First Avenger OFFICIAL: Chris Evans is Captain America

[Suzanne78]

I had this in my personal review ....



Again I thought it was a real mixed bag. He had some moments where he was Cap to me and others where I was waiting for him to grab the scene by its balls. Personally, it's not surprising after all the interviews he's done leading up to this movie. He's a guy who's not a fan of the spotlight. He's mainly taken on secondary roles because that's what he's most comfortable with.

I think both yourself and Poni_Boy mentioned he does need to work on his authoritative voice.

What's funny is that just having a touch of that. I don't know, vulnerability or something, worked for me here as a bridge between skinny Steve and Steve Rogers, Captain America. I could actually buy him as the Commandos leader, but I could also buy him as Steve Rogers, skinny kid from Brooklyn. I thought it was an interesting mix for a character and it did wonders for how I viewed Chris' performance.

It will be very interesting to see how Joss and he work to develop Steve in The Avengers.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I think both yourself and Poni_Boy mentioned he does need to work on his authoritative voice.

What's funny is that just having a touch of that. I don't know, vulnerability or something, worked for me here as a bridge between skinny Steve and Steve Rogers, Captain America. I could actually buy him as the Commandos leader, but I could also buy him as Steve Rogers, skinny kid from Brooklyn. I thought it was an interesting mix for a character and it did wonders for how I viewed Chris' performance.

It will be very interesting to see how Joss and he work to develop Steve in The Avengers.

Ahhh so it was Poni. Ya, I couldn't remember where I had read that and after I did, it all made sense to me.

He worked quite well for me as Skinny Steve, in fact better overall than when he was Cap. I don't think Whedon is going to let him get away with being on the border of bland again. You could tell when he was skinny that he had somewhat of an edge. This wasn't explored quite enough post-serum and let's be honest the serum doesn't make one unemotional. I felt that was where some of the writing slipped up in this.

 

[Suzanne78]

It's funny that it didn't work for you, b/c I found him engaging as skinny Steve, but I found him doubly moreso as Super Soldier Serum'd Steve. I guess what came across as "bland" to you came across to Steve trying to negotiate all the changes and attention his new body was giving him. Which what ultimately compelled me in the second half of the movie. I loved his interactions with women and during the USO montage because it was always a guy who wasn't quite sure of himself and whether or not he should be enjoying it.

Which I'm betting actually happened a lot with canon Steve in the comics.

YMMV

 

[marcvader]

I think Evans played the early Cap to a T. I'd expect him to be the authoritative strong voiced Cap down the road after having led Gods and monsters into battle. After all I've always identified that Cap with the thirtysomething year old seasoned Cap.

 

[Rock Sexton]

It's funny that it didn't work for you, b/c I found him engaging as skinny Steve, but I found him doubly moreso as Super Soldier Serum'd Steve. I guess what came across as "bland" to you came across to Steve trying to negotiate all the changes and attention his new body was giving him. Which what ultimately compelled me in the second half of the movie. I loved his interactions with women and during the USO montage because it was always a guy who wasn't quite sure of himself and whether or not he should be enjoying it.

Which I'm betting actually happened a lot with canon Steve in the comics.

YMMV

His scenes with woman were fun .... that was still Skinny Steve talking in those moments. It's the others as a soldier. I'm not sure Evans can help it though. Perfect example is how Tommy Lee Jones feels and sounds as a general.

 

[Spider-X]

I think Evans played the early Cap to a T. I'd expect him to be the authoritative strong voiced Cap down the road after having led Gods and monsters into battle. After all I've always identified that Cap with the thirtysomething year old seasoned Cap.

Agreed.

I gotta say hats off to Chris Evans...you played it straight and really brought Cap to the silver screen. Bravo!

Also, was there a scene where Cap was ordering people into action? If not, then I don't see the authoritative voice was needed or missing.

However, I'm thinking we need a good authoritative "AVENGERS! ASSEMBLE!!!" in The Avengers for sure.

 

[Rock Sexton]

Agreed.

I gotta say hats off to Chris Evans...you played it straight and really brought Cap to the silver screen. Bravo!

Also, was there a scene where Cap was ordering people into action? If not, then I don't see the authoritative voice was needed or missing.

However, I'm thinking we need a good authoritative "AVENGERS! ASSEMBLE!!!" in The Avengers for sure.

It's not so much about having a scene where he's barking orders. My point is Chris natural desire to be anonymous shows up when he's asked to be a leading man. He struggles with it. I could see moments where he was and moments where he wasn't in this film.

 

[marcvader]

Evans finished the movie strong and I would expect that to continue in Avengers.

 

[WildcatNC]

It's funny that it didn't work for you, b/c I found him engaging as skinny Steve, but I found him doubly moreso as Super Soldier Serum'd Steve. I guess what came across as "bland" to you came across to Steve trying to negotiate all the changes and attention his new body was giving him. Which what ultimately compelled me in the second half of the movie. I loved his interactions with women and during the USO montage because it was always a guy who wasn't quite sure of himself and whether or not he should be enjoying it.

Which I'm betting actually happened a lot with canon Steve in the comics.

