Captain America is the last of the summer of 2011’s superhero movies, but it seems to be taking the cake, at least if the critics have anything to say about it. Is it a masterful work of staggering genius? No, not at all. But, as A. O. Scott’s teenage screening buddy put it, “It’s better than Thor or The Green Lantern.” And as Scott says, “while that isn’t saying a lot, it may be saying enough.”
By all accounts, Captain America is earnest, straightforward and likable. It knows what it is and it’s not trying to pretend to be anything fancier. Scott sums up what he likes about the movie like this:
“…though there are plenty of the usual digital enhancements and overscaled effects, the pseudo-operatic grandiosity that has become a staple of the genre is mostly missing. Instead “Captain America,” like its unapologetically corny hero, is propelled by unpretentious and plucky ingenuity.”
Don’t expect, however, that Captain America will be the next innovation in action movies. The Hollywood Reporter’s Kirk Honeycutt points out: “‘Captain America’ lacks the deft touch, appealing character interaction, and sophisticated storytelling skills of Marvel Comics’ ‘X-Men: First Class.’ And let’s not even bother to compare this to Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ series.”
And indeed, why would you even think to compare Captain America to Batman Begins? Other than the fact that both of their heroes wear masks, they aren’t particularly related stories, or worlds. Enjoy Captain America for the simple, easy to digest fun it is, rather than wishing it was an Oscar worthy opus, and it seems sure to deliver on expectations.
