Director: Joe Johnston

Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones

Year: 2011

I’m gonna try not to gush, but I gotta say: YEAH BABY!

For those of you who don’t know and aren’t reading this review anyway, Captain America marks the last stop on the Marvel Studios line before reaching The Avengers. Others much more qualified than I have gone into detail on the creative process that has brought an entire universe of interconnected comics stories to the big screen, so happily I get to just talk about the movie!

In the 40’s, the US government embarked on a program to create a “Super Soldier” – stronger, faster, more durable than the regular kind. That was the premise behind Marvel Comics (then Timely Comics) desire to draw someone punching Hitler in the face. Captain America has become a Marvel mainstay – a leader of leaders. He is the embodiment of all that America aspires to be. He is an ideal. And on-screen?

He’s good.

I don’t just mean that in a complimentary, “that was worth $11 and two hours” kind of way. I mean that as a statement of principle – a summation of the film and everything that Captain America is. He’s good. In a screen world populated by drunks, killers, psychotics and whingers, Captain America offers no apologies for suggesting that sometimes people can just be good. They can do not just the right things, but the good things too.

And the flick’s just as good.

I liked that goodness – that ever-present sense of hope and optimism. It’s written all over this film and all over Chris Evans All American face. He’s so damn likeable – I’d hate him for being so perfect, but I know that he’d just go and buy me a beer and let me win at pool. And Hugo, our own Hugo – it’s nice to actually see your face on-screen again (well, for a while at least), and to remember why we hate the Nazis so much. Admittedly, the supporting players don’t get much to do in this piece, and that could be considered a criticism – but I had such a good time with what I got that I didn’t care so much. Props do go out, however, to Stanley Tucci for his wonderfully full-rounded turn as a brilliant German defector, and Tommy Lee Jones for playing himself. This is what he was born for people.

How to Enjoy it

Go to the movies with the gang, and remember what it was like as a kid when the Good Guys were Good, and the Bad Guys were Bad, and nobody wanted to play as the villain.

Rating – 4 out of 5 (Really Enjoyable)