Customer Reviews

Captain America: The First Avenger (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

5 star:		(186)
4 star:		(97)
3 star:		(47)
2 star:		(38)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

A good bit of this film is a superhero-origins story, in which we follow Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plain-featured young man of about 20 years old who is a classic "90-pound weakling," as he tries five times to enlist in the Army during the early part of World War II. He is consistently rated as "4F" because of his size and various health issues, including asthma. Inside that small, frail body, however, resides outsized courage, honor, loyalty and persistence. During Steve's fifth trip to the Army recruiters, those virtues in Steve draw the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who escaped the Nazis and is working on a top-secret program to develop super soldiers. Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is in charge of the program, wants to use a soldier who is bigger, stronger and has more training for the first human experiment with the Dr. Erskine's super-soldier formula, but the doctor strongly disagrees. He says the other soldier is a bully, but Steve is a good man. It is crucial that anyone receiving the formula be of good character, because the formula enhances the existing personality traits of whoever receives it. Steve would become even more of a good person, but a bully could become a villain.

The experiment is a success, but immediately after Steve is transformed into a handsome, ripped, perfect specimen of manhood, a Nazi spy assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the formula. Though Steve manages to stop the assassin from escaping, in his first act of heroism as a newly minted superhero, the flask breaks in the process. Without a sample of the formula, it cannot be replicated because the doctor never wrote down the whole formula. Steve is now one of a kind. Unfortunately, the military can't think of anything to do with him other than turn him into a US-flag-wrapped peddler of war bonds appearing in USO shows with chorus girls, until Steve is sent abroad. He finds himself entertaining the recently decimated troops of Col. Phillips and is horrified to discover that his best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been captured with 400 other Allied soldiers and is being held prisoner in a massively defended fortress deep in enemy lines. Col. Phillips insists he would lose far more men than he could save going after his captured men, and refuses to do anything. But the colonel's assistant, a female military officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), encourages Steve to fulfill his destiny as the super-soldier Dr. Erskine created him to be by staging a one-man rescue raid.

On every level this film is outstanding. It is directed by the talented Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji ). The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (the writing team best known for the three Chronicles of Narnia films) is an excellent adaptation, staying true in every important way to the world of a comic-book icon with a 70-year history of stories in Marvel Comics since the Captain's first appearance in 1941.

All of the actors are terrific, but the star, Chris Evans (who played the comic-book superhero, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the two Fantastic Four films), is superb. Evans gives a depth and breadth to his performance that is remarkable for any genre, but especially for a superhero film. In his capable hands, Steve is endearingly humble, yet enduringly determined to have a chance to contribute to the worldwide struggle against the Nazis in the beginning, origins part of the film. And after the transformation, he compellingly presents Steve as a fascinating contradiction of a relentless, manly warrior who is still emotionally innocent and naïve.

Steve's relationship with Peggy, as his romantic interest in the film, has significant barriers to their connection that makes it both amusing and exciting to watch. She is his superior officer and, for a young man who has barely even had a conversation with a woman before her, it takes more bravery than going to war for him to aspire to a relationship with a woman like Peggy. She is not only gorgeous, but a formidable warrior in her own right. What I found as intriguing as the romantic potential between these two, however, is the fact that they bring out the best in each other. Peggy gives Steve the inspiration to seize his destiny as a super-warrior when the colonel and other leaders have ordered him to sit out the war, and Steve's innate sensitivity and goodness soften the shell of cynicism Peggy has developed around her heart in the harsh, man's world of the Army.

The incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) is terrific as Dr. Erskine. Hugo Weaving (who played V in V for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) is his usual brilliant self as the villain Red Skull. Anytime he appears in anything it is a gift, but he is particularly skilled as a comic-book super villain. As for Tommy Lee Jones, he was simply made for the part of Colonel Chester Phillips. Sebastian Stan (Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl) is a convincing choice as Bucky. He and Chris Evans have excellent buddy chemistry as best friends since childhood. All of the other supporting actors are great, too, including Neal McDonough (Traitor) as Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Gabe Jones, Kenneth Choi (Street Kings) as Jim Morita, and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey) as James Montgomery Falsworth.

