Almost Every Marvel Movie is a Prequel to "The Avengers" and I'm Okay With That

As we get closer to The Avengers release (04 May 2012) we are getting bombarded with Marvel movies introducing the characters that will be a part of that magnificent film (it's going to be directed by Joss Whedon ergo it will be amazing). Thor was released earlier this year, Iron Man has already gotten two films, Nick Fury or other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been in most of the recent Marvel movies, and The Hulk has had more films that have tried to one-up the last than I choose to count (ironically Lou Ferrigno is playing the Hulk in this film). Now that Captain America: the First Avenger has been released Hawkeye is the only major character from the film (with abilities) not to be featured in a Marvel movie (apparently he was uncredited in Thor but I don't remember him at all). That's just your intro to The Avengers in case you didn't know what was in store; this review is for Captain America, so let's get to it shall we?

• Steve Rodgers is a scrawny kid from Brooklyn with a good heart who wants to join the army. His stature and physical maladies prevent him from being able to enlist, but that doesn't stop him from continuing to try, even falsifying documents and risking arrest to try to serve his country. Then a German doctor working for the Americans helps get him enlisted and then recruits him for the new Super Soldier program. It's through this program that Steve Rodgers becomes Captain America, a symbol of American power. When he hears that his friend is in danger, Steve risks his life by entering a Hydra (the evil organization in this film) compound and rescuing hundreds of POWs single-handedly. This is the beginning of the fight between Captain America and Red Skull, the leader of Hydra. 

Chris Evans is endearing as Captain America. He's the first Marvel hero in a long time to not start off as an arrogant asshole. He manages to stay sweet and self-aware throughout his entire journey and, more importantly, sells is really well. His on-screen chemistry with Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter is less smouldering and more of a sweet first love. This makes the final couple of scenes all the more touching and sets up interesting personal issues for The Avengers. Tommy Lee Jones is a crotchety old Colonel who puts up with no one's bullshit and who makes people prove themselves before he'll trust and respect them. It's the sort of role Jones does brilliantly and he doesn't disappoint. Hugo Weaving aka Mr. Smith from The Matrix trilogy aka Elrond (or Mr. Smith trying to play Elrond) from the Lord of the Rings triliogy aka Megatron from the Transformers trilogy performs wonderfully in his first believable role since he beat the crap out of Keanu Reeves. Weaving plays Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull and is just over the top enough to be a comic boo villain, but not so over the top that you feel like you're watching a farce. My only issue with Weaving is that I feel his accent was borrowed from Schwarzenegger. Stanley Tucci plays Dr. Erskine; if you like Stanley Tucci then you'll love him; if you don't love Stanley Tucci then what's wrong with you?! Finally, I must give a round of applause to  Dominic Cooper who had the unique task of playing a man that could be seen as havng raised Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man). Cooper plays Howard Stark and mixes enough flirtatiousness, brilliance, sarcasm, and joviality into the role to make the audience feel the familial relation to Tony Stark. It's tough to make all of the Marvel movies feel interconnected when the cast and crew on each is comprised of completely different people each time. But Joe Johnston does a good job of waring with the cast and writers to make a great film.

One of my favorite things about this movie was the filtering. The movie was shot and edited and manipulated to feel like a comic, but in a stylized manner that evoked a feeling of the 1940's. I've mentioned this before, but anyone who has seen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and/or Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow has seen this type of film-making. I'm partial to those movies because it helps draw you into the story more; the only thing they could have done to better sell that you were in the middle of World War II would have been to write/speak in the parlance of the era. Otherwise I'd say the film was at least as good as could have been expected, possibly better. It's an entertaining piece of film, well worth the 3D cost, and lets you leave the theater feeling happy and excited for The Avengers (for those of you that don't remember that was 04 May 2012, written and directed by my hero Joss Whedon). There are so many movies coming out that aren't worth seeing on a giant screen or in 3D, this one is worth both so make sure to see it while you can.

4.25 stars out of 5