CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger - Post Release Thread

Man, Hugo Weaving was doing a SPOT ON Werner Herzog impression. Every single time Red Skull spoke, it evoked the thought of The Man himself.

I liked the parallel between Rogers and Schmidt where they both demand to take their experiments to the max, with testing the cosmic cube("I didn't come this far for stability!") and injecting the massive dose of super soldier serum. True nemesis are always similar one another!

 

And I LOVED that last line - "I had a date". It rivals Tony Stark's ending phrase in the first Iron Man, but for different reasons.

That Avengers trailer looked really thrown together, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was excited to see all those guys on screen together. Still amazing that something like this is actually going to happen.

I forget exactly what he said, but when Hugo started screaming in his Herzog voice after the Howling Commandos montage, I laughed.

 

Also, it was corny but I laughed when they revealed that Steve didn't know what Fondue was. 

 

Stark: Fondue is bread and cheese, Steve.

 

Cap: WHAT?

Really????

Weaving's coming back for The Avengers right? I mean, he got transported away and everything and it would be such a waste if this is the only time we get to see him chew scenery with a German accent. The film seriously needed more of him; in addition to just 'more' in general.

Loved the movie but wish I could have spent more time in that world.   I hear Joss Whedon took a pass at the script and the Fondue running gag had his fingerprints all over it.   Not a perfect movie by any means but one of the more solid Marvel produced movies.   It sits aside and may even surpass Iron Man IMHO.

I wanted more post-serum Cap/Bucky stuff. If they do a sequel hopefully it's a Winter Soldier thing with WW2 flashbacks.

My only real problem with the film is that it cancels out any 1940s Captain America sequels.  Unless they plan to elaborate some adventure that happened during that montage.  Which would be fine by me.

 

Other than that?  So.  Much.  Fun.

It is greatness. The first half rivals the original Superman for just the most perfect build up and execution of a comic book character in my eyes. When Erskine says that line about Steve being a good man, this isn't a lipservice. Steve Rogers, the good man, is the most welcome breath of fresh air in the current comic book film environment I could've ever asked for. Considering how often Evans ends up playing a brash, arrogant pretty boy, the fact that never once did I question how earnest Steve is, or how corny he comes off is a testament to both him and the script.

 

The second half is Johnston playing in his usual wheelhouse, but it works. That final fight is a little weaksauce, but has its moments, and the backlit moments are kindagreat as pure visual.

 

The ace in the hole is Atwell, though. Never mind the fact that she's a total fox, but her toughness is neither an act, or her trying too hard to keep up with the boys. On the flipside, her attraction to Steve never falls victim to the usual bullshit. It's perfectly organic. Even her little jealous moment is a come-and-go pissy moment that she just can't stay mad at him for. That character's just all things right. She's a huge part of how massively effective and bittersweet "I had a date" was in context.

 

And ditto the reaction to the Avengers teaser. Slapdash, but I'd be lying if I said Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow just sitting around a table on the big screen didn't give me a primal nerd rush.

 

Related note: The Amazing Spider-Man teaser went down like a fart in church. Main question echoed for rows upon rows back was "But...why?"

Pretty much this. Once again, a Marvel movie does a lot with a little (helped in part by superb casting). I think the biggest complaint leveled against all the Marvel movies could be their lack of scope due to budget constraints, but I'd much rather have a movie where all the little moments work than one highlighted by a few big set-pieces. The general refrain (even amongst positive reviews) tends to be lamenting the "been there, done that" aspect of the movie, and while that's certainly a fair conclusion, at the same time, I equate this kind of pulpy action movie to a chocolate chip cookie. You're gonna eat a lot of chocolate chip cookies during your life, and be generally pleased with most of them, but you'll still on occasion find that one that even as it adheres to the formula, makes you sit-up and go "damn, now that's a good cookie."

 

Also, Rocketeer 2. Please make it happen Disney.

The movie is supposed to take place between a 3-4 year period, so Marvel could definitely do a sequel with flasbacks if they wanted to.

