Captain America: The First Avenger

Theatrical Release Date: 2011 05 06 (USA) / 2011 07 22 (USA - 3D) / 2011 07 22 (USA)

UPC: 097361538341

Studio: Paramount

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Sci-Fi Violence]

Summary: Meek U.S. Army soldier Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) takes part in an experimental military program that infuses him with super-human powers, and uses his newfound strength to battle the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) in this comic-book adventure from director Joe Johnston (The Wolfman, The Rocketeer). Tommy Lee Jones, Neal McDonough, and Stanley Tucci co-star in a film written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley (who previously collaborated on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Action

Awards: Best Art Direction in a Fantasy Film – Art Directors Guild

Features: cc
Disc 1:
Marvel one-shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer hd
The Assembly Begins hd
6 featurettes hd
Deleted scenes hd
Commentary by director Joe Johnston, director of photography Shelly Johnson and editor Jeffrey Ford

Captain America: The First Avenger

Release Date: 10/25/2011

Audio: DHMA, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 123 Minutes

Sides: 3

Number of Discs: 3

Language(s) English,French,Spanish,Portuguese

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish,Portuguese

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Captain America: The First Avenger
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17

Jason Buchanan

The run-up to Marvel Entertainment's The Avengers hits an enormously satisfying stride in Captain America, a whiz-bang, retro-futuristic adventure that mercifully eschews the brooding Dark Knight trend to offer an exhilarating thrill ride that perfectly captures the enduring optimism of the 1940s. Eye-catching set and vehicle designs, crackerjack pacing, and a talented, highly watchable cast all help director Joe Johnston create an impressive alternate reality in which Nazis with laser guns seem perfectly logical.

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) was a 98-pound weakling with the heart of a lion and the spirit of a hero. All he ever wanted was to serve his country by fighting injustice overseas, but as World War II rages and his best friend, Bucky (Sebastian Stan), prepares for deployment, scrawny Steve can't even pass a standard Army physical. Steve gets the opportunity of a lifetime, though, when Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) gets a glimpse of his true bravery and invites him to take part in a top-secret test to create the perfect soldier. Immediately transformed into a stalwart super-human by a serum that enhances his inherent goodness, Steve earns the nickname Captain America and becomes a piece of government propaganda before answering a higher calling -- teaming with military contact Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and brilliant engineer Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) to rescue a group of American solders trapped behind enemy lines. During the clandestine mission, Captain America discovers evidence that rogue Nazi Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is secretly using an ancient artifact to power a revolutionary weapon capable of bringing the world to its knees, saves Bucky from certain death, and finally gains the respect of gruff Army Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones). Later, Captain America uses the intelligence gathered during that daring rescue to plan a mission that will defeat Schmidt and permanently disable Hydra -- the undisclosed arm of the Nazi regime dedicated to harnessing mystical powers and using them for evil. Meanwhile, Schmidt reveals himself as the Red Skull, a frightening villain whose powers are only exceeded by those of Captain America. With the soldiers he rescued and his best friend Bucky by his side, the fearless super-soldier invades Hydra headquarters and wages the ultimate fight or freedom.

In The Rocketeer, Joe Johnston established himself as a filmmaker capable of creating an atmosphere that was simultaneously antiquated yet tantalizingly futuristic. By ramping up the sci-fi elements considerably and creating a hyper-stylized portrait of the 1940s, he perfects that unique tone in Captain America. Though rooted in our familiar reality and set during a crucial point in world history, Johnston's take on the classic comic seems to exist somewhat out of time. But it's precisely those constant technological contrasts and contradictions (Hydra has surveillance cameras in its headquarters, yet the countdown clocks on their self-destruction devices are flip-number analog) and occasionally sketchy special effects that in the long run will likely make Captain America feel less dated than its moodier contemporaries, even if it doesn't appear to represent a major leap in special-effects technology. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Ford and Robert Dalva's quick-cut editing reveals Captain America as a contemporary action film even as cinematographer Shelly Johnson's fluid camerawork harks back to the era before filmmakers began relying on jittery handheld camerawork to create a sense of urgency. Comparisons to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones sagas are inevitable given both the serial-style nature of Captain America as well as some of the content (namely a motorcycle chase that echoes the speeder bike pursuit from Return of the Jedi, and a climactic scene that recalls the face-melting finale of Raiders of the Lost Ark); however, in borrowing from the best, director Johnston and company turn out an adventure that also stands shoulder to shoulder beside them.

