Any superhero film was going to have a hard time following up on
Thor (4.5/5) and
X-Men: First Class (5/5) this Summer, as
Green Lantern (2/5) found out the hard way, but what hurts most about seeing
Captain America: The First Avenger is that had it not been rushed to screen, it might have avoided the elementary errors countless origin stories have made and become some of Marvel's best work. There's no denying that this is a hugely patriotic American film, a World War Two-set epic filled with references both visual and spoken to the Land of Prosperity which, while hardly excruciating, may quickly put some viewers off. That said, the setting really lends to the flick's appeal, with stereotypes and historical facts aplenty accurately used to portray the world as it was in the 1940s. Also contributing to the authenticity is lead Chris Evans, who brings us a well-hearted protagonist every bit as likeable as Chris Hemsworth's Norse warrior and Robert Downey Jr's arrogant buerocrat, and whose character arc progresses well opposite romantic interest Peggy Carter (portrayed superbly by Hayley Atwell). It's a real shame, then, that the aforementioned emotional journey Evans' Steve Rogers takes all but comes to a halt when we reach the film's midway point, making the climactic battles feel generic and predictable with no sense of real motive. Yes, we do get the arc beautifully brought up again in Evans and Atwell's final scene of the film, but I have a sad feeling that we won't be getting more of their great chemistry anytime soon (I can't spoil why, comic fans may have already guessed), certainly not in
The Avengers next year. And speaking of that much anticipated team-up, as with
Thor the set up required here for it detracts hugely from the feel and charm of
The First Avenger, especially since the lead-in scene is almost completely at juxtaposition with the rest of the film. It was okay in
Thor, as there was room for it to be cleared up, yet from here there's a sense of not being able to go back when the inevitable sequel arrives, and that's almost criminal given the rich world that's been left behind. Of course, there is a post-credits scene, or rather a post-credits trailer, for
The Avengers, which is truly brilliant and makes the May 2012 release date feel far too long to wait for, but that isn't a part of the film so can't help ramp up the score.
Captain America: The First Avenger features enough interesting setpieces to keep you watching, and certainly has a great period cast (since we may never see the majority of them again, though, that's a shortlived advantage), but that's all that keeps a completely predictable plot whose latter stages are mere filler to bridge it with the biggie. It's a world above the Summer's worst flicks,
Pirates of the Caribbean and
Green Lantern, yet it comes nowhere near to the quality of
X-Men, Harry Potter or any other of the sleeper hits likely on their way next month.
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