CAPTAIN AMERICA (USA 2011) **
Directed by Joe Johnston
(Warning: This review contains spoilers)

CAPTAIN AMERICA is the age old story of the fight between good and evil.  Good is the Captain America (Chris Evans) and evil is the Nazi regime under the evil Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

The story involves a gutsy but sickly American, Steve who yearns to serve his country and fight the war.  But he is rejected so many times due to his poor physique.  Finally, he is recruited for an experiment that transforms him into a super being that will fight the enemy forces and hopefully win the war.

CAPTAIN AMERICA, the superhero suffers from identical problems of many other Marvel comic superheroes.  The powers are undefined.  His is upped with vials of the equivalence of steroids that make America a sort of super-being.  But is he bullet proof?  If he cannot fly, how far can he leap?  How strong is he?  When the climatic battle occurs between America and Red Skull, it appears in moments to be like a duel between two ordinary human beings.  The climatic fight also lacks punch and excitement of other films in this genre, say even GREEN LANTERN.

As far as performances go, Stanley Tucci stands out and Tommy Lee Jones does a fair day’s work.  Nobody would really care if Chris Evans could really act, as he looks so good, physically body, face and all. 

For the 3D, special effects and art direction, the film excels.  The film is gorgeous to look at.  The bleak, foggy and grey World War II atmosphere is so impressive, it distracts the audience from the film being an action film.  America at times, when it moves slowly looks like a period drama.  Johnston who was hired to direct the film because of his part experience in special effect movies, shows his mettle especially in the zip line scenes where America and troops descend upon a moving train in snowy weather.

The part of the sickly underdog, who has redeeming inner qualities works well to have the audience root for the hero.  But certain sequences like the Steve muddling through the army obstacle course are both clumsy and unfunny.
But on the whole, the script looks as if it could be written by a 12-year old kid, action parts, climax, romantic elements and all. (I used to draw comics from ages 10 -12 and I would churn out stories like this one.) Nothing is offered in terms of explanation of where the power Red Skulls derives really comes from.

An important part of the movie involves America leading a special forces group from his hand picked selected few to infiltrate the enemy’s fortress.  Nothing much distinguishes the individuals from each other.  The most that happens is that one or two crack a few one-liners.
(Spoiler alert!) The film suffers from smooth narrative flow.  It does not help with the weird ending (that demands a sequel) in which America wakes up 70 years into the future.  No explanation is offered why!

Surprisingly, the film has a bright soundtrack.  Part of the film has America perform the part of a glorified chorus girl wearing tights selling war bonds.  The songs are catchy and memorable and these segments provide welcome laughs.

The filmmakers have high hopes with this reported $140 million mess of a movie.  It is pretty much like the sickly Steve who thinks he can win the WWII sheer will alone.