arts & entertainment
Capt. America: 1st Avenger
This superhero adventure con-
tinues the recent trend in comic
book screen adaptations in which
the protagonist comes to play a
critical role in the outcome of a
significant historical event. Here,
we have Marvel’s Captain
America (Chris Evans) called
upon to save the day during World
War II when a cosmic cube called
the Tesseract, said to be a source
of limitless power, falls into the
hands of Hitler henchman Johann
Schmidt (Hugo Weaving).
That nefarious Nazi also hap-
pens to have been left horribly-
disfigured but with superhuman
strength as a result of testing a top
secret serum designed to create a
master race of super soldiers on
behalf of the Fuhrer. However,
Schmidt goes rogue after gaining
possession of the Tesseract, mor-
phing into an even eviler alter ego,
the Red Skull.
The monomaniacal madman
proceeds to hatch a diabolical plan
for world domination with the
help of a horde of renegade
German soldiers armed with futur-
istic death ray guns. We know they
have shifted their allegiance from
Adolf to the Red Skull because
they now chant “Hail Hydra!”
instead of “Heil Hitler!”
Meanwhile, clear across the
DvD
r eview
by Kam
Williams
Atlantic Ocean, we find frail Steve
Rogers (also Chris Evans), a
proverbial 98-pound weakling,
desperate to enlist in the military
despite suffering from asthma and
a host of other assorted ailments.
When he’s rejected at a New York
City recruitment center for the
umpteenth time, the frustrated
patriot’s self-pity party is over-
heard by Dr. Abraham Erskine
(Stanley Tucci), a Nazi defector
who had created the concoction
that had mutated Schmidt.
Now putting his talents to work
for the forces of good, Dr. Erskine
offers Steve a chance to train in
the Strategic Scientific Reserve,
an experimental outfit being run
by hard-boiled Colonel Chester
Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and a
two-fisted British Officer Peggy
Carter (Hayley Atwell). Of course,
the kid jumps at the opportunity to
become the first to test the new
and improved super soldier solu-
tion.
The injection transforms Steve
into quite a physical specimen
with a physique more muscular
than his best friend, Sergeant
Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan).
This development isn’t lost on
pretty Peggy who can barely keep
her hands off his rock-hard abs.
More importantly, Steve dons a
form-fitting red, white and blue
costume and an impenetrable
shield made of vibranium, the
rarest metal on Earth. And accom-
panied by a crack team of com-
mandos comprised of his pal
Bucky, plus Dum Dum Dugan
(Neal McDonough), Gabe Jones
(Derek Luke), Jacques Dernier
(Bruno Ricci), Jim Morita
(Kenneth Choi) and James
Montgomery Falsworth (J.J.
Field), he sets out on a search and
destroy mission in quest of the
Red Skull and his minions.
Directed by Joe Johnston
(Jumanji), Captain America
proves to be a riveting roller coast-
er ride from beginning to end,
basically because it relies on a
winning recipe featuring all the
fixins needed to hold your undi-
vided attention, from a compelling
plot which ratchets up the tension
all the way to the final showdown,
to eye-popping action and special
effects, to a sweet romance
between likable leads exhibiting
screen chemistry, to lots of unex-
pected moments of levity (with
much of the hilarious comic relief
arriving courtesy of Tommy Lee
Jones).
Just don’t forget to watch the
closing credits for a sneak peek at
the sequel, The Avengers, set to be
released in the spring.
Excellent IIII
Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence.
Running time: 123 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Blu-ray,
DVD and digital copies of the film, feature film with
commentary by the director, the cinematographer and
editor, deleted scenes, trailers, 7 featurettes, and
“Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to Thor’s Hammer.”
october 26, 2011 The Portland Skanner page 7