Review: Captain America

Let’s start with the saga that was my Captain America viewing experience, and the reason this review is going up well over a week late. I saw the film with my family opening weekend, at what is undeniably one of the most shit theaters in Pittsburgh, [Name Withheld]. We went there because it was close to our house, and if you think about other things, you can ignore the smell and not think too hard about the weird sticky seats. But they managed, in the course of that one show, to have it be out of focus, mess up the sound so that every quiet scene was inaudible over the random static, and cut to black just as the credits started, so that the die-hard fans couldn’t see the obligatory Marvel movie bump. So, the next weekend, I had a double feature with my friend, Tai DuClau, and got to rewatch it. 

So, Captain America. Does it come close to the cinematic masterpiece/abomination that was the 1990 film?

Captain America is easily my favorite Avengers run-up film since Iron Man. I loved its un-ironic, un-cynical campy tone. Chris Evans is much improved since the tragedy that was Fanatastic Four. Hayley Atwell is excellent, Agent Smith Elrond Hugo Weaving does what he does best, and Tommy Lee Jones is there to be himself, and does it spectacularly. Also, Howard Stark is a character is this movie! For some reason! And he’s fantastic!

You can tell he’s awesome because of his pimp safety goggles

Also, this is the only film you’ll see this summer with a musical number and Hitler getting punched. Hooray! Suck on that DC.

I mean, it’s not like we can ignore that this was the cover of just about every issue.

Otherwise, I must strongly recommend at least being familiar with Thor before seeing this, even if you didn’t see the film. The central MacGuffin of the movie is based in the Thor mythology, and there are some later events that you probably will not understand if you don’t know the general idea of that series’ cosmology.

My only complaints are that the 3D shots are incredibly intrusive at times. I saw the film in 2D, due to my ongoing grudge against 3D, and it was glaringly obvious which bits were supposed to be viewed in 3D. I prefer my 3D a bit more integrated if I’m going to pay for it (see most CGI animated films and the bits of Tron: Legacy in the Grid). 

On the whole, it was an intensely enjoyable film.