I think if we get more adventures in WWII, it would have to be some kind of flashback type thing that ties into the present day storyline.   A couple of random thoughts...

 

How does Howard Stark as Tony's dad work out?   Assuming that Iron Man takes place in present day and Tony Stark is in his late 30's, that would still mean that Howard would have been pushing 55-60 when Tony was concieved.   Not impossible for sure but it does stretch things a bit.

 

The most horrific thought occurred to me today.   What if Michael Bay was chosen to direct this movie and would we survive the military porn?

 

How soon until we get the WWII mission montage set to "America: Fuck Yeah"

Dudes, Marvel already said that if they make sequels there will be WWII flashbacks. Pay attention.

 

This movie is sitting well with me, look forward to seeing it again. Did you guys notice how many catwalks there were in the movie? At least 3 scenes featured catwalk fights.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but the writers have said that they definitely want to flash back to WW2 if they can.

I really did try to be clear, specific, and not cruel about why I didn't like the film much, despite liking so many individual things about it. Don't expect much agreement, but I do hope I explained myself well enough to not be labeled as simply contrary (already happened elsewhere, quite rudely), or have other reviews used to knock my knees from under me (also happened, quite defensively).

 

Pretty substantial review, so I hope you enjoy!

 

 

http://www.chud.com/61720/review-captain-america-the-first-avenger-renns-take/

Count me with the people less concerned about the direct Cap sequel, more concerned with making absodamnlutely sure Weaving's in the Avengers.

Linky no worky, Renn.

I wish I liked this more. Damn. It's not awful, but it sure ain't great. When I have more time, I'll get into it with you all, but this is a profound disappointment. 

 

Tucci was terrific. Weaving pretty good. But otherwise...

I loved it. Arjen, you should add Hayley and Tommy Lee Jones to your own "list of Love". Both were terrific. Loved the period details, the action, the acting, etc. My only nitpick was the editing in the final half didn't really deliver a sense of buildup or momentum for the final battle.

No one's mentioned this yet, but I liked how they tweaked Bucky's origin and story for this film. They are clearly setting us up for a Winter's Solider appearance at some point.

 

Also, someone mentioned a cameo in the Pre-release thread. Don't know about a "Cameo" per se, but I did spot a Marvel Golden Age character at the World's Fair!

Colonel Tommy Lee Jones was actually my favorite character.

"He's gonna make me cry."

Same.

 

And spill the beans on the cameos, this is post-release. I can't think, off-hand, of anyone I might've seen.

I think there's only one. For a second you see the original Android Human Torch on display at the Stark Expo. That's it.

The original Human Torch (the Android) was on display at the World's Fair Steve attends.

 

I don't think Hugo is signed for the Avengers, but then again we can't really say for sure...after all, we have rumors the Cube/Tesseract plays into the film, Loki is confirmed as returning (and glimpsed briefly in the post-credits teaser), and the Skull seemed to be transported into space in a manner not altogether unlike the Bifrost from Thor.  It's clear that the door is wide open for him to return, but it also seems equally open that he could run into Loki somewhere in the "unknown cosmos" where they both could conceivably end up after their respective "demises."

 

Come to think of it, Loki and the Skull running roughshod over Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer would be just as entertaining as watching the Avengers mainstays interacting....but I doubt that's what we'll end up with.  At least in the first Avengers movie.  They could save the movie-verse "Masters of Evil" for a sequel.

"I ain't gonna kiss ya."

 

I enjoyed the film, but agree with most of Renn's points. As observed there and elsewhere, most all of the Cap-in-action bits from the trailer turned out to be bits from the Cap-in-action montage, and I really wanted to see that movie. But it's no small thing that the movie totally sells Steve Rogers, Unironic Do-Gooder.

 

Like Justin above, I found myself making comparisons to Superman (1978)-- not just in the treatment of the title character but in the breadth of scope. We get fantasy, sci-fi, a bit of documentary realism, even a musical number, and it all feels of a piece.

 

And if we're going to play Spot The Whedon, my money's on the "I can't get drunk" scene.

