Captain America: The First Avenger

Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy
Directed by Joe Johnston

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Product Description

Captain America leads the fight for freedom in the action-packed blockbuster starring Chris Evans as the ultimate weapon against evil! When a terrifying force threatens everyone across the globe, the world’s greatest soldier wages war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix). Critics and audiences alike salute Captain America: The First Avenger as “pure excitement, pure action, and pure fun!” – Bryan Erdy CBS-TV

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #104 in DVD
Released on: 2011-10-25
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 3
Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, 3D, Widescreen
Original language: English
Subtitled in: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Dubbed in: French, Portuguese, Spanish
Running time: 124 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The Marvel Comics superhero Captain America was born of World War II, so if you're going to do the origin story in a movie you'd better set it in the 1940s. But how, then, to reconcile that hero with the 21st-century mega-blockbuster The Avengers, a 2012 summit meeting of the Marvel giants, where Captain America joins Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk and other super pals? Stick around, and we'll get to that. In 1943, a sawed-off (but gung-ho) military reject named Steve Rogers is enlisted in a super-secret experiment masterminded by adorable scientist Stanley Tucci and skeptical military bigwig Tommy Lee Jones. Rogers emerges, taller and sporting greatly expanded pectoral muscles, along with a keen ability to bounce back from injury. In both sections Rogers is played by Chris Evans, whose sly humor makes him a good choice for the otherwise stalwart Cap. (Benjamin Button-esque effects create the shrinky Rogers, with Evans's head attached.) The film comes up with a viable explanation for the red-white-and-blue suit 'n' shield--Rogers is initially trotted out as a war bonds fundraiser, in costume--and a rousing first combat mission for our hero, who finally gets fed up with being a poster boy. Director Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) makes a lot of pretty pictures along the way, although the war action goes generic for a while and the climax feels a little rushed. Kudos to Hugo Weaving, who makes his Nazi villain a grand adversary (with, if the ear doesn't lie, an imitation of Werner Herzog's accent). If most of the movie is enjoyable, the final 15 minutes or so reveals a curious weakness in the overall design: because Captain America needs to pop up in The Avengers, the resolution of the 1943 story line must include a bridge to the 21st century, which makes for some tortured (and unsatisfying) plot developments. Nevertheless: that shield is really cool. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

