Captain America: The First Avenger

It's exactly as stupid as the trailers seem to indicate, BUT the film knows it and is able to make fun of itself with good timing and not take itself deadly seriously (especially the propaganda passage in which the Captain sells bonds is yummy). The problem is, alongside the self-irony, Johnston's film doesn't offer much. Indeed, it is a hearty return to the 1990s, when the comic book hero was 100% form and no content. And unfortunately, there's a piece missing of the directing heart that Brannagh used to save his colleague Thor. Johnston is able to do a solid trick show, he artfully evokes a retro atmosphere (the semi-forgotten World of Tomorrow came to mind), the actors are apt, and Tommy Lee Jones has great catchphrases. It’s no wonder that time passes, the smile rarely grows into a scowl, and the Captain fulfills his mission to tap it into the timeline of the other Avengers. My impressions are stuck somewhere in the neutral zone - no disappointment, no bang, just a solidly treated product that just confirms my impression that The Avengers won’t be good, certainly not with such a crazy scattering of style and mood. P.S. the dubbing was terrible. I suspect that three high teenagers dubbed the whole thing. (22/07/2011)

This is much better than the entire Avengers films combined. It’s got a great WWII atmosphere, a great cast - especially Tommy Lee - and even though it's all as transparent as that Americana costume, I have absolutely no problem with it. WW2 was also the only time you could realistically believe in superheroes. Long live the golden age of comics on the silver screen after the year 2000. And the catchphrases: "Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait." or the one about the Viennese Sacher :D And it only gets better the more you watch it. I'm therefore shaking hands with Agent Carter. (03/09/2012)

It’s almost impossible to evaluate it objectively. It’s a film full of excellent lines, details, camera sweeps, several dialogue scenes, and a beautiful chemistry between the main characters. It’s slightly naive, and gradually turns into self-parody, but I couldn't help but feel a certain fragmentary and inconsistent mix of styles. Sometimes the it doesn't know what it wants to be, so it throws in everything just to be sure. A bit like combining Tomorrowland and Indiana Jones. I didn't enjoy the action and the visual effects were average, except for a few exceptions – I expected much more in this regard. Visually, the trailer was much more captivating, which is quite amusing in hindsight. But it's not all bad. Hayley Atwell is a first-class babe who will make a career out of this role, and the final scenes with the bomber are visually stunning - I haven't seen such mix colours in a long time. (14/08/2011)

I have a soft spot for Joe Johnston's films. Why? Watch Jumanji, Hidalgo and Jurassic Park 3 and you might understand... The guy's filming because he enjoys it. He has no problem mixing action, special effects scenes of all kinds and humor, which is his greatest strength. So three cheers for him directing Captain America. I can't imagine another director (except perhaps Spielberg or Sommers) who could make such a ridiculous hero so "believable" in the real world. All in all, this comic book movie has it all: A wonderful retro atmosphere in the style of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, likeable characters (big ones, with Chris Evans in the lead, and small ones, like the members of the Captain's team), ultra-evil villains, a really top-notch soundtrack by Alan Silvestri, action scenes like from a boy's dream (what does a soldier do when he runs out of bullets in an ordinary rifle? He grabs the nearest dead Kraut's ray gun, fires it away, and then takes it with him!), an admittedly forgettable love plot, but with a non-forgettable badass woman, good, eye-popping digital special effects, like in the fourth Indiana Jones, and thoughtful continuity with other Marvel movies (the big space given to Stark Sr. was a delight). In the closing credits you will not only see the Czech flag - you'll even see Jack Nicholson in there (I insist it's him)! (11/08/2011)

He was the last one to the table, but when things get worse, you can be sure he'll be standing in the front lines. Steve Rogers stayed somewhat on the sidelines throughout the Avengers journey, but in the end, to my great surprise, he ends up being the one who got under my skin the most. His loyalty, bravery, and naivety in the most positive sense, combined with his style of fighting, are simply unrivaled. When the dark Red Skull or the self-sufficient Agent Carter join the party, there is nothing left to do but applaud. Marvel won this war, and I gained a hero I had thus far only seen on T-shirts for almost a decade since his origin story. (14/08/2011)