Chris Evans proves his worth as a leading man in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America may not possess the persistent appeal of Spider-Man, the intriguing inner demons of Wolverine or the unbeatable brand of Batman. Truth be told, I was skeptical about his odds at big screen success. Yes, the Marvel machine’s been on a roll. “Iron Man” was good fun. Hulk has his winning history. Even “Thor” was a pleasant surprise. Modernizing and globalizing Cap just seemed a harder sell. But this revitalized hero shows strength and wit to match his Avenger friends. Enough to make “Captain America: The First Avenger” a charming underdog entertainment – rooted not in our real world but his comic one.

We begin with Steve Rogers, a 90-pound asthmatic from Brooklyn. His father died of mustard gas. His mother was a nurse in a tuberculosis ward until she caught it herself. It is 1942, America is at war and Steve has no reason to stay home. The way Rogers sees it, he’s no different than any other man his age: ready, willing, able. The doctors disagree. He applies five times under five aliases. He gets five rejection stamps.

Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) takes notices – and reacts in an unexpected way. He’s an outsider, too; a German scientist working for the U.S. government to find a solider with a heart worth super-sizing. He’s created a serum capable of enhancing every quality in the man who receives it. But the successful candidate must demonstrate he is more human than hard-bodied. This boy still itching to fight after five failed attempts holds promise. Erskine is Rogers’ first ally.

The military requires more convincing. Rogers is sent to a boot camp run by Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and his fetching first officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), a Brit. On sight, they nearly dismiss Rogers as a novelty. Some new motivational tool for the alpha monkeys in the platoon. We sense he can persuade them to look past his physical limitations.

Erskine fled the Reich after discovering that his serum could also amplify an evil heart’s intentions. In Hitler’s science division, he worked alongside Dr. Hugo Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), a rival scientist more interested in the usual supervillian stuff than Hitler’s march to homogeny. So long as their pursuits run parallel, Schmidt is content to run alongside the Führer. The fight for Berlin, we presume, can wait.

That’s all the plot I dare share here. On the whole, it’s fairly pedestrian stuff. But the film finds magic in small moments along the way. “Captain America” succeeds because notes it hits resonate with us long after the few it doesn’t.

It is features inspired ensemble casting as director Joe Johnston surrounds his young leads with one of the deepest supporting casts you’ll find. Stanley Tucci. Tommy Lee Jones. Hugo Weaving. Dominic Cooper. All play familiar characters. All find new ways to surprise us. Somehow, Toby Jones stands tallest, imbuing the effete ramblings of his mad German scientist with a welcome streak of absurdist humour. One-liners fly, and most of them land, too, but it’s up to these actors to elevate what would otherwise be forgettable roles. They nail it.

As the lone female presence in “Captain America,” Hayley Atwell is an intoxicating new talent. Her Peggy Carter is a resourceful heroine who won’t take a handout even when her life depends on it. Only if someone else’s did. Plucky, smart and madly sexy, Atwell steals scene after scene. That she makes this impression mostly in military issue field gear is all the more impressive. Her Carter doesn’t need Rogers; won’t throw herself at him the way a lesser character might. But she understands his path. They share a mutual respect.

At the centre of it all, Chris Evans. He of “Not Another Teen Movie” and the “Fantastic Four” films. This may be the first role of his career that actually requires Evans to act – and he exceeds expectations. He could fill Cap’s suit on jaw line and rippling muscle alone. But Evans shows depth. He is required to wear a sophisticated motion capture system, allowing the film effects specialist to shrink him by half, through the film’s early scenes. Evans, 6’3″, 180 pounds at the time of filming, is convincing in either form.

Director Johnston hinges the film on his decisions to honour the era Captain America was conceived for (I laughed out loud when one character calls Carter “Queen Victoria”) and to start Rogers small. Tracking his evolution from eager shrimp to superficial sideshow allows the screenwriters to establish the character and endear him to the audience. Johnston’s technical virtuosity doesn’t hurt, either. The director began his career as an effects illustrator 35 years ago and is well-suited to this material. Lavish attention is paid to every costume decision, stage design and light filter.

Of course, there are some glaring imperfections. Subplots fall flat. The action scenes are all preposterous. Hell, there’s even an establishing shot of Schmidt’s laboratory revealing that it’s carved in the side of a mountain like Dr. Evil’s. Ridiculous. But no matter. The picture’s got character. Charisma. And, happily, charm.

