing a Guy Faulks mask. Here, he uses his flesh-and-blood face for the first third of the film and then pulls that off to reveal his Red Skull face. And still delivers a flawless intensity that he has brought to every other role he's plays since Agent Smith in "The Matrix". The man can do no wrong.

Chris Evans starts out the movie looking very frail and sickly. But once he undergoes the special treatment, he is one buff dude. I haven't spent any time trying to puzzle out the CGI magic that makes this possible, but it is impressive. I'd swear there were two actors in the role. Otherwise Evans is a pretty bland character. But he has all the golly-gee-whiz Mom-and-apple pie look and delivery that makes Captain America believable.

I said of "Green Lantern" that is was the perfect super-hero movie. I may have to take that back, because Captain America raised the bar higher. The writers took their time building the character of feeble- Steve. Then they took their time building the character of buff- Steve/Captain America. All the while defining the evil villain, creating relationships between Steve and love interest Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Colonel Phillips, and buddy 'Bucky' Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Unfortunately, they spent little time defining the relationships between Cap'n America and his team - but hey - it's only a 2-hour movie.

The pacing was quite steady. I never felt bored and I never felt overwhelmed with last-minute plot devices. Except for one - Red Skull has this amazing technology and they really didn't explain where it came from (other than a reference at the beginning of the film where Weaving's character finds a glowing cube in some Egyptian ruins). The movie has a sort of steam-punk feel to it that I enjoyed.

So, for it's big effects - used in just the right amount. And a story well-told, taking the time to tell it well, I gave Captain America a rating of "See it in the theaters".

BTW: I saw it in 3-d which some reviewers have complained results in dark images. I enjoyed it in Real-3D and found the light levels to be just fine.

At the time it came out, this was my favorite MCU film. I don't know how this one could've been done much better.

The casting is perfect!! Evans was obviously the choice to portray Steve Rogers. I will forever keep Hayley Atwell in that red dress as a fond memory. Weaving as Red Skull? No brainer. No one else could've done it as much justice. Stan, Jones, Tucci, and the rest of the cast of characters bring the story together.

I had the pleasure of watching a sneak preview for this and thought it was a great superhero movie. It follows the "superhero formula" but that's to be expected. There are plenty of references to the comics as well as the other Marvel movies. There are numerous comic book references and foreshadowing that I probably can't even write here but will excite most of the comic book fans. In fact, Howard Stark plays a prominent role in this film and you see where Tony Stark gets his charm.

The movie really captures that patriotic spirit that permeated the US during WW2. The movie itself almost becomes like one of those military recruitment ads it showcases. It is chock full of flag-waving patriotism. But you probably should expect that going to a movie called "Captain America."

Chris Evans is a good Captain America and downplays any flashiness associated with him as the Human Torch. The CGI effects that show him as a scrawny twig were seamless. He carries that vulnerability with him throughout the film whether he is getting beaten up physically or emotionally.

The rest of the cast fills their roles well- especially Tommy Lee Jones as the gruff, but lovable, colonel and Hugo Weaving as the evil baddie bent on wold domination. Those two play their characters the way you would expect them to. Although I was waiting the whole time for Hugo Weaving to say "Mr. Anderson." The only odd twist is that Captain America's sidekick from the comics, Bucky Barnes, is much tougher and older than you'd expect.

There are numerous one-liners throughout the movie that drew chuckles from the audience. You also get plenty of action and explosions which are always a crowd favorite. Stylistically, it's very similar to Iron Man. Overall, it's a fun comic book adaptation that really adds into steam Marvel is building up to with The Avengers. Nice work.

This is the film where the MCU started building its tone and story. It's a great origin story as it takes us back to the 40's to meet the first Avenger which keeps you engaged in a theme of love for others and America! The cast and acting is great along with great dialogue of happiness and sadness. The cinematography makes the movie feel more in place with the rest of the MCU. The editing is perfect and makes slower scenes not feel to slow and keeps pushing the story. The effects still hold to today with great sound, especially for the shield. The music and theme is perfect because it fits the American patriot tone and is even used many times in later MCU movies. Joe Johnston did a great job introducing Cap to the MCU. I wouldn't say this sticks out but is the perfect movie to make before the Avengers! 9.0/10. A-.