78 of 97 people found the following review helpful.
The Star-Spangled Avenger Has Arrived...
By Justice0309
Well, the summer will soon be nearing its end, although the temperatures outside don't seem to agree. With the changing of the seasons also comes the inevitable conclusion to the summer of superheroes (that's what I dubbed it a few weeks back). And now, with the release of "Captain America: The First Avenger" this year's heroic reign over the box office for beloved comic book icons will soon be coming to a close.
"Captain America: The First Avenger" is the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a young man who wanted nothing more than to fight alongside the brave soldiers in World War II against the Nazi onslaught. After being rejected repeatedly due to his frail physique, Steve volunteered for an experimental treatment that would transform him into a living, breathing super-soldier. Meanwhile, a Nazi scientist named Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is attempting to harness power beyond anything this world has ever seen, and Captain America may be the only one strong enough to stop him.
After so many entertaining entries this summer ranging from Marvel's "Thor" and "X-Men: First Class" to DC Comics' "Green Lantern", did the heroic summer end with a triumphant victory or a disappointing defeat?
The answer, as evidenced by the movie's opening weekend box office victory over "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2", combined with mostly positive reactions from critics, is that the summer of heroes definitely ends on a high note. And I for one wouldn't have expected anything less from the star-spangled avenger.
Taking heavy cues from classic Hollywood escapism, the likes of which haven't been seen in quite some time, the film embraces its more traditional atmosphere without being heavy-handed or cheesy in the process. Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader") this film easily feels right at home in the ever-expanding pantheon of Marvel's self-produced comic book movies, but with some noticeable differences in storytelling.
One of the big differences you'll notice, aside from the aforementioned atmosphere, between this movie and the ones Marvel Studios has released prior (including this summer's "Thor"), is that the story is much more serious-minded than the others. The majority of the previous films tied into this universe featured serious dramatic story arcs, but always with heavy doses of humor laced throughout to keep things sort of light-hearted.
That type of approach worked fine for those characters, and in the case of Thor it probably made his transition from comic book page to big screen that much easier to believe. However, for Captain America, a story filled with jokes, one-liners and sarcasm, even if they feel appropriate to the story, would have been completely wrong for the ever-stoic soldier and future leader of the Avengers.
Thankfully, the writers paid attention to this (most likely with some heavy hints from Marvel) and avoided those mistakes. While there is still the occasional joke, they are few and far between; leaving us with a movie that captures the essence of Captain America perfectly. Plus, having a little joke here and there is good to break up the potential monotony of the drama unfolding, I was just glad Cap wasn't the one cracking wise.
Another major difference between this film and the others, is that here we are presented with a hero who always dreamed of doing nothing more than fighting for what's right. In today's comic book movie landscape I can't think of any characters with this mindset. To me this was so refreshing because finally we get to see one of the few characters that's doing precisely what he's always wanted and sought after. As opposed to having the heroic mantle thrust upon him by circumstances (Iron Man or Spider-Man) or being born into it (Thor).
Now, to clarify I am a comic book fan so I already knew that Captain America was one of the few heroes that willingly accepted the heroic mantle placed before him. I just wasn't sure if the movie would keep this aspect intact or change it to be more cookie-cutter and follow the tried-and-true recipe of so many of the other adaptations over the years.
Despite my foreknowledge of that particular character trait for Cap, I still found it a fresh approach to a genre that has so many similarities within origin stories. After all, there are only so many types of origins one can tell before you become repetitive.
One last difference with this film, that I shall touch upon briefly, is that this was a pure origin story from start to finish. With most other comic book films the origin portion of the character's first movie comprises approximately half to two-thirds of the overall running time. This movie doesn't finish Cap's origins for this cinematic universe, meaning taking him from first becoming the hero to being ready for next summer's "Avengers", until the credits roll.
This was important because the other Marvel Studios movies featured stories set in the modern day; whereas, Captain America was created during World War II. So, for him to believably fit into the modern day landscape of 2012's "Avengers" team-up film, the movie had the unenviable task of introducing the character and doing justice to his time in World War II. All the while, somehow bringing him up to the modern day setting we've become accustomed to with the other films. Not an easy set of tasks, but one that the writers and director Joe Johnston pulled off quite nicely.
Speaking of director Joe Johnston, I was personally a little skeptical when he was handed the reins to this key piece of the "Avengers" film puzzle. He's a director that has been hit-and-miss with big budget franchises or franchise makers throughout his entire career.
Sure, he did an admirable job taking over for Steven Spielberg to helm "Jurassic Park 3", but even so, the movie wasn't as strong as its predecessors. Most recently he was responsible for what ended up being a snore-fest of a reintroduction to a classic movie monster with last year's "The Wolfman". But, after watching this film, I have to say that I don't know if anyone else could have handled the movie any better.
