Andy really liked the Captain America movie a lot.
Hell, I even likedGreen Lanternfor what it was.
Except every one of those movies came with a but, a not quite perfect performance.
The result is a film with a look, feel, and pulse that is unique and refreshing.
You dont feel studio meddling here.
No one can deny that Robert Downey Jr. owned as Tony Stark.
Chris Hemsworth similarly impressed as Thor.
To think, we almost got Channing Tatum.
Who remembers the villain inIron Man?
It was Jeff Bridges in a bigger Iron Man suit.
What aboutIron Man 2?
That time it was Mickey Rourke in another, bigger Iron Man suit, but with whips.
Batman has the Joker.
Superman has Lex Luthor.
And Captain America has The Red Skull.
I just hope we havent seen the last of Schmidt.
He was a glorious bastard.
Odds are that that list is pretty long.
You dont just remember Luke Skywalker.
You also fondly recall Han, Chewy, Yoda, R2, Lando, Leia, and so on.
So, we dont just have Evans and Weaving doing all the heavy lifting.
We also have Tommy Lee Jones at his dry witted best as Colonel Phillips.
A pitch perfect performance.
Did anyone walk out ofX-Men: First Classsinging the praises of Angel Salvadore?
No need to answer that.
Theme music is important
Quick, hum the theme toSuperman!
Now, X-Men(no, the cartoon theme doesnt count).The Incredible Hulk?
That got tougher with those last couple, didnt it?
Kudos to Mr. Alan Silvestri.
I appreciate thatThe Dark Knightis a masterpiece.
However, theyre entirely missing the point.
Captain America is about strength of character, responsibility, and hope.
If I wanted that, Id watchSaving Private Ryan.
Dont peak too early
Lets play another game, shall we?
What was the best fight inThor?
The Frost Giant battle, right?
When did it happen in the movie?
About thirty minutes in.
Its got to be when he takes down the terrorists in Afghanistan.
About an hour into it.X2?
Nightcrawlers siege on the White House, yes?
Oh, it was the first scene in the movie.
Do you get where Im going with this?
One of this film fans biggest rules of moviemaking is simple: make the climax worth waiting for.
We dont just want to see.
We want to feel.
But heres the thing.
All of those pyrotechnics without context is like watching a fireworks show.
Its pretty to look at but, in the end, its nothing but a hollow diversion.
Sorry, Im done).
Then, when you finally get to the spectacular fireworks you paid for, you care about it.
Crazy, innovative stuff there.
Along these lines, the movie has something far too rare in recent action films, heart.
You root for Steve to become the man he deserves to be.
You believe in him because, as Dr. Erskine says, hes a good man.
You actually see their feelings evolve over the course of the story.
So, when the film ends the way it does, it stings.
Not just for them, but for us as well, because were invested in it.
Im not ashamed to admit that the final conversation between Steve and Peggy tore me up.
Yeah, a stupid summer superhero movie actually brought out honest-to-goodness emotion in me.
Well, I think Ive gushed aboutCaptain Americaenough for now.
Simply put, I found it to be a movie of unbridled joy, fun, and excitement.
Read America: The First Avenger here.