Edited by Hammerhead - 7/22/11 at 11:06pm

I actually felt like that final moment was botched. I'm okay with the line itself and what it represents, but the editing of it was wonky. Maybe it needed a slow fade to the credits instead of a smash cut. As is, it was jarring.

 

As for the movie as a whole ... eh. There was nothing egregiously wrong with it, and the actors were game. But the plot never picks up steam as it goes along, leading to a limp, underwhelming climax. Plus, the Cap'n may be a little to straight-laced to carry his own movie. I figure he'll work better as a character when he can be bounced off Tony Stark and company.

I left the theater completely satisfied with the movie.  It probably helped that I didn't walk in with the "how dare they make a Captain America movie after the Bush years" attitude that I've seen so much of on these boards.

 

Renn, I want to be fair in how I express disagreement with you, as I do agree that you've been trolled excessively lately.  Your chief complaint seems to be not that you think the movie failed at what it set out to do, but that it didn't try to be a different movie entirely. 

 

Even if a Marvel Studios take on Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers could have succeeded, I just don't think it's in any way necessary for this character's origin story or for an installment of the Avengers series to devote the amount of screen time to front line battle reenactments that those works did.  Surviving in the meat grinder of large battles isn't a particularly important part of this character's history.  Fighting elite Nazi villains in small team movements is.  The staging of the action scenes was certainly not perfect - it was distracting that every time Cap had to catch his shield, Evans simply reached his hand out of the camera's view and pulled it back holding the thing - but the scale was completely correct.  I'm sorry, it just was.

 

When you take the movie to task for excessive use of forest, it reads like a complaint that World War II had a European theater inland from the Normandy beach.  When you describe the montage as having been for nothing, I wonder if you saw the Red Skull executing a subordinate out of frustration over the delays.  When you write that the prison breakout was dull, I wonder what could possibly have been added.

 

There's no bitter shame here, no painful collapse.  You express hope up above that your review won't be dismissed as merely contrary, so I'll take it at your word that you aren't barking up the wrong tree willfully.  I think a large part of the problem is that you had your heart set on a different genre of film.

Edited by Reasor - 7/22/11 at 10:14pm

I liked the little touches like the visible seams on the Red Skull's "mask".
Also, the Arnim Zola gag at the beginning gave me a hearty chuckle.

I loved that, even if it never gets acted upon.  If there's no body, there's always a window for a character to come back.  Like introducing the Leader in the Hulk movie, it creates a bigger world than just what a feature length film can find the time to focus on.

Wasn't the bookstore lady Aunt May Parker, Rosemary Harris?

 

I think the whole flash-forward might have worked better as the post-credits tag. Then a solemn "AVENGERS. 2012."

 

Meanwhile, I'm embarassed to admit that I missed the Lee cameo. Where was it?

It surprises that people found the conclusion of the movie to be emotionally satisfying. I thought the editing and writing there was so shoddy that I couldn't access it at all. And the final scene with Fury? Cap barely seems remotely perturbed that he's found himself 70 years in the future -- when Fury asks him if he's feeling alright, he responds with a pretty relaxed and amicable "yeah, yeah." That kind of uncommitted indifference is not a good note to end your movie on, and the "I had a date" line really doesn't carry enough pathos or sentiment to compensate for it.

 

The thing is, I've come to expect genuinely moving and thrilling experiences from superhero films, since exactly this has been provided not just in the Raimi Spider-Man movies (all of them) but also in Thor, most of the X-Men films (especially First Class), Dark Knight, etc. The bar has been set quite high. Now Cap is not bland or dull, and I could hypothetically get behind a movie with such a naively heroic and morally infallible lead character, but the movie doesn't provide enough incentive for that and as a result I couldn't make an emotional connection to the character or his story. So... it pretty much left me cold.