Captain America is a man of heightened muscle and strength. But he boasts no true superpower. He’s got gumption. So does this film.

*** 1/2

Chris Evans – Steve Rogers
Hayley Atwell – Peggy Carter
Hugo Weaving – Johann Schmidt
Stanley Tucci – Dr. Abraham Erskine
Tommy Lee Jones – Colonel Chester Phillips
Toby Jones – Dr. Armin Zola
Dominic Cooper – Howard Stark

Directed by Joe Johnston
Written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Joss Whedon (uncredited)
Running Time: 124 Minutes.

Edward Norton searches for signs of intelligence in The Incredible Hulk.

The Incredible Hulk

You have a classic character. An audience suffering superhero fatigue. And the fresh memory of the perceived movie misfire you’re out to avenge. Making a winning Hulk film was no easy proposition in 2008.

“The Incredible Hulk” is not the film to do it. It’s arrival, from the hurried title sequence, feels uninspired. Motivated more by studio interests than storytelling, love for its protagonist or, at times, even entertainment. True, Ang Lee’s 2003 take on Hulk, wasn’t received with much warmth by audiences or critics. I felt it showed thought, care and surprising depth for a previously simple character opposed by single-minded forces. That it was presented with a unique, and fairly innovative, visual flair only heightened my enjoyment. Many others disagreed. Hulk’s franchise prospects seemed dim.

Thus beget “The Incredible Hulk” with Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. In this telling, Banner has already been exposed to gamma radiation; already lived to see the consequences of what it does to him – and those around him.

Incredibly (ahem), it starts promisingly enough. Banner is in hiding in Brazil. He works at a factory. Keeps himself in shape. Studies relaxation techniques and pursues holistic remedies for his condition. He wears a heart monitor on his wrist. He is careful.

Norton may seem an odd fit as Hulk but he is effective as Banner. Both are intelligent and daring. Norton also shows us a new side of the character – we witness the exhaustion and intense physical suffering Banner endures after reverting out of the Hulk form. It works.

But this is not a film much interested in intelligence or forging new paths, particularly if they detour from the next action sequence. Attribute this to French director Louis Leterrier, he of the Transporter films. He’s all punch-ups and shootouts. And now his fighters aren’t bound by human limitations of strength or endurance.

Leterrier pushes to show us his Hulk as early as possible. One of the criticisms of Lee’s movie was that it kept audiences waiting for the big guy to show up. Here, it’s done fast – and more or less effectively – once General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) and his hired gun Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) receive intel on Banner’s whereabouts. They find him. Fight him. He gets away. Predictably, this happens several more times in the film.

Blonsky is the consummate soldier. Decorated and endlessly determined. He sees the transformation Banner undergoes and sees new potential in himself. Ross can help make it a reality. Roth and Hurt are solid but have little to work with. Liv Tyler also shows up as Banner’s former colleague and flame, Dr. Betty Ross. But the character’s presence is barely necessary. And Tyler seems lost. Her feeble attempts at light comedy fall flat. Worse, she and Norton share no chemistry. Her most dramatic moments involve whispering “Bruce…” breathily to a nine-foot giant. The character’s a waste.

There are a few neat tricks. The green saturation. Roth sprinting 40 MPH and outrunning his entire squadron. Norton wisely deciding against riding the New York (or is it Toronto?) subway. Tim Blake Nelson turning up as a uniquely mad scientist in the third act.

But mostly it’s a whole lot of smashing stuff. The effective Marvel films imbue their characters with wit and charm. Villains hatching clever plans. Some magic. These are not outrageous expectations. But Leterrier plays “The Incredible Hulk” with one note. It’s safe and repetitive. After an hour of watching CGI street fights, we feel like Banner after a night of Hulking. Given the talents of Norton and Roth, wouldn’t you rather watch them duel with cunning and style than as cartoons (however impressive) that pound each other to dust?

“The Incredible Hulk” hinges on its main character’s ability to transform into something extraordinary when his heart rate accelerates. To make a film that drains the life out of this superhero’s oversized soul is fatal.

**

Edward Norton – Dr. Bruce Banner
William Hurt – Gen. Thaddeus Ross
Tim Roth – Emil Blonsky
Liv Tyler – Dr. Betty Ross
Tim Blake Nelson – Dr. Samuel Sterns

Directed by Louis Leterrier
Written by Zak Penn and Edward Norton (uncredited)
Running Time: 112 Minutes.