Despite going in with incredibly low expectations, I was horrendously disappointed by Thor. It was everything I imagined it would be, and did so very little right that I am still unsure to this day why Marvel thought it was a good idea to give him his own movie (oh right, to let general audiences in on who this random Norse God was fighting amongst the rest of The Avengers). Even with my excitement over every new image and video I saw for Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor’s romp through the desert made me incredibly apprehensive to think Cap’s adventure would even attempt to be worthwhile.

After a short modern day intro, we are thrust into the wartime in 1940’s New York. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to enlist to fight for his country -- but he has been turned away five times for health ailments, and his size. Shortly after another attempt, Rogers is intercepted and brought in to try out for a Super Soldier project the US is quietly developing. Surprisingly, he is chosen to take part in the project, and rather magnificently is turned into Captain America, the soldier that will help turn the tide and end the war. But while he is selling war bonds and sitting the fight out, the German science division HYDRA run by Johann Schmidt, better known as the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), is gaining more power behind enemy lines. And obviously, Rogers cannot just let that slide.

Before it becomes blatantly obvious, I will put it right out there and say that Thor does not deserve to breathe the same air as Captain America. Minutes into the film, you know immediately where Marvel was focusing its attention all along and why Thor felt so undercooked. This film is without a doubt the best superhero film since the combined one-two punch of Iron Man and The Dark Knight in 2008. Anyone wary of it being a period piece should rest at ease (if they did not already catch the hint back when X-Men: First Class came out, and proved to be one of the best films in that series), as this is one of the most unique entries into the genre to date. The time period only helps bring the characters to life even more vividly than they already are depicted on-screen. Letting this origin story take place in the modern day would be a disservice to us, and especially to Captain America itself.

But the reason the origin story works so well is because it is so entirely different than everything that has come before it. First Class was deeply indebted to the Cold War, post-World War II ideologies, and 1960’s fashion, and used these elements as a jumping off point to help craft its story. Captain America, on the other hand, is a movie that feels right at home in the 1940’s and inserts itself right into the time period. From Rogers’ introduction on, Joe Johnston frames the film with a sense of wonder, imagination and authenticity. Much like Inglourious Basterds before it, this is very much a reconstructed history. But it is done so convincingly that you may second guess yourself, trying to picture whether this very real world is actually what really happened. Johnston also layers the film with an aura of fascination and bewilderment, frequently leaving the audience in the same disbelief as the characters. When Rogers is discovering his new abilities for the first time, we feel the exact same way. We feel like we are along for the ride, in on the fun, and part of the adventure. It is a unique feeling for a comic book film, and something that is rarely done ever more, even with origin tales.

But instead of embracing this astonishing feeling and letting the film breathe life into a genre that is on its last legs, it fumbles and takes us away from it all too quickly. While the first half plays out beautifully, developing the world and its characters, the second half amps up the gas and zips by without a thought for explanation or near sighted investigation. It felt like the filmmakers realized they took too long developing everything, and decided to just rush through the rest without stopping to think whether the audience would notice or not. Kudos to them on my not realizing immediately how rushed and half-baked it actually was, but some may not be so lucky to miss the awful and cheated feeling. But once you figure out how many montages there are, and how only someone with previous knowledge of the ‘Howling Commandos’ would have any idea why they suddenly appear or are integral to the story, then you know Marvel may have missed out on a few crucial steps along the way of story development.

For the most part, Captain America: The First Avenger is a deeply focused and ridiculously invested story of the origins of an extraordinary soldier who just wants to do his part for his country. Yes, Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper this time around) is an important character in the film, but he is the only real tie to the rest of the Marvel film canon. This impressed me so much that I wanted to shout to the heavens that I was so incredibly wrong about the company, and their planning for pre-Avengers hype. But as the film draws to a close, a tacked on ending that would have felt significantly better placed after the credits shows up, and suddenly, we realize that Marvel is just as focused on Avengers as ever, and that no matter what kind of film they are making, the end game is still dictated by its involvement in, and nods and references to, that heavily anticipated team-up film. It is sad and disappointing, but after four films, I should have realized they would not have suddenly changed tactics.

Another less than stellar element is the CGI used to bring the ninety-pound weakling Rogers to life. Instead of grafting his face to the body of a smaller actor, green screen special effects were used to digitally composite Evans’s bulky frame into that ludicrously smaller frame. I understand why they did not force him to go totally method for this aspect of the character, but I think they could have done a better job putting these shots together. Long shots and moments taken from far away look natural and highly developed. But once the camera focuses and zooms in on him, specifically his face, it just looks awful. His head ends up looking either too big for his body, or looks digitally squished in to fit the frame. It is something that looks to be continuously changing, and never quite looks as right as it should. And considering how incredible the Red Skull’s makeup is, and how great the rest of the special effects fare, it just adds up to another element of disappointment for the film.

After playing such a great Johnny Storm, I was worried that Evans would not have the chops, charisma and gravitas needed to play Captain America. Was I ever wrong. He is absolutely flawless in the role, quickly shifting from scrawny weakling to beefy hero with ease. Even though he is the size of a truck and gives Chris Hemsworth’s Thor a run for his money, Evans manages to never let this get ahead of his character. He remains throughout as a boy from Queens, and the look of wonder and awe in his eyes never dissipates. Whether he is fighting HYDRA, trying to sell war bonds, or just fighting alongside his fellow soldiers, Evans maintains the character, and never even considers becoming anything other than a loyal boy scout. He is a true hero through and through, and watching him in action makes me wonder why it took this long for a good Captain America film to be released. This is a truly bravado filled performance, and one that suggests the acting, and not the characters or storyline, may be the most interesting thing coming to us in May, 2012.

While his accent is not always the best, Weaving is exquisitely evil as always as the Red Skull. He is downright disturbing in some instances, and deliciously over-the-top in others. It may seem like an almost stereotypical role for him now, but I cannot imagine anyone being as brooding and insanely evil as he is here. Cooper, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones and Tommy Lee Jones all give excellent performances in their roles, helping back up Evans at every turn. These four are fairly mysterious however, and I feel some form of sequel could only help develop them even further into even stronger characters. Relative newcomer Hayley Atwell also shines in her role as the hardnosed Peggy Carter. Her subtle romance and chemistry with Evans is magnificent, as is her ability to effortlessly create a strong female lead. Special mention also must go to Stanley Tucci, whose Dr. Abraham Erskine is a welcome departure from his roles as of late.

While it botches any attempts at perfection (and really did not need to be post converted to 3D), Captain America: The First Avenger still manages to be an incredibly entertaining adventure that is even more impressive than you may imagine. Evans is amazing in the role, and the whole is ridiculously pulpy fun. It is a shame it took this long for Captain America to be fully realized on-screen, but the wait was totally worth it. And I dare you to not feel a warm feeling of nostalgia while humming along to the deliriously catchy “Star Spangled Man” propaganda jingle. It makes the film worthwhile all on its own.

   -- David Baldwin