 

And a HUGE problem with this movie is the fact that Cap's arc concludes halfway through the film, and the only thing left for him to do is kill off the bad guy so the credits can roll. Problem is, there's still another hour or so wherein that is the only purpose of the movie, and it's just not involving enough to warrant one's interest. The film seemed to realize this, and tried to fix it with Bucky's death -- which seemed to occur only to give Cap some more emotional incentive to hunt down Schmidt. But he's already murdered a character we liked previously (and we liked Erksine a lot more than Bucky I think) so it's not really required anyways, and comes off like just another random event in a montage of them. I'd say Renn is right on the money with this one.

I can't really disagree with anything from Renn's review.  I loved the spirit of the film a great deal, but this could've been so great.  It coasts on how well the first half workd.  The 2nd half peters out and then has to eventually come to the present day conclusion that really has nothing to do with the main story it's telling.  That bugged me.  They tried to make it matter with the "I had a date" thing... but that didn't really work.  

 

This isn't too far from Thor for me.  I liked it a lot more than Thor, but the conclusion is the same: a movie I liked a lot more than I think I should.

I like this movie alot. Sure, it's not a perfect movie, but it does so many little things right, and contrary to some people's complains I'm glad to finally have a superhero who is not conflicted, have inner demon, and always knew the right thing to do. I enjoy the dark, brooding anti-hero as much as the next guy, but why can't we also have a hero as honorable and as self-sacrificing as Steve Rogers without people labeling him "bland" or "lacking a proper character arc"? I found the challeges posed to him, from first being this little guy who got a 4F from military and rejected, to served as a mascot but looked down upon, and later to losing his best friend, and then his whole life (and a beautiful girl to go back to) just so he could save the world, to be well-worth it. Steve Rogers isn't Bruce Wayne, nor Tony Stark, and he's perfect the way he is.

There isn't any problem with having a character embody warmly positive, honorable traits and not be conflicted about it -- but he does have to be conflicted about something, since that is the basis of drama and storytelling. You can't make a movie with a main character who isn't conflicted about anything (by the time the movie reaches the halfway point in this case), or who experiences little to no development throughout the course of the story. I mean, that's a no-brainer, and Johnston shouldn't get a pass for skipping storytelling 101 just because he also happens to be bucking a recent (and welcome) surge in well-defined, complex character arcs in comic book movies.

 

Part of the problem is that Rogers is chosen to be a super-soldier precisely because he won't change when he becomes super-powered, and indeed he doesn't, but that's the reason why the movie ultimately doesn't work; since it seems so hesitant to delve into the character of Rogers in any way beyond the superficial, he remains kind of a distant entity throughout the movie and his sacrifice really doesn't hold any weight (other than further solidifying him as the selfless and heroic figure we have already know him to be).

So the final scene was what they filmed in Times Square back in April.  That makes me wonder if this was the original ending or a reshoot.  Here is a youtube video of it being shot, in case you didn't see it before.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0QFKJpOVeI

 

 

I think people are misunderstanding those of us labeling the movie bland by thinking we mean the character of Rogers when it's actually the movie as a whole. I thought the movie felt flat but it had nothing to do with the main character or his apparent lack of an arc.

Ok, guys.. can we now start talking about potential plots and what they are doing in the film we all just saw and where  they  may be going with it. I also would like to talk about some background stuff...Like, what do you think the Angle  they are going for with the Cosmic cube being found by Stark??? I know Thor has a lot of background from Norse folk lore.. but these writers seem to be using some of this and that and none of this and none of that..for example they had some old man, protecting the cosmic Cube in a monument of the Tree of the world...with flashes of old legends about the cube and the tree...I know this is a tie-in with THor and Captain america dealing with super natural things.. Basically developing the Marvel Universe and so on... But I dont know much background on this particular cosmic cube?....It feels like they are mix matching a lot of previous comic storylines...My question besides Stark finding the cube and what is gonna go on from there.. is, Loki, was clearly the villian in The Avenger's smash and grab trailer... do Cosmic cubes work like a bridge, more like a mobile Bifrost? do you think Loki, snatched up Red Skull, to bring him back to Asgard or one of the other worlds.. to save his ass from Cap, only to bring him back as a team that will require 5 super heroes to fight them?  When R. Skull got snatched up, it clearly displayed the realms of spavce as if he was being teleported rather than burnt alive...Speaking of which the villan or Villans in the Avenger, one most likely Loki, is gonna have to be a super threat and cant be just one person... Comon, Cap took on Red Skull and a whole Hydra base by himself in this movie...what are the specs on villans for the Avengers movie?

