Movie: Captain America

Overall, I'd call Captain America the second-best superhero movie I've seen this year, under First Class, slightly better than Thor, and quite a bit better than Green Lantern. It's not in my top 5 superhero films, but might sneak into the lower double-digits. Our Hero is suitably solid, earnest, brave, and forthright. (And almost adorkable when he tries to talk to women.) The emphasis of his motives is on disliking bullies and protecting others, not superpatriotism, which is a valid and workable interpretation of the character. (Captain America, as a character, has only gotten harder to write for over the decades as "loving American values" has gone from nostalgic to corny to naive to hypocritical.)

The review in the Boston Globe points out a weakness in that the funny lines are mostly given to other characters, leaving Cap a bit stolid and dull. This is true, and I'm not sure I could have done better. When Evans does get a joke he handles it well, but when the unnamed child actor who gets thrown in the river is using Cap as a straight man, it throws the rhythm off.

The special effects are staggering. Skinny Steve Rogers is 99% convincing, and the Red Skull effect is not only seamless, he actually looks like a comic book panel come to life. Weaving does an excellent job, though Skull didn't really get to be evil (i.e., racist and genocidal) enough. In the comics he's the villain other villains despise. (Loki once put him in a room with Magneto, Doctor Doom, and the Mandarin, and tried to get them to team up. Imagine how well that went. (Y'know, it's a little weird to realize that all five of those villains have appeared in major motion pictures recently. Geek is the new black.))

So, Captain America is pulpy fun, and recommended.