In Marvel Studio’s reimagining of World War II, CAPTAIN AMERICA:THE FIRST AVENGER, scrawny Steve Rogers turns into brawny Captain America, a shield wielding warrior against an even more nefarious Nemesis than the Nazis – the heinous Hydra and its front man the Red Skull.

Hwa! Hugo Weaving plays this crimson chrome dome to criminal perfection! And while Chris Evan’s portrayal as the stars and stripes super jock is, well, super, there’s a lot of stellar spiegler’s in supporting roles.

Tommy Lee Jones plays the gravelly, gruff Colonel with the cutting quips. Stanley Tucci is on board as the brains behind the brawn enhancer, Toby Jones brings the requisite kowtow as stooge to the Skull, and Hayley Atwell is the resident eye candy for heterosexual men of my gender.

Director Joe Johnson, who was a VFXer in a previous life – he shared an Oscar for Raiders of The Lost Ark- brings a strong visual eye to the proceedings as well as a concentration on character and story, something sadly missing in many of the current spate of comic book cinema. And the screenplay is by the team who penned The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, so the bon mots are bon indeed. The film would probably be PG if it wasn’t for the fondue!

Richard Cotter

28th July, 2011