Boring and hackneyed

Comic books are being turned into films double-quick. Guess, it is a question of cashing in on the market value. And so Marvel Comics, the creators of Captain Marvel and other super heroes, comes out with one more Captain America — the First Avenger, out to save the United States from the wrath of an evil Nazi organisation (Hydra) headed by the evil Schmidt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Isn’t that reviving a long, long dead subject?

Set in the early 1940s, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) rises from humble beginnings. This puny Brooklyn lad has failed to get into the army after repeated attempts. He just doesn’t have the physique. Enter pioneering geneticist Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci), who has his own plans of changing that. Given a special serum, Rogers develops muscles and a fascinating body to become another superhero in the tradition of Superman, Batman and Spiderman.

An archaic subject and lacklustre screenplay make Captain America a dull watch

It is an archaic enough subject thrust on director Joe Jonston, who is not helped by a lacklustre screenplay, but the World War II music is fetching and nostalgic and that period is ably recreated. Live black and white footage is also brought in but the 3 D is scarcely effective.

After his emergence as a superhero, Rogers is paraded around the country like a monkey in an effort to sell war bonds. After he meets army officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), he is launched into the big battle. Obviously, she is the romantic interest. Along the way, he also runs into Col Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who tries hard to impress with his one-liners.

There are spurts of action, not continuous, thankfully, but one has to wade through 122 minutes of near-ennui before the curtain finally comes down. One isn’t too sure which is worse, the lacklustre narrative or the exuberant jingoism.

There is very little acting talent on display and apart from Chris Evans being at best enthusiastic. Stanley Tucci is hardly recognisable, while Hayley Atwell is easy on the eye but scarcely worth suffering through this eminently avoidable entertainer.

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