介绍:
Captain America isn't exactly my first choice for a night at the movies. A glance at the title and the movie's brief intro provides me with more than enough warning: don't expect anything more than a blatant display of the stereotypical superhero alongside the usual display of American patriotism; which I always find hard to appreciate. Unfortunately, due to a lack of exciting features on offer in the cinema at present I end up watching it, and to my surprise, I actually had fun. The excessive presentation of the superhero image alongside strong patriotism gives the movie a somewhat comical hue.
At the beginning, audiences are greeted with a visually reduced Chris Evans, appearing as a 90-pound skinny kid who tries desperately to join the US war effort against the Nazis. He is underweight, suffers from asthma, possesses intelligence slightly above the average, and a diehard determination to serve his country. After five failed attempts to join, his efforts draw the attention of a Dr. Abraham Erskine who includes him in a Strategic Scientific Reserve program. With the help of a serum, the scrawny young man is turned into a super soldier who subsequently leads the battle against the Nazis.
Most film adaptations based on comic books share one thing in common: there is nothing particularly extraordinary about them. The only fascinating aspect of these movies is when the heroes show off their super powers and the directors impress you with stunning special effects; leaving audiences feeling empowered and excited. Other than that, you settle with decent screen writing and acting, and hope it doesn't get worse. This is the case with Captain America. The computer generated version of an underweight Chris Evans is worth noting, as are the 1940s costumes, settings and the WWII battle scenes, but these are pretty much the only things on offer from this movie.
Perhaps it's a cultural thing that keeps me from appreciating the superhero image which is prevalent in American comic books and their film adaptations. Growing up in a society that has long lauded the Confucius Golden Mean, I have an almost instinctive suspicion against absolute power or extraordinary physical strength. Of course, I did feel empowered and excited while watching, but once I left the cinema, I found myself back in the real world where people are too afraid, or too indifferent, to even lend a helping hand to someone lying injured on the roadside. I start to think that maybe the comic writers and film directors are trying to construct a world that is too simple and naive.
Yet, what makes this film comical is the overemphasis on American patriotism. To have a staunch patriot as the main character, who bears such a name and reiterates his allegiance to his country, would have been more than enough. But the occasional outbursts of sentences like "protect the American way" sound a little too much like political campaign for my liking. I don't know whether the director does this deliberately or not, but from where I was sitting it appeared rather comical.
Since there isn't much to look at in this comic book to silver screen adaptation, I'll just have to be content with the super powers and special effects gimmicks, and the comical patriotic appeal which entitles the film to a rating no higher than FOUR, on a scale from one to ten.
And before I forget to mention, part of this review also applies to Green Lantern, another comic book adaptation that will premiere in Chinese theatres soon. You'll know which part I'm referring to once you see it.
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