Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Genre: Action, comic, war, sci-fi

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) fights for a place on a top secret research project run by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

I should start by saying that whilst I’m not American I do love America.  I grew up in England and now live in Australia but ever since I first visited the US in 1984 I’ve felt a love for the country that simply isn’t there for my native land.  I’ve been back seven more times since then and long for the chance to move to the US on a permanent basis.  All this is a kinda gooey, hokey way to say that I’m not one of these people who dislike America for it’s storybook ideals and “we’re number 1″ attitude.

The most disappointing thing about Captain America: The First Avenger is that it’s going to be (or already is) number 1 at the box office not because it’s a particularly good film, but because it plays to that phony rah rah attitude of American superiority.  I know America is awesome, I don’t need to be hit over the head with nostalgic patriotism.

As for the film as a whole, I found that the first act was my favourite section of the film because we actually got to spend some time with the characters, whereas Joe Johnston sped through the story in the later acts just so he could get to the next action sequence.  I know it’s a delicate balance when it comes to the pacing of a film, you don’t want to skip ahead too quickly or linger too long, but with Captain America I feel that the whole campaign against Hydra begun, proceeded and concluded far to quickly.  Yeah, he’s Captain America, but that doesn’t mean he can’t encounter some kind of obstacle or setback.  We all know he’s gonna win in the end, the hero always does, but the protagonist needs to face an obstacle.  That’s screenwriting 101.

On the actor side of things I think Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones did a decent job, but Haley Atwell as the sexy 1940s pinup-like  officer was a real negative for the film.  I realise they can’t cast some skinny blonde bombshell but my complaint isn’t entirely based on Atwell’s looks.  I think she gave a somewhat OK performance with the material she was given, but that whole romance between her and Captain America was completely manufactured.  There was nothing natural or organic about their relationship, and the “meet in one week” conversation as his plane was going down was laughable.  I’m very hopeful given the way the film ended that Atwell won’t be returning in any form in either The Avengers or the likely sequel.

And speaking of how the film ended, I hope they explain how a guy can be buried in ice in the Antarctic(?) for 70 years and neither age or die.  That seems ludicrous even for a comic movie.

RATING:  6/10

CONCLUSION
I think Captain America: The First Avenger works best as an origin story which sets up Joss Whedon’s upcoming The Avengers.  The first act is decent but the rest feels rushed and paced far too quickly.  Chris Evans is a credible Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving once again does a good job as a villain.  The special effects are OK and the film is passable.  I wasn’t expecting to be blown away and Captain America: The First Avenger met those expectations.