When it comes to a hero's saga, everything else will buckle if the main character's story arc doesn't ring true. With screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely in charge of script duties and the capable Chris Evans behind the shield, though, fans can rest assured that this take on Captain America is built on a solid foundation. Not only do the writers manage to pace the story so that it still feels brisk even while crossing the two-hour mark, but Evans' physical transformation from famished bully-bait to hulking hero is just as convincing as it would have been on the pages of a comic book, and the way he co-opts the costumed character originally created to sell war bonds comes off as entirely natural. Likewise, the romantic spark between the Captain and Peggy (looking every bit like the iconic pinup models of the era) is apparent even before the fuse of the main plot is lit, and the rest of the script is filled with memorable one-liners delivered with zeal by Jones and Cooper, in particular, who truly make the most of their supporting roles. And though he only gets a fraction of the screen time of his other co-stars, Tucci, too, is a major standout as the deeply humanistic Dr. Erskine -- who seeks to atone for creating a real-life monster.

Whether you're a devoted fan of the character or just an average moviegoer seeking to beat the heat with a solid action-adventure, Captain America is that rare blockbuster that offers a little something for everyone (though some of the action may be slightly too intense for preadolescent viewers) while also building impressive momentum for Marvel's forthcoming all-star comic-book adventure that has rabid comic fans everywhere champing at the bit. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Joe Johnston  Director 
Joe Johnston  Executive Producer 
Stan Lee  Executive Producer 
Alan Silvestri  Composer (Music Score) 
Louis D'Esposito  Executive Producer 
Nigel Gostelow  Executive Producer 
Kevin Feige  Producer 
Alan Fine  Executive Producer 
Christopher Markus  Screenwriter 
Stephen McFeely  Screenwriter 
David Maisel  Executive Producer 
Chris Evans  Actor 
Hayley Atwell  Actor 
Sebastian Stan  Actor 
Tommy Lee Jones  Actor 
Hugo Weaving  Actor 
Dominic Cooper  Actor 
Richard Armitage  Actor 
Stanley Tucci  Actor 
Samuel L. Jackson  Actor 
Toby Jones  Actor 
Neal McDonough  Actor 
Derek Luke  Actor 
Kenneth Choi  Actor 
JJ Feild  Actor 
Bruno Ricci  Actor 
Lex Shrapnel  Actor 
Michael Brandon  Actor 
Martin T. Sherman  Actor 
Natalie Dormer  Actor 
Oscar Pearce  Actor 
William Hope  Actor 
Nicholas Pinnock  Actor 
Marek Oravec  Actor 
David Bradley  Actor 
Leander Deeny  Actor 
Sam Hoare  Actor 
Simon Kunz  Actor 
Kieran O'Connor  Actor 
Jenna-Louise Coleman  Actor 
Sophie Colouhoun  Actor 
Doug Cockle  Actor 
Ben Batt  Actor 
Mollie Fitzgerald  Actor 
Damon J. Driver  Actor 
David McKail  Actor 
Amanda Walker  Actor 
Richard Freeman  Actor 
Katherine Press  Actor 
Sergio Covino  Actor 
Marcello Walton  Actor 
Vincent Montuel  Actor 
Fabrizio Santino  Actor 
Maxwell Newman  Actor 
Anatole Taubman  Actor 
Jan Pohl  Actor 
Erich Redman  Actor 
Rosanna Hoult  Actor 
Naomi Slights  Actor 
Kirsty Mather  Actor 
Megan Sanderson  Actor 
Darren Simpson  Actor 
Fernanda Toker  Actor 
Laura Haddock  Actor 
James Payton  Actor 
Ronan Raftery  Actor 
Nick Hendrix  Actor 
Luke Allen-Gale  Actor 
Jack Gordon  Actor 
Ben Uttley  Actor 
Kevin Millington  Actor 
Patrick Monckeberg  Actor 
Peter Stark  Actor 
Amanda Righetti  Actor 

Country: USA