Day 163: "I asked for an army, all I got is you."

After a disastrous TV show in the 70's and a tightly coiled pile in the 90's, they finally got it right.  Captain America: The First Avenger is a wonderfully fun, mostly accurate origin story for one of the most iconic characters in comic book history.  The film follows the adventures of the intrepid Steve Rogers as he goes from military washout to a monumental battle with his arch nemesis The Red Skull.  From the opening of the movie, Captain America is what every comic book film should be: fun.  We watch as Rogers tries and tries to enlist, goes to the 1943 World's Fair and is recruited for a secret military project.  Eagle-eyed viewers will see a lot of references to the heroes of the day, as well as the father of one of my favorite heroes.  The plot is straight out of the pages of the comics, and retains the adventure, thrills and excitement of those stories.  The filmmakers even remained loyal to the progression of his shield through the years.  Most of the movie is set, rightly so, during World War II, with only very minimal screen time dedicated to current era Cap.

Appearing in his sixth, yes, sixth, comic book movie (TMNT, Fantastic Four I and II, Push, and The Losers), Chris Evans finally catches the role he was meant to play.  He does a great job as Steve Rogers, and keeps Steve there when he is in full Cap uniform.  Nice to see him finally get it right.  Tommy Lee Jones plays his CO, Col. Phillips with his usual bluster and confidence, a nice role for him.  Hugo Weaving continues to show that he can be the baddest of the bad, playing The Red Skull.  His performance is wonderful, as he brought the REAL personality of the Red Skull to the screen for the first time, plus, as an added bonus, they actually had the Skull as GERMAN this time.  Finally, Stanley Tucci brings Dr. Erskine (the creator of the Super Soldier Serum) to life with such an understated, subtle performance, it was impossible not to like him.

Captain America is a great summer movie for the whole family.  Lots of action, a superhero the audience can relate to, and a reason to watch all of the credits (seriously, stick around), it's some of the most fun you'll have in the theater this summer.  See it before it leaves and you have to wait for video.  9/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!