Truth be told, whether you like or dislike some of the movies in Johnston's filmography, one thing is for certain, he may have been preparing for this movie his entire career. With his work on the two movies I mentioned a moment ago, and his history with visual effects during the original "Star Wars" trilogy, all of that served to prepare him for the numerous action sequences and vast CGI work necessary for bringing such a character to life. But, perhaps the most pivotal point of preparation for him may have occurred during his directorial work on 1990's "The Rocketeer".
That film was by no means a financial success, and ultimately failed to kick-start a franchise for Disney. However, the movie's perceived shortcomings were not a fault of the director in my opinion. Reason being, the film was actually quite entertaining, but the marketing done by Disney was poorly planned and failed to really sell audiences on the vast adventure awaiting them inside the theater. Despite all that, the film's retro style, attitude, and timeframe are comparable to "Captain America: The First Avenger", and may have been the key to Johnston's success on this picture.
Speaking of the film's success, much of the movie's box office victory over the final "Harry Potter" installment could easily be laid upon the shoulders of its star, actor Chris Evans. Even though Chris had already become known to comic book fans for his spot-on portrayal of the Human Torch, I personally believe that it will be his performance here, and in the sequels to follow (including "Avengers"), that Chris will be remembered for in the eyes of comic book fans.
Chris' portrayal is the perfect blend of idealism, strength, honesty, and authority that makes Captain America one of the purest heroes in comics and film. Now, it was a going concern among fans that perhaps Chris was miscast given his penchant for sarcasm. However, for Cap, Chris reportedly chose to remove several humorous lines of dialogue in order to stay true to the character. That choice was one that I personally appreciate, because it shows a respect for the source material; a trait which will always be pivotal to any comic book film's success.
Fighting alongside Chris and serving as a potential love interest for Cap is actress Hayley Atwell (TV's "The Pillars of the Earth"). Hayley brings a strong sense of authority to the role of Peggy Carter, but with a touch of vulnerability for being a woman amid a predominantly male setting (i.e. fighting in a war). Not to mention, a slight playfulness that belies the soldierly outward appearance and exposes a young woman who would at times like nothing more than to flirt with a guy, namely Steve Rogers/Captain America.
In the other major supporting roles are some terrific actors; such as, Tommy Lee Jones ("The Fugitive"), Stanley Tucci ("The Road to Perdition"), and rising star Dominic Cooper ("Mamma Mia!"). Each of these supporting players is responsible for the film's few humorous bits, while still delivering very entertaining, solid performances.
As always veteran actors Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci elevate any project they appear in, but it is Dominic Cooper that surprises me the most. His portrayal as Howard Stark (Tony Stark's father) is great, especially as he infuses shades of Robert Downey, Jr's portrayal of Tony from the two "Iron Man" films. For me this nod to his future son's personality further cemented the cohesive nature of these interlinked films that Marvel has been producing over the last few years.
Now, I mentioned that Captain America was a great hero and Chris Evans perfectly captured all of the qualities necessary to make him so; however, every hero is only as great as his villain. For this purpose, actor Hugo Weaving brings the supremely evil and despotic Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull, to sadistic malevolent life.
When playing a character codenamed Red Skull, and one that has the physical qualities to inspire such a moniker, I think it could conceivably tempt an actor to sort of ham it up. Basically, go into a scene-chewing mode as the sneering bad guy who does everything evil just for kicks and all that's missing is a handlebar mustache for him to twirl in his fingers. Thankfully, as with many other potential pratfalls that could have plagued this movie, this one was avoided as well.
Actor Hugo Weaving, who is no stranger to playing a major villain (he was Agent Smith in "The Matrix" trilogy), portrays Schmidt in a way that is obviously sinister, but without becoming an over-the-top caricature. This was vital to making his character more believable to audiences given his garish appearance and thirst for other-worldly power beyond belief.
What I mean is that his motives are deeply twisted and malevolent, he is a Nazi after all, but you see the sincerity in how deeply he believes in what he's doing. That he's not just doing these evil things just for the sake of doing them. He has a purpose and he believes it to be right. Thus, as a character he is much more believable, amidst all of the more outlandish elements surrounding him, including his own appearance. Again, just another aspect that was pivotal to making this film work.
After all that being said, as I mentioned earlier, the summer of superheroes definitely ended on a high note. Plus, with a movie this solidly entertaining, featuring a home-grown hero, to bring the season to a close is perfectly fitting.
So, as you have undoubtedly figured out by now, "Captain America: The First Avenger" is an excellent adventure film. And one that serves as a fun throwback to classic escapism from Hollywood's past. The movie easily lives up to its Marvel Studios predecessors and firmly cements this hero from a bygone era's place in this hyper-real cinematic universe that began back in 2008's "Iron Man".
"Captain America: The First Avenger" is rated PG-13 for violence and brief language.