YMMV

Its funny that in a way, Evans is having the same experience as Cap in real life. At least a similar arc in the sense that he has to grow into his newfound position and own it.

I was okay with him being a mix of Steve and Cap. It was an origin and it wouldn't be an instant thing. The same way Cap has to grow into his role for the future, so does Chris have to grow into his. I think he will.

 

[Rock Sexton]

I think this quote from Brian Ordorf over at Dark Horizons kind of mentions certain issues I have with him .....albeit a little more extreme than how I described it.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/1190/captain-america-the-first-avenger/

Also of concern is Evans, who appears to have chosen “heavily sedated” as his acting motivation for Steve. This being his second superhero effort (having played Johnny Storm in two crummy “Fantastic Four” movies), one would expect a certain genre gusto emerging from extensive practice. No such luck. Lacking charisma, the actor plays his dual character with a vanilla glaze, worried more about external appearance than emotional complexity.

Even though I disagree with him on Atwell, this comment had me laughing ...

Also on the dreary side is Atwell, perfectly zombified as the love interest and all-around tough gal. It’s difficult to root for this pair when both actors seem like they just awoke from a nap.

 

[marcvader]

To each his own.

 

[Punisher Rising]

I thought he was perfect as Cap all the way through. He nailed the character in so many ways to me. I feel he's irreplacable as Cap.

 

[Suzanne78]

I thought he was perfect as Cap all the way through. He nailed the character in so many ways to me. I feel he's irreplacable as Cap.

Yeah. Needless to say I wholeheartedly disagree with DH. They're basically one of two places, NY's Vulture site being the other, that have even voiced any complaints about Chris Evans' acting, at least those are the two that I know of specifically.

There are a number of headlines from various sites, including THR, that declares Chris Evans getting raves for his performance from Captain America, some going so far as saying he carried the movie for them. The critics, mind... not just me saying that, even though I completely agree with them.

I'm glad even after you expressed your doubts about Chris Evans initially that you at least gave him a shot to try to impress you though

 

[Rock Sexton]

Yeah. Needless to say I wholeheartedly disagree with DH.

Obviously you do LOL.

 

[Suzanne78]

Obviously you do LOL.

And no I'm not distracted by anything else.... I swear I'm totally impartial...

Maybe a wee bit biased

 

[SuperSoldier985]

I liked Chris a lot in this movie. Showed a lot of range for a character who could've been seen as something of an uptight boyscout, or a prude of some kind, but he truly just felt like a normal guy who wanted to prove himself. He'll make for a great dynamic against Stark, Thor, and Hawkeye...

 

[Quasimod0]

I thought he was pretty much perfect. I really loved that cap was still like skinny steve, because it really still is skinny steve on the inside. We're just so used to seeing cap being a strong leader with tons of experience. Its understandable that he was just a little bit more like steve than full on captain freakin america.

 

[The Sage]

Had some skeptical friends--including one who's a big Captain America fan--who were concerned about Chris Evans playing Rogers because of his previous movie background in comedies, but I had seen both his serious and comedy stuff to know he'd get this role down, and he didn't disappoint. A great Steve Rogers.

 

[WildcatNC]

I think this quote from Brian Ordorf over at Dark Horizons kind of mentions certain issues I have with him .....albeit a little more extreme than how I described it.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/1190/captain-america-the-first-avenger/



Even though I disagree with him on Atwell, this comment had me laughing ...

Some people just know nothing about Cap so they just don't get the character nor how its supposed to be portrayed.

I would have liked to see some more commanding charisma out of him in a few scenes, but its a minor thing. I think we will get it in Avengers as well. It is an origin story after all.

The Cap we all think about is a hard nosed, tough, 35-40 year old soldier. Thats not who this movie is about. Its about the boy that turned into that man.

 

[flickchick85]

I thought Evans played both skinny and super soldier Steve perfectly. He IS Cap to me, as much as RDJ is Tony Stark and Hemsworth is Thor.

 

[Son of Coul]

Yeah, I'm seriously still stunned at how perfectly the big three have been cast. It's a cliche, but I feel so confident about it I gotta say it, I can't imagine anyone else in their roles. I had confidence in Evans, but DAMN did he still rise above expectations for me. Nothing wrong with his authoritative voice, which I had wondered about.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Chris at Comic Con

 

[EML420]

Stan lee and Captain ftw I hope at the end of the Avengers or even at comic con if they go there. That we get a picture of all the Avengers with Stan Lee or a crazy after credits scene with him. Oh has Stan Lee been to any of the panels at comic con I have always wondered what type of reaction he woul get from the fans?

 

[Jennn]

I think Evans played Cap perfectly. And I do think you see his authoritative voice come through. ie the scene in the boardroom before the final attack on Red Skulls fortress in the Alps. "No, that's exactly what we're going to do." I think the writers did a good job of implying that Steve's word carried weight, even if you didn't see him barking out orders.

They let him put together his own team. They let him plan the take over of all 6 of the other hydra bases. And I think part of the reason Steve is so guilty about Bucky, is that the plan for that operation was Steve's idea. (again this is implied with, the "This is payback, isn't it" comment.)

 

[The Caped Knight]

Cap's Avengers suit.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810026349/video/26092350