Captain America: The First Avenger

It's exactly as stupid as the trailers seem to indicate, BUT the film knows it and is able to make fun of itself with good timing and not take itself deadly seriously (especially the propaganda passage in which the Captain sells bonds is yummy). The problem is, alongside the self-irony, Johnston's film doesn't offer much. Indeed, it is a hearty return to the 1990s, when the comic book hero was 100% form and no content. And unfortunately, there's a piece missing of the directing heart that Brannagh used to save his colleague Thor. Johnston is able to do a solid trick show, he artfully evokes a retro atmosphere (the semi-forgotten World of Tomorrow came to mind), the actors are apt, and Tommy Lee Jones has great catchphrases. It’s no wonder that time passes, the smile rarely grows into a scowl, and the Captain fulfills his mission to tap it into the timeline of the other Avengers. My impressions are stuck somewhere in the neutral zone - no disappointment, no bang, just a solidly treated product that just confirms my impression that The Avengers won’t be good, certainly not with such a crazy scattering of style and mood. P.S. the dubbing was terrible. I suspect that three high teenagers dubbed the whole thing. (07/22/2011)

This stupid bullshit has better reviews than the brilliant Green Hornet? Poor taste rules the world :D… Captain America felt bland already from the trailers, so I didn’t bother going to the cinema – thanks God for that! It’s been long since an expensive Hollywood blockbuster made me suffer so much. I didn’t like the story, the visuals were very ugly; I really can’t find anything to praise. After the trailer for Avengers (that looks every bit as derivative as the Captain and the other origin stories), I’m now feeling almost certain that the Marvel Universe will not produce anything great. (10/24/2011)

He came last, but when things get worse, be sure that he will be standing at the front line. Steve Rogers stayed somewhat on the sidelines throughout the Avengers journey, but in the end, to my great surprise, it is precisely him who got under my skin the most. His loyalty, bravery, and naivety in the most positive sense, combined with his style of fighting, are simply unrivaled. When the dark Red Skull or the self-sufficient Agent Carter join, there is nothing left but to applaud. Marvel won this war, and I gained a hero who has been appearing on several t-shirts to me for almost a decade since the filmed origin. (08/13/2011)

Fun, full of exaggeration and featuring the excellent Tommy Lee Jones, but also straightforward and with disgusting Czech dubbing to boot. It also works mainly as a mere performance of the Captain, necessary for the Avengers, so the start in the first half is quite lengthy. The film feels a bit like a prologue. The excess of German weapons and equipment is immense. But it was worth waiting for The Avengers teaser. (07/22/2011)

I have a soft spot for Joe Johnston's films. Why? Watch Jumanji, Hidalgo and Jurassic Park 3 and you might understand... The guy's filming because he enjoys it. He has no problem mixing action, special effects scenes of all kinds and humor, which is his greatest strength. So three cheers for him directing Captain America. I can't imagine another director (except perhaps Spielberg or Sommers) who could make such a ridiculous hero so "believable" in the real world. All in all, this comic book movie has it all: A wonderful retro atmosphere in the style of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, likeable characters (big ones, with Chris Evans in the lead, and small ones, like the members of the Captain's team), ultra-evil villains, a really top-notch soundtrack by Alan Silvestri, action scenes like from a boy's dream (what does a soldier do when he runs out of bullets in an ordinary rifle? He grabs the nearest dead Kraut's ray gun, fires it away, and then takes it with him!), an admittedly forgettable love plot, but with a non-forgettable badass woman, good, eye-popping digital special effects, like in the fourth Indiana Jones, and thoughtful continuity with other Marvel movies (the big space given to Stark Sr. was a delight). In the closing credits you will not only see the Czech flag - you'll even see Jack Nicholson in there (I insist it's him)! (08/11/2011)