Blu-ray Review- CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

(Blu-ray/ DVD/ Digital Copy)

review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 123 minutes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, Marvel one-Shot short film, making-of featurettes

VIDEO: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)-

1080p High Definition on Blu-ray

AUDIO: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (Blu-ray), English DVS (Blu-ray), English 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD), French 5.1 DD, Spanish 5.1 DD

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portoguese

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures/ Marvel Entertainment/ Marvel Studios

Theatrical RELEASE DATE: 7-22-2011

Blu-ray/ DVD RELEASE DATE: 10-25-2011

ANALYSIS:

Steve Rogers is a 90 pound weakling with medical problems. He wants to be part of the war effort on the front against the Nazis. He is chosen to be apart of a medical experiment that will turn him into a super soldier. He is soon on a collision course with the Red Skull and Hydra who plan to destroy cities with unimagined power that they have discovered in Norway.

Director Joe Johnston directs the best of the recent Marvel Universe films. It manages to bring in characters and elements from previous films like Howard Stark (Tony Stark's dad), the cosmic cube, and Nick Fury. CAPTAIN AMERICA manages to be faithful to the material by pulling in several different elements like how Steve Rogers become a super soldier known as Captain America, the Red Skull, Hydra (cut one head off and two will take its place), and the Cosmic Cube (first glimpsed at the end of THOR). A trailer for THE AVENGERS (from director Joss Whedon) is placed at the end of the credits (it looks like a ride as good or better than CAPTAINAMERICA). I like how the story of Cap being used to sell war bonds and being a star in movies to how he finally gets involved in World War II. Hugo Weaving grabs the audience with another character performance that people will remember alongside Elrond, Mr. Smith, and V. Chris Evans continues to be likeable with each action role he plays and brings real humanity to it whether it is Steve Rogers or the Human Torch.

The movie sets up and effective origin story while also delivering a climax better than the two IRON MAN films and THOR combined. Marvel Comics fans will recognize Bucky Barnes (Steve's best friend) and Dum Dum Duggan (who isn't mentioned by name and yet I recognized what character he was). Tommy Lee Jones is very gruff and likeable as an Army Colonel. CAPTAIN AMERICA is like a World War II film with RADIERS OF THE LOST ARK type elements. This film may become another classic like THE ROCKETEER (which Joe Johnston also directed from material from a comic book). My only complaint about the film is we don't see enough about how dangerous Hydra (the secret Nazi science division) is where we mostly see Captain America stomp right in with his Howling Commandos. You see the Red Skull as a very dangerous man who manages to inflict pain and yet Hydra is like second fiddle to him with their blind devotion (I hope they find a way to bring in Baron Von Strucker for a future CAPTAINAMERICA film or even SHIELD film.

I enjoyed the action ride that CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER delivered. It echoes back to THE ROCKETEER. I think it will hold up on repeat viewings. if you don't go see it in the theaters once or twice, please buy it on DVD or Blu-ray this Fall.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary for the feature film with Director Joe Johnson, Director of Photography Shelly Johnson, and Editor Jeffrey Ford

MARVEL ONE-SHOT: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR'S HAMMER- Agent Coulson stops a robbery at a gas station. I wish these Marvel one shots were more substantial like focus on some of the other Avengers characters like Hawkeye or Black Widow for example.

Featurettes:

OUTFITTING A HERO- designing the Captain America outfit and shield. Also the ways Chris Evans would mime throwing the shield and creating the sound effect for the shield.

HOWLING COMANDOS- focus on the characters who support captain America going into battle and the actors who play the Howling Commandos

HEIGHTENED TECHNOLOGY- designing the technology of Hydra (the outfits, the weapons, and the sub) and the Red Skull's car for the film.

THE TRANSFORMATION- the use of digital effects and a body double to show what Steve Rogers look like before he is transformed by the Super Soldier serum

BEHIND THE SKULL- the origin of the Red Skull in the comics and creating the Red Skull for the screen (and the actor who plays him, Hugo Weaving). Hugo weaving enjoyed playing him by the way he talks about the character.

CAPTAIN AMERICA'S ORIGIN- co-creator Joe Simon talks about the origin of Captain America in the comics and it also features his grandkids going to the premiere of the movie

THE ASSEMBLY BEGINS- A promo trailer of sorts for THE AVENGERS that mostly shows scenes from the other Marvel Comics films leading up to THE AVENGERS. The trailer at the end of the credits of CAPTAIN AMERICA shows more from the actual film than what is show here.

also on the disc are four deleted scenes (with optional audio commentary) including an extended version of the Nick Fury ending (no commentary available) and a couple of neat scenes cut for pacing, two theatrical trailers, a SEGA game trailer, and THE AVENGERS animated trailer. The DVD has teh digital copy as the only extra.

FINAL ANALYSIS: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER is an enjoyable action adventure romp despite its flaws. I do wish the Blu-ray did have a featurette covering the evolution of the character in comics over the years.

this review is (c)10-28-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com