Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

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Director: Joe Johnson

Writers: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, from the comic books by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Richard Armitage



In the days of WWII, ninety-pound weakling Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) becomes Captain America when he is injected with a super-soldier serum, just in time to save our grandfathers and grandmothers from the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

 


This is one of the more successful Marvel Comics adaptations to date.

 


Director Joe Johnson does a great job of creating period atmosphere and a grand war-time adventure. 



Evans projects the ideal blend of sincerity and naivety both as Rogers and Cap.

 


Some exceptional CGI is used to shrink him down to an emaciated youth for the origin story; it's absolutely seamless and, at the time of its release, perhaps the most subtle and sustained use of computer graphics since Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 


Weaving makes a great Red Skull; it has been a shame that he never reprised the role.

 


Tommy Lee Jones and Hayley Atwell provide excellent support in pivotal roles.













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