Finally, the special effects in the action scenes, aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), are absolutely breathtaking, making this movie a must-see on the big screen. There is also one other CGI effect that I found awe-inspiring. The real, buffed Chris Evans is trimmed down via CGI to the pre-formula Steve. "It's pretty amazing," Evans told Reuters. "They took shape out of my jaw line, they shrunk my skeleton, and they made my shoulders less broad." They certainly did. The skinny Steve has the body of a prepubescent boy. As for the actual physique of Chris Evans--he went through a specialized training program to put on 15 pounds of muscle on a physique that was already quite ripped.

Among the multiple feature films already done on the Captain, this should delight fans as a standout contribution.

When I was a kid in the 60's, Batman, Spiderman, and Captain America were my 3 favorite superheroes, and remain so to this day.
No need to rehash the other great reviews, but IMO, what they got SO RIGHT here was the CHARACTER of Steve Rogers BEFORE he becomes Captain America.
Just as Batman Begins had us totally invested in Bruce Wayne BEFORE he ever donned the cape and cowl, Marvel works the same type of magic with Steve Rogers & THAT (along with stellar performances by ALL the supporting cast) is what makes this a truly great film.
After suffering through the badly done CA movies of the past, it is a dream fulfilled to see the character brought to life so fantastically By Chris Evans & Joe Johnston.
And the Red Skull--OMG--Incredible makeup & Hugo Weaving shines as always to make the character come across as one of the premiere villains of the Marvel Universe.
Finally--watch the deleted ending scene to see how they really SHOULD have ended the movie--THAT was my only gripe--the truncated ending in the theatrical version.
So, to sum up--FINALLY a GREAT, FUN & FAITHFUL rendition of Captain America.
Bring on the AVENGERS!
It's time to ASSEMBLE!

Once in a while, Hollywood gets it right. "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) is nostalgic fun. Director Joe Johnston doesn't let CGI overwhelm this engaging World War II comic-book adventure. Chris Evans delivers a sincere performance in the title role - well-matched by Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci (doing his best Maximilian Schell imitation) and a memorably villainous Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. The Marvel superhero finally receives the A-list production he richly deserves.

POST-PRODUCTION 3D (converted from 2D to 3D)

My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

OOS EFFECTS:
There are about 60 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. Many of them are quick but easily noticeable. An additional 5 effects made it to 20% or more.

IN SCREEN / OBSERVATIONS:
The cardboard cutout syndrome is glaringly noticeable early in the movie and in A FEW other scenes throughout the film with only 1, 2 or 3 depths and a flat background. The balance of the scenes converted well and only appeared slightly shallower in depth than normal and the syndrome was negligible.

If you like action type films, it is easy to overlook the shortcomings of a (fake 3D) conversion and enjoy this movie for what it is. The 3D definitely adds to the viewing experience of this film.

ACTIVE GLASSES USERS:
In addition to the menu; Crosstalk was evident 6 times but only 1 of them was a major eyesore.
(crosstalk varies from system to system)

3 ½ star
MY 3D RATING = GOOD to VERY GOOD (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `See all my reviews' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

For me, this movie could have been faster in storytelling, but it was more important that we knew who Captain America was, and even better than that, who was Steve Rogers. There were many physically endowed candidates that they could have chosen for the super serum program, but they chose the one who had the most heart and love for his country and himself, and unless you are an avid Cap fan, then for the novice hero-lover, this is a good starting point to be introduced to. As the film came along, action-packed and all, we see the costume and the shield, but throughout, we see the man behind it all, and that made the movie worthwhile. WAY TO GO, CAP!!

Actually really enjoyed it. not what I expected, but enjoyed it nevertheless. As far as quality, would rate it up there with Batman Begins, for all superhero flic fans. actually had very good action scenes, was well acted, well filmed and had a good story. What more could you ask for in an action flic. I will definately buy this one and add it to my collection to watch again. Give it a 9. Not bad at all!

This new Captain America Movie follows the story line of the Comics much more closly than the previous movies that were made it jumps the story line a bit to bring you up a step closer to the next movie they plan to release but was done very well and incorperates a lot of the varance of the comic into the one movie. All in all very good.

