Oh Captain My Captain - A tale of Marvel's kick-ass Summer

A lot of people seem really surprised that Marvel hasn't dropped the ball this Summer. With three huge releases, and the track record for comic book movies, the odds weren't exactly in their favor.

On the other hand, I always have high hopes for comic book movies. I know how great they can be if done right, and I really believe that Marvel has shown us how it's done with this whole Avengers buildup thing they've done.

With Captain America we finally round up the bunch and we're ready for the main event, and this movie makes sure to point that out. Marvel decided to make this film the biggest Avengers tie in to date, I mean, it's in the fucking title. But on top of that we have substantial nods to other Avengers in the movie.The Cosmic Cube plays a huge role in the film's plot and it is said to have been "the jewel of Odin's treasure room," which indirectly ties Thor into our WWII story. And since this story has to do with cutting edge technology and is mostly happening in 1942 it is obvious that the Starks have something to do with it. In this case, Howard Stark, who is is actually really important to the plot.

"Your motivation? You watched Iron Man right? Just pretend you're Tony."

Of course, we have the big tie in happening after the credits, but I'm not a big enough dick to spoil that for you. I'm just going to say that if you left early because you had to pee, you missed out, because it's spectacular. But enough about that.

The movie itself is amazing. I'd say it's amazing because it looks and feels like a comic book. And that's what we, the fans, wanted. I'm truly surprised at how well it turned out. I was genuinely worried at how sickening the whole patriotism shtick would get; but it is  handled wonderfully with some well placed humor. On top of that it's characterized by what can only be called comic book pacing, because the action just seems to roll along at the right speed, unlike movies like (ugh) Spider-Man 3 which just constantly threw things (shit) at you at a ridiculous pace.

The plot needs no introduction. I mean it's been five years since Ultimate Avengers came out, so it's kinda fresh in our minds. But it's handled very well. Faithful enough to the original to keep the die-hards at bay, yet pleasing to any new fan who just wants the 'summer blockbuster' experience. But in the end, I like to think it's the fans who decide weather a comic book movie was worth it. And I must say, Cap hit his mark.

The thing that made Captain America such an interesting movie for me is the fact that I went into it relatively blind, asides from knowing that Chris Evans was playing Cap, and that The Red Skull was the villain, I knew very little about this film. The last time I went into a movie like this was for The Dark Knight, except in that case it was on purpose. I was actually shocked when TDK threw Two-Face at me, I didn't expect him until the next movie. It proved to be an interesting experience, one that I'm glad to repeat, albeit by accident.

"Another badass for the resume. Geeks love me."

In this case, I had a couple of pleasant surprises. First of all was Hugo "Mr. Anderson" Weaving, who seems to love popping up in movies I really, really like. Almost like he's doing it on purpose. He, of course, plays The Red Skull. This might be the most awesome looking make-up/costume and outfit job in superhero movie history. He just looks flat-out threatening at all times. He is also built up appropriately, such an awesome face can't just be shown from the start. There is a great anticipation for when he rips off the Mission Impossible-ish rubber mask thing and shows us the crimson. An awesome Marvel villain done right. And as always, he's fucking Hugo "V" Weaving, so he delivers a great performance.

The supporting cast does their job well. Several minor characters fall by the wayside at times, but they're there, proving that they did actually read the source material. Actually finding out who was in this movie actually made the credits enjoyable. For example, 'Dum Dum' Dugan was there the whole time, and I just didn't piece together that it was him.

Without a doubt the stand out character in the movie is played by Tommy Lee Jones, who is obviously trying to make up for being in Batman Forever. He plays the man with a million one-liners, Colonel Chester Phillips. This character practically outshines the Cap himself. It almost feels like the role was written for him. I have honestly quoted this character at least a dozen times since I watched the movie, and it hasn't gotten old. It's just one of those performances that controls the screen, and whenever he walks off screen, you almost want to beg him to come back. Kudos to Mr. Jones.

"Flip a coin to see who the star is? No, that's not a good idea."

On to Cap himself. Hearing that Chris Evans was playing the Captain America left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I'm one of those wishful thinking kinda geeks that's always hoping for big things. And since Chris was, in my opinion, the only well-cast person in that horrible Fantastic Four attempt, it saddened me that he was abandoning the role of Johnny Storm., eliminating the chance of an eventual appearance as the Human Torch in anything else. I know, it was highly unlikely, but it would have been fun.

After watching his portrayal of Capn' Mmerricuh (FUCK YEAH!... sorry) I have to eat my words. He did a great job bringing one of Marvel's deepest characters to life. And I praise him because he did it how it was meant to be done, because as intricate as his character is, it can also get kinda nauseating. But Chris managed to keep around the good, and omit the bad... At least until the sequel.

This movie could have just been Avengers filler. It could have been the biggest hyping tool in movie history. And it kinda is, but it isn't... Because it's also the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight. And I think that's quite an accomplishment. I also believe it's the best superhero movie out this summer, which is also something to brag about. In the end, with Marvel's recent record, am I surprised it's good? No. Am I surprised it's this good. Fuck yea I am.

8.5/10