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful.
DO YOU FONDUE?
By Michael Ledo
The movie starts at its WWII origins. Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers a puny 4F man who has lied his way into a military science experiment. Tommy Lee Jones plays an excellent Colonel. Meanwhile evil Nazi Hugo Weaving believing he is Darth Maul, has his own plans for world conquest using sharks with frickin' laser beams. (Just kidding about the sharks.) Rogers is a 90 pound weakling who displays intellect, courage, and guts. He is selected for the military's secret program and is transformed into a muscular super hero. The special effects were very good, although we do know from "Last Action Hero" you can't really jump around car roofs. After Rogers is transformed he becomes Captain America to be used as a recruiting tool, as Tommy Lee still has his doubts about the 90 pound weakling.
Of course things change and the rest of the story shouldn't be too hard to figure out, even if you don't read comics. Now the very end utilizes the one-eyed Samuel L. Jackson from Iron Man 2 which hints at an ultimate sequel providing everyone isn't dead by then.
The movie combines action, drama, light comedy, and light romance. Good acting, good dialouge, good frickin' laser beams.
No swearing, nudity, or sex. Safe to drop off the kids.

50 of 64 people found the following review helpful.
Another great Marvel Comics superhero movie from the maker of Ironman
By Kate McMurry
A good bit of this film is a superhero-origins story, in which we follow Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plain-featured young man of about 20 years old who is a classic "90-pound weakling," as he tries five times to enlist in the Army during the early part of World War II. He is consistently rated as "4F" because of his size and various health issues, including asthma. Inside that small, frail body, however, resides outsized courage, honor, loyalty and persistence. During Steve's fifth trip to the Army recruiters, those virtues in Steve draw the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who escaped the Nazis and is working on a top-secret program to develop super soldiers. Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is in charge of the program, wants to use a soldier who is bigger, stronger and has more training for the first human experiment with the Dr. Erskine's super-soldier formula, but the doctor strongly disagrees. He says the other soldier is a bully, but Steve is a good man. It is crucial that anyone receiving the formula be of good character, because the formula enhances the existing personality traits of whoever receives it. Steve would become even more of a good person, but a bully could become a villain.
The experiment is a success, but immediately after Steve is transformed into a handsome, ripped, perfect specimen of manhood, a Nazi spy assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the formula. Though Steve manages to stop the assassin from escaping, in his first act of heroism as a newly minted superhero, the flask breaks in the process. Without a sample of the formula, it cannot be replicated because the doctor never wrote down the whole formula. Steve is now one of a kind. Unfortunately, the military can't think of anything to do with him other than turn him into a US-flag-wrapped peddler of war bonds appearing in USO shows with chorus girls, until Steve is sent abroad. He finds himself entertaining the recently decimated troops of Col. Phillips and is horrified to discover that his best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been captured with 400 other Allied soldiers and is being held prisoner in a massively defended fortress deep in enemy lines. Col. Phillips insists he would lose far more men than he could save going after his captured men, and refuses to do anything. But the colonel's assistant, a female military officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), encourages Steve to fulfill his destiny as the super-soldier Dr. Erskine created him to be by staging a one-man rescue raid.
On every level this film is outstanding. It is directed by the talented Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji ). The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (the writing team best known for the three Chronicles of Narnia films) is an excellent adaptation, staying true in every important way to the world of a comic-book icon with a 70-year history of stories in Marvel Comics since the Captain's first appearance in 1941.
All of the actors are terrific, but the star, Chris Evans (who played the comic-book superhero, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the two Fantastic Four films), is superb. Evans gives a depth and breadth to his performance that is remarkable for any genre, but especially for a superhero film. In his capable hands, Steve is endearingly humble, yet enduringly determined to have a chance to contribute to the worldwide struggle against the Nazis in the beginning, origins part of the film. And after the transformation, he compellingly presents Steve as a fascinating contradiction of a relentless, manly warrior who is still emotionally innocent and naïve.
Steve's relationship with Peggy, as his romantic interest in the film, has significant barriers to their connection that makes it both amusing and exciting to watch. She is his superior officer and, for a young man who has barely even had a conversation with a woman before her, it takes more bravery than going to war for him to aspire to a relationship with a woman like Peggy. She is not only gorgeous, but a formidable warrior in her own right. What I found as intriguing as the romantic potential between these two, however, is the fact that they bring out the best in each other. Peggy gives Steve the inspiration to seize his destiny as a super-warrior when the colonel and other leaders have ordered him to sit out the war, and Steve's innate sensitivity and goodness soften the shell of cynicism Peggy has developed around her heart in the harsh, man's world of the Army.
The incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) is terrific as Dr. Erskine. Hugo Weaving (who played V in V for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) is his usual brilliant self as the villain Red Skull. Anytime he appears in anything it is a gift, but he is particularly skilled as a comic-book super villain. As for Tommy Lee Jones, he was simply made for the part of Colonel Chester Phillips. Sebastian Stan (Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl) is a convincing choice as Bucky. He and Chris Evans have excellent buddy chemistry as best friends since childhood. All of the other supporting actors are great, too, including Neal McDonough (Traitor) as Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Gabe Jones, Kenneth Choi (Street Kings) as Jim Morita, and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey) as James Montgomery Falsworth.
Finally, the special effects in the action scenes, aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), are absolutely breathtaking, making this movie a must-see on the big screen. There is also one other CGI effect that I found awe-inspiring. The real, buffed Chris Evans is trimmed down via CGI to the pre-formula Steve. "It's pretty amazing," Evans told Reuters. "They took shape out of my jaw line, they shrunk my skeleton, and they made my shoulders less broad." They certainly did. The skinny Steve has the body of a prepubescent boy. As for the actual physique of Chris Evans--he went through a specialized training program to put on 15 pounds of muscle on a physique that was already quite ripped.
Among the multiple feature films already done on the Captain, this should delight fans as a standout contribution.