I love this all American movie! Marvel really went over the top when they produced this movie.
Awe inspiring! This movie is great for the whole family!

Update:

I saw "Captain America" again for the third time. This time projected from a 35mm print and, while there are a few brief moments which were designed for 3D that aren't quite as cool in 2D, overall it is a much more rewarding experience than the underlit 3D presentations I saw. This is really a bright, colorful film with lots of detail in the action, sets, backgrounds, and facial expressions which are lost in the dimness of digital presentation. Well worth a second viewing if you can find someplace running it on film. I expect that the DVD and Blu-Ray will be closer to the brightness of film than the dimness of digital theatrical projection.

Original post:

Saw "Captain America" twice already. Both times in 3D (which ain't too shabby). Liked it the first time. Liked a lot better the second time - for a couple of reasons.

The first is that I wasn't distracted reconciling the movie with the comics. The movie is very, very good but, like Thor, it has the job of filling in all of the back story needed for The Avengers in 2012 and there's a LOT more back story. Captain America really deserved Iron Man's two film lead in. And, as much as the movie does an impressive job adapting decades of story into two hours there are inevitable differences some of which were a bit jarring to me. On second viewing I could appreciate the movie for itself because I already knew where it differed from the stories I was familiar with.

The second viewing, I saw the movie with my teenage daughter who knows almost nothing about the character and I was curious how she would respond to it. We, of course, stayed through the credits for the anticipated after credit scene and then this occurred:

The movie ends. Daughter turns to me.

Daughter: "Really?"

We stand and walk to the end of the row.

Daughter: "Really?"

We walk up the aisle a bit.

Daughter: "An ad?"

And a bit farther.

Daughter: "That's stupid."

A bit farther.

Daughter: "As if the people who stay through the credits aren't already waiting to see 'The Avengers'?"

We exit the theater and in the lobby are four of her friends. They greet and hug and ask "what are you seeing? and "what did you see?"

Friend: "We're going to see Harry Potter again."
Daughter: "Captain America"
Friend: "Cool. How is it?"
Daughter: "Ummm..."
Friend: "Oh. That good?"
Daughter: "Well ..."
Friend: "What would you rate it?"
Daughter: "Mmmm...three stars."
Friend: "Oh."

The friends obviously have no interest in seeing Captain America now.

Daughter: "But stay 'til the end"
Daughter: "It's disappointing, but stay 'til the end."

The friends obviously now have less than no interest in seeing Captain America.

We leave the theater, walking to the car.

Daughter: "That free-fall fight was cool!"

Me: "Yeah. I liked that a lot, too."

Daughter: "I'd have probably given it four stars but that ad at the end was a dumb move."

Me: "I liked the movie a lot more this time. I think because I knew what to expect and wasn't trying to reconcile the movie with the comics and I knew when the movie really ended and when to stop expecting more. I think the ad at the end colored my feelings about the movie, too."

Daughter: "Yeah. When we sat through the credits and it said 'Captain America returns in The Avengers' I though 'We stayed for that?'. But then the tag and the ad played and I thought 'ending with 'Captain America returns in The Avengers' would have been better. Or ending after the little punching bag scene. It wouldn't have been GOOD, but it would have been BETTER."

The moral: Marvel Studios, which had been doing a great job building anticipation for The Avengers with the tag scenes after the credits which teased and enticed, went for the hard sell. I doubt that that hard sell is building audience because, as daughter said, "As if the people who stay through the credits aren't already waiting to see 'The Avengers'?" But the hard sell almost certainly lost the sale of four tickets to Captain America which daughter's friends had been interested in (and had both time and disposable income to spend for) because the Avengers ad disappointed her and unfavorably influenced her immediate response to the movie.

Y'know, for good word of mouth you want to send people out on a high note, not feeling like they've been subject to a bait and switch; expecting the tradition of a cool teaser tag to continue in this movie but being delivered a tiny anemic tag followed by a routine and traditional ad.

I saw it when it came out in theaters on opening night back in July. I thought was great and awesome.
If you want to see a good superhero movie this the one for you or just a great action movie, this movie is great for you as well. It's close to the original comic book. If you're a fan of comics and movies. Give it a watch.