Before he was Captain America, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) was just a scrawny boy from Brooklyn. Though seemingly unfit for the grittiness of war, Rogers’ courage and heart got him recruited into a secret research project that would ensure an Allied victory in WWII. Under the watchful eye of Dr. Erkstine (Stanley Tucci), Rogers underwent an experiment that took his weak body and maximized it to its greatest human potential. However, before he could begin saving America, Dr. Erkstine was assassinated by a henchman of Johann Schmidt, otherwise known as the Red Skull (the head of a secret research organization known as HYDRA that was working for the Nazi party). At the loss of his mentor, Rogers became a mere propaganda mascot. That is, until he learned that his childhood friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) was being held captive by HYDRA, along with many other American soldiers. With the help of the classy Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Rogers finds his way to becoming the real Captain America, and thus the war with Schmidt begins.
This movie, set in the early years of the Marvel Universe, is meant to get audiences ready for the upcoming movie The Avengers (2012). Unfortunately, Captain America seemed much more like a teaser than an actual movie. While not a terrible film, this movie does lack certain aspects that made other Marvel productions, like Iron Man, so successful.
“Typical cliché super hero movie,” says Evan Schein (’13). “It was too simple, too linear.”
This film did fall short of expectations in that it was too clean cut. The plot was very simplistic, even a little cornier than expected from a Marvel film. This movie seemed directed toward younger audiences, bringing more fans into the Marvel Universe instead of catering to those who are already devoted to the movies. All in all, it was definitely an unoriginal film, but it’s worth a watch in preparation for the next Marvel production.
