Reel Facts & Opinions

One of the most anticipated films of the 2011 summer is Marvel’s next adaptation of one of their most iconic characters, Captain America. The film looks to launch a new franchise while also expanding and tying in their previous films in the ongoing Marvel-verse. Interest in the film hit high-orbit with the release of some official pics via ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, including a long-awaiting photo of Chris Evans in the red, white and blue:



So what do we know and think about Captain America returning to the big screen? It’s still very early, but fun to speculate anyway:

FACT: The Cap’n is being played by Chris Evans, with his arch-enemy, the Red Skull, being played by Hugo Weaving. Other cast members include Sam Jackson (reprising Nick Fury), Tommy Lee Jones, and Stanley Tucci.

OPINION: Lots of heavy hitters involved in this. Weaving tends to dominate any film that he’s in, and one has to be hopeful that the writers are smart enough to pen a great villain to match the actor. Evans has shown his diversity over the years; ranging from the heroic (THE FANTASTIC FOUR) to the zany (THE LOSERS). It seems to be a good match. Jones, Tucci and Jackson are just icing on the cake.

FACT: The film is being directed by Joe Johnston; the man responsible for screen-gems such as HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, THE ROCKETEER, and JUMANJI. But he’s also responsible for a few floaters such as THE WOLFMAN and JURASSIC PARK III.

OPINION: This blogger has to wonder who is really pulling the strings and calling the shots here. This is MARVEL’s project, and the film looks to be the last solo-avenger film prior to THE AVENGERS. The hope here is that they do CAPTAIN justice and put together a really strong character-driven film; and avoid the mistakes of their IRON MAN 2, which was nothing more than a setup piece for THE AVENGERS. But the hope is small. The full title of this project is CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.

FACT: The film will involve a “man out of time” storyline, with the Captain going from his WWII days to present-day via some sort of frozen-sleep plot device.

OPINION: It’s a tired and old gimmick, but when done right it works. A story about a man from the 1940’s being whisked away to the 2000’s presents opportunities for a lot of laughs. Let’s hope they keep the chuckles in check and focus on the emotion of it.

FACT: Producers have been quoted that film will not be heavy on the patriotic flag-waving that the character was known for in his comics and less-than-stellar TV and film runs.

OPINION: There are subtle ways to wave the flag, and there are in-your-face ways. Chances are MARVEL will take the middle-of-the-road here. Hopefully they can do enough to do the Captain and the country that he loves justice.




What say you?