 

If anyone out there knows of a source that is discussing this potential story line with the cube and its background and how they might be going to play with it.. please post a URL for me...

 

I know there are hundreds of sources for the folk lore, and Thor stories and such but like i said, they are not really consistent with just one story of Thor, they are using bits and pieces from all the different generations...

 

Any speculation of this story line, sources please post.. or lets get them going instead of nit picking what we liked and didnt like...because lets face it.. we love the comic, we had high expectations regardless of knowing they cant measure up to our own imaginations but we still criticize the movie...You know you were entertained, you know there were things that could be different or done better and you know there were parts that were great! Overall, the movie was good. worth seeing again, worth following...For all of you guys that did not like... I ask you to put your money where your mouth is..If you did not like it, dont go see any more Marvel' movies and especially dont go see Avengers next year...if you do, dont bitch about it because you did not like any of there character origin movies, why would you go see there sequels or any other makes...Sorry, i had to vent about this because i am sick of threads goin off on what they did not like and that the movie sucked ...then these same guys are the first one in line for the next marvel movie!

 

Lets speculate!

 

I'll put my money on either "I don't have a procedure tomorrow" or "I brought you dinner."

 

 

The scene where Cap doesn't show up for his medal of valor ceremony. Stan's the Admiral who says "I thought he'd be taller."

 

I don't like quoting entire posts if I'm not responding line by line or section by section, but Reasor's post really articulated my thoughts as well. A few more:

 

I'm coming to the reluctant conclusion that I simply have very different tastes from Renn. And I say reluctant because I really, really dig his reviews. They're well written, thoughtful, and he is very fair to films. I haven't seen him savage a film that didn't deserve it, and I think Renn does an excellent job calling attention to elements I might otherwise miss. But overall, my tastes run a bit counter to his. Not that he (or anyone else) cares.

 

I think my biggest problem with the film, construction-wise, is that the final confrontation between Red Skull and Cap wasn't as visceral as I expected it to be. They're both super soldiers, and I really wanted something more feral, like the fight between Wolverine and Deathstrike in X2. I did love the plane-bomb sequence, though, with Cap dispatching Skull's minions and flying the bomb back into the main aircraft.

 

Loved, loved Atwell in this - though that may be my weakness for 40s-style brunettes in red lipstick speaking. As Drew pointed out in HitFix, I think this is the most believable, emotionally resonant romance we've seen in a Marvel film yet.

 

Evans was perfectly cast, and I don't think the film suffered from him not having the usual arc. He was sympathetic, human, and I wanted him to succeed, and I was able to empathize with the things that hurt him.

 

One thing I haven't read much about was the cinematography; I thought Johnston shot the film amazingly well. There were a couple of Red Skull shots that were nearly fucking Ross paintings translated to live action. I am SO glad they went practical for Skull's face, and Weaving joyfully chewed the scenery.

 

I do think the Commandos were underused and underdeveloped, but loved the prison break sequence.

 

Maybe the biggest compliment I can give the film is that I am already looking forward to seeing it again, whether in the theater or on blu.
 

 

I, too, respect Renn as a critic but have to disagree in almost every regard.

 

I loved this film unabashedly, and would rank it as the best of Marvel's output (both before and after Marvel Studios).

 

When viewing a comic book film I look for three things, in this order: Is it good? Did it stay true to the comics? Did it improve on the comics? Captain America did all three.

