Make it Happen Cap'n

First Look at Captain America Movie...Meh

Man, that Super Soldier Serum must've had an allergic reaction.

Easily one of the most anticipated movies of next summer has to be "First Avenger: Captain America." Based on the legendary patriotic comic book icon, the film chronicles the World War II beginnings of the man who bleeds red, white, and blue, Steve Rogers. The film, starring Chris Evans and directed by Joe Johnston, has been kept under wraps throughout its production, with very little hints given about what the direction and style of the film will be. But alas, this week we are finally getting a glimpse at the film, and I gotta admit I'm feeling a little underwhelmed.

Some of the pics that are circulating show Chris Evans' stunt double riding around on a WWII era motorcycle, seemingly being chased by Red Skull's HYDRA agents. Now, before these pics popped up online, all we were shown was concept art of the Captain America outfit, and to be honest, I was pretty excited for it. I enjoyed the realistic take on the uniform, and loved how they were able to implement certain details and colors of the comic book version. Basically, it looked like a practical uniform that drew heavily from the color scheme of the comic...and I was ok with that. But until I saw these pics I'm not too sure if the practicality of the uniform looks like it'll work. I know its premature to say so, but still, I gotta question it.

This leather is making my nuts sweat.

For lack of a better word, there's no apparent "buffness" to the costume. I know the guy on the bike isn't Chris Evans and is just a stunt double, but still, I'm left wondering if this is how Evans' outfit will look. I know that Hollywood stunt doubles are used for fast, short action takes, but I'm just hoping the final product will look more impressive on screen. Still, I do like the way the HYDRA agents look. The futuristic bikes they're on look neat and if you look closer, you can see their arm patches that have what looks like the Red Skull logo. Hopefully, once the final touches are made in the post production process things will look more polished and worthy of a big budget comic-book movie, but time will only tell.

Mr. Anderson welcome back.

Going a little off topic and more in depth about the film, I believe there are two things that will prove pivotal on whether this film will be a success. First, just how will Captain America's shield look in action, and second, how will director Joe Johnston approach the character of Red Skull? The iconic deformed Nazi baddie is being played by Matrix alum Hugo Weaving (a great pick in my opinion), and I think Weaving has the chops to bring a dark and sinister take on the villain. I mean, the guy's a freaking Nazi! In terms of his appearance on screen, I basically want a similar take on how Christopher Nolan approached Harvey "Two-Face" Dent in The Dark Knight. I want the scars and make-up to have a realistic, charred, bubbled, grotesque look to it, and hopefully it's all done with practical effects and not CGI. As for the character himself, well that's another issue.

The infamous concept art for First Avenger: Captain America

The ultimate obstacle in a film like this is making sure the iconic hero receives a great portrayal, and that will ultimately fall on the villain. I want Red Skull to basically scare the shit out of the audience every time he's on screen. He needs to commit atrocities on screen and be feared by his fellow Nazi comrades. In comics, a hero is only as good as his villain, and in this case, we're dealing with the Superman of the Marvel universe. Captain America needs to stand out as the ultimate, selfless hero that he is, and the only way you can portray that is with a ruthless, menacing villain who stands for everything that your hero doesn't. It's why the Batman/Joker rivalry works so well. The Joker is the exact opposite of how Batman thinks and acts. He doesn't care for humanity, and works to establish a world where chaos reigns supreme. Another big concern for many fans was the selection of Evans to play the titular hero. Personally, I think I've gotten over the fact that Evans, who's already played a hero in the Marvel comics universe (Human Torch), is playing Captain America. Evans' casting works well in terms of the context of the film, which will detail the early youthful beginnings of Steve Rogers from WWII soldier to super-hero.

Despite my trepidation with the production photos, I'm still excited for the movie. I am really interested in seeing how Captain America will be portrayed in terms of his leadership capabilities, which will lead to his role as the Avengers leader. Besides the obvious physical demands of the role, Chris Evans will really have to bring it in terms of his acting credibility. He has to emanate the confidence and leadership qualities that define Captain America, similar to how a starting Quarterback has the confidence to lead his football team. It's a big role to take, and hopefully the fanboys and girls across the world, including myself, will be pleased with the final product next summer. I think we can all agree that Captain America is due for the faithful big screen adaptation he deserves. God Bless the United States of Marvel Comics.