3 Short Paragraphs: Captain America

2011, Joe Johnston (a mish-mash of hollywood standards including one of my favs, Hidalgo) -- cinema

Once again, I am somewhat befuddled as to whether I can  say what I liked about this comic book movie, even though I am confident I did enjoy it immensely.  Even having the strong impression of having enjoyed the movie thoroughly, I am still badgered by the feelings that it could have been more.  It could have surpassed it's comic book roots and become an icon of adventure movies for this generation.  But it didn't.

Ugh, why is it so easy to point out things you don't like rather than the elements you enjoyed without using the word rollercoaster or just having the praise fall flat?  Seriously, I really did enjoy how they presented Skinny Steve establishing a truly outstanding character full of strength of character and fortitude. I love how that strength carried through into the confidence of the superhero who just progressed forward even though there was no way he learned enough about combat in those few short months to become the leader & warrior he was. This is the character that America wants to mirror itself in, the man with the best sense of right and wrong and the balls to enact it.  It was not difficult to cheer for him as he progressed from Skinny to USO Buffoon to Super Soldier.

But then why is the break-neck speed of his heroics also so prevalent in my mind?  Why is the, as Kent mentioned, fact that the whole movie is a setup for another forthcoming movie so apparent? Vikings and Gamma Rays and Cosmic Cubes?  From the origin & setup we actually rush through his discovery and combat against the villain of the movie, The Red Skull. We didn't even take the time to name his fighting compatriots while jumping through one Hell-Boyish combat scene to another, blowing up the bad guys with their own magical-mystical-super-science weapons. Then suddenly we are at the end, defeating the bad guy and rushing into the next century for the setup for The Avengers.  I can only state that there was some charisma to the presentation that had me enjoying everything despite the flaws that lingered in the back of my mind.