 

The movie has A and B-list actors who are so earnest and have such great chemistry together that it's infectious. Chris Evans is remarkable here, somehow taking an untouchable icon and making him accessible. Captain America has always worked for me as a Superman with brass, and that's on display here. First of all, he kills. The movie doesn't linger on it (and I doubt he will in The Avengers), but he's not afraid to use a gun and even throws a knife into a Hydra soldier's back at one point. Not that I want my superheroes to be killers in the present, but it was war. Secondly, the supposed lack of arc is just not true. The arc is that Cap is tempted with both glory (the USO tour) and power (Red Skull) and rejects both.

 

My favorite Captain America moment is from Frank Miller's Daredevil: Born Again. When given a direct order by a corrupt general, and told, "We've always valued your commitment--and your loyalty...", Cap replies, "I'm loyal to nothing, General--except the dream." This movie encapsulates that Captain America perfectly, a man that adheres so strongly to the potential that his country represents even when confronted with human frailty and greed.

 

The fan service on display is amazing and extensive but always feels organic (much more blatant than Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, but stronger and more natural than Iron Man 2 or Thor (I'm looking at you Hawkeye)). Little touches like Howard Stark creating a flying car, in reference to Jim Steranko's Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. from the '60s in which Tony Stark creates flying cars and helicarriers for S.H.I.E.L.D., made me smile.

 

Improvements from the comic were the progression of the costume, Bucky being a childhood friend/rival (Sebastian Shaw brought a great hardness to the role), and the fight that lands Cap in the drink being with the Red Skull.

 

The other big criticism I noticed from Renn, aside from the lack of arc, was the montage and the action lacking weight. The montage, however, worked for me in that it established a substantial amount of time passing and did show real accomplishment. The former is important because Captain America needs to have fought in the majority of the war to have been fondly remembered by the American people, to allow for flashbacks in a sequel, and to establish the growing comradery with his teammates. The reason the love story with Peggy Carter works, unlike Thor and Jane Foster, is because they know eachother for years and their budding relationship is allowed to breath. Thank God there weren't any confessions of love during the plane crash sequence, I was cringing waiting for that cliche. As well, Cap and the Commandos accomplish two things: they hault Red Skull's plans to conquer Europe by ground (forcing him to retaliate by attempting to nuke major U.S. cities), as Cap had seen the Skull's plans on the map wall, and they capture Arnim Zola who then reveals where the Red Skull's base is located.

 

As for the action, every time Cap slammed into someone with his shield, I felt the clang. The sound effects were awesome. This was old school, pulpy fun. The special effects, mostly the backgrounds, were sometimes iffy but that added to the surreal, idealized past that the movie was trying to evoke.

 

It worked for me. What didn't work was having the Howling Commandos go unnamed, and I may be mistaken but the movie shied afraid from actually showing Nazis. When those three officers confront Red Skull, there wasn't a swastika in sight because the actor kept turning away from the camera. PC-iffied? Maybe. I also noticed that the Army seemed to be fully integrated in terms of race (lots of black dudes, other than Gabe, during the camp scenes). If I'm not mistaken, the armed forces weren't de-segregated until Vietnam. Meh, it's a heightened reality. I didn't mind this movie's focus being on the defeat of Hydra, because I like the idea of the Marvel Movie U's past being very similar to our own until the present day (the arrival of the superman!). Therefore, Captain American fighting on the front lines and turning the tide of the war feels...disrespectful.

 

Odd that I didn't feel the same about Inglorious Basterds. I can't say it wouldn't be incredible to have Captain America 2 open with a flashback to the storming of Normandy, either, except that a PG-13 couldn't do it justice.

Edited by Bartleby_Scriven - 7/23/11 at 7:04am

Whoa. The entire point of his character is that he isn't tempted by these things at all. Cap doesn't want power or glory, he just wants to be a good soldier and do the right thing -- if you're saying that he is actually conflicted over whether or not to abuse his power or bask in the spotlight of the USO tour, I would suggest that you come up with some solid proof that this is actually true and not just an example of someone stretching to find depth in something they love despite it pretty clearly having no depth.

James Bond, Indiana Jones, a whole mess of John Wayne movies... even a few of the Die Hard sequels simply dropped McClane in the middle of a hellstorm and let him quip his way out.

