Movie Review: 'Captain America: The First Avenger'

In a summer filled with wasted potential, remakes and unnecessary sequels galore, the Marvel films have swept in and saved the day. Having been blown away by the spectacular CGI and imagery in Thor, as well as a breakthrough performance by Chris Hemsworth, I thought no other comic book film could rival its reign as one of the summer's ultimate crowd-pleasers. Then came Captain America: The First Avenger.

Set in the 1940s amidst World War II, Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers (who will later transform into Captain America); most would call him a weakling. But what he lacks in physique he makes up for in substance of character. He's determined to enlist in the military and serve his country -- only thing is, no one's looking to take in a "90-pound asthmatic" to fight against the Nazis. Then as fate would have it, he catches the attention of scientist Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), and is given the opportunity to undergo an experiment...one that will turn him into a super-soldier.

Captain America: The First Avenger really thrives in the first half, which chronicles the events that turned Rogers into the iconic superhero. Reminiscent of some of the effects used in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, seeing Evans look tiny, scrawny and emaciated -- only to emerge out of that chamber looking like someone that can beat the crap out of Red Skull (his nemesis, played by Hugo Weaving), is truly a sight to see. Rogers is such a good-hearted, pure, underdog of a character that it's hard not to root for him right from the get-go. Chris Evans is Captain America. Not only does he more than look the part after his transformation, but he really encapsulates the humble, earnest quality and determination of Rogers that makes him such a special, endlessly likeable character.

Post-transformation, the film spends a bit too much time bobbing around with Rogers leading a cheesy War Bonds promotional stage show and his somewhat forced romance with SSR officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), leaving the scenes where Rogers is clad from head-to-toe in his Captain America garb and taking on the villains for the last 30 minutes, but with Roger's constant patriotism and do-gooder attitude, the authentic period feel, and an ending that will leave you counting down the seconds until next year's The Avengers, Captain America: The First Avenger proves itself to be a more-than-worthy superhero origin story.

Rating: B+