After “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class” and Green Lantern” this summer, moviegoers might be experiencing a bit of superhero fatigue.
Understandable, but “Captain America: The First Avenger” provides a fresh enough take on the genre to make one more trip to the big screen worthwhile this summer. Set during World War II and doused with the rah-rah spirit of golden-age cinema, “Captain America” is cheesy good fun. It even boasts a pretty good song-and-dance number.
Chris Evans, via computer wizardry, plays weakly Steve Rogers, a stick of a man who dreams of serving his country. Rejected countless times over for active duty, Rogers is spotted by a scientist (Stanley Tucci) who has developed a super-soldier serum for the American forces.
Soon enough, Rogers is a hulk of a man ready for action against the Nazis. Unfortunately, the U.S. prefers “Captain America” as a traveling headliner to inspire sales of war bonds. It isn’t long before German nutcase Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) threatens the world, requiring the special skills of newly spectacular Steve Rogers and his trusty shield.
Like “X-Men: First Class,” which plopped mutant heroes into the Cuban Missile Crisis, “Captain America” thrives when tinkering with familiar historical events and motifs. More than being set during World War II, the film has the unapologetically patriotic tone of a movie made in that era.
Evans is terrific as both scrawny and brawny Steve Rogers and easily erases his previous superhero efforts in the underwhelming “Fantastic Four” films. The script is full of pulpy, heroic declarations, and Evans reads them with enough sparks to evoke James Bond or Indiana Jones. In other words, he gets away with saying silly stuff.
“Captain America” is well-acted from top to bottom, with Weaving bringing his usual nastiness to Red Skull and Tommy Lee Jones in the zone as Rogers’ gruff superior officer. Even better, Hayley Atwell shows genuine spark as love interest/kick-butt heroine Peggy Carter.
Director Joe Johnston has always been a purveyor of B-movie camp, and therefore his movies have been somewhat hit and miss (see “The Rocketeer” or “Hidalgo;” don’t see 2010’s “The Wolfman”). “Captain America” is one of his most consistent efforts, nailing the production design and tone of a 40s war film. The entire movie has a beautiful sepia gleam, which strangely enhances the 3D presentation.
The brand of goofiness within “Captain America” will earn its fair share of detractors. Audiences with an appreciation of the film’s cinematic influences will probably find more to enjoy here than those looking for the same old hero vs. villain showdown.
Thank goodness “Captain America” is, at the very least, something different.
Grade: B+