 

The way I know that it wasn't my mood or my mindset that kept me from loving this movie is that for the first 45 minutes or so, I believed I was watching a great movie. The first act is excellent. Steve is a fantastically likable presence, as is Erskine (my favorite character). The look of everything is sensational, the dialogue is great, the Red Skull scenes hit the proper tone, and that grenade moment is just wonderful. My favorite action scene in the movie was the chase through Brooklyn. It was exciting, witty (I can swim! Go get him!), and emotionally satisfying.

Then everything slowly dissipates and fades away. I don't think it's the lack of arc, or anything with Cap really, it's more that there is no story being told. I hate the 2-3 years or however long structure, and I think it kills the movie. Nothing is terrible or bad at all, and the Hayley Atwell character works nicely, but the high level the first half hit makes the standard, boring, uninventive action montages and total lack of jokes really disappointing. I really wanted to love Tommy Lee Jones, and it was great to see him in a movie like this, but it felt like all that character's big scenes happened off screen. The Red Skul's plans were the worst kind of generic. Nothing wrong with global domination, but surely there was a more interesting way to go about it. I would love it if Cap had one big mission for me get emotionally involved in, a la the Guns of the Navarone or Where Eagles Dare. Also, it probably wouldn't have killed them to make it darker (not Basterds dark, but at least Raiders dark-it's WWII, for Gods sake). There's no reason this couldn't have been a great film, but instead it's an ok one I probably won't watch again. Like maybe the recent Hulk film.

I thought Thor was considerably better. Like, not even close.

Saw it, liked it well enough.

 

My problem with the Captain America film is that it loses steam somewhere in the half way point right after Cap rescues the prisoner GIs and before he puts on the new suit.

 

It seemed like they ran out of steam and ideas and just reverted to a cliche super hero flick for the rest of the movie.   Renn is correct;  the action scenes are dull and uninspired.    I really don't see the comparison to Raiders of the Lost Ark.   Pick any action sequence at random from Raiders, which happen to be very well thought out, witty and exciting, and any scene from Cap.

 

Cap's scenes don't hold a candle to Indy's.

 

Again, didn't hate the movie, loved the idea of Cap as propaganda to sell war bonds, even liked the song 'Star Spangled Man', but half way through I'm sorry to say I was bored with the film.

And another thing: the way to make the static hero work is to present a situation where only a man with his innate goodness could possibly succeed. That's why Erskine wanted him, and it has zero effect on how he fights the war. Or even the way he solves the flag challenge with brains rather than climbing, that sets him up as someone who uses his brain more than anyone, and afterwards it's as Renn said-action figures colliding.

Really? I kept getting ripped out of the movie because scenes looked like they were shot as a BBC documentary.

I have to agree with Reasor, MichaelM, and Bartleby.  The issues most of you describe were not issues for me. From Nick's review, there are parts that don't work, but it is fabulously fun film. 

 

 

Cap is tempted by the fame. Does no one remember the shame he feels for doing a good job at the USO only to be pelted with fruit and told he was not really fighting the war? That, and finding Bucky, drive him to become Captain America. Red Skull offers him the chance to be like him, and Cap laughs.  Is the problem that he is too pure and most people were expecting a "Great Powers comes Great Responsibility" speech? 

 

It is probably the best romantic work in a Marvel film in some time. It just felt right. I am not sure I see what others saw as negatives in this film.

I wish I could have commented with more certainty on the photography, but our projection was so unacceptably dim that I didn't feel it was fair.

I enjoyed the film, I felt like it needed to be a bit longer and just stayed with the Cap a bit more.

First, a positive note, and perhaps the one area where this film actually bests Raiders: It is awesome that Peggy Carter is never, ever, ever in need of rescuing.

 

Now, my nerdiest complaint: The 'evolution' of Cap's outfit sort of plays out in reverse. We see the classic design fully expressed in the USO costume, but when Rogers requests a combat-ready version it's a movie-style 'origin story' deal, with elements like the red webbing on the harness that 'accidentally' suggests stripes. And I was sorta hoping for some scale-mail armor...