Heading into Captain America, one question was at the forefront of my mind: could director Joe Johnston recapture the tone of his 1991 cult classic The Rocketeer and translate that into a superhero movie for today’s audience? Thankfully, the answer is yes. This movie probably isn’t going to be any Marvel fanboy’s favorite, but it has enough action and humor to make it one of the fledgling studio’s better efforts of the past couple years.

The newest in Marvel’s ambitious multi-film build-up to The Avengers, Captain America shows yet another side to the studio’s versatile approach to creating one consistent universe; while Thor delved into an entirely different world, Captain America takes place in a different time, making it Marvel’s first true period piece. Johnston, a protégé of Steven Spielberg and a former Acadby Award-winning effects artist (responsible for designing Boba Fett’s armor and the AT-AT units in Star Wars, among many other things), really starts to relish the look and feel of the 1940s in this movie. In a recent interview, Johnston revealed that he had two offices during the making of the film and one of thb was in the art department so he could supervise the design and creation of the world; clearly, that aspect of production remains close to his heart. His team pulled off a really cool look here, a stylized vibe that reminds me more of a propaganda poster than what that actual time truly looked like.

After an interesting casting battle that featured “The Office” star John Krasinski and TRON: Legacy‘s Garret Hedlund, actor Chris Evans – who notably already played a superhero in Marvel’s Fantastic Four series – accepted the role and did an admirable job with a pretty decent script. Once the scrawny Steve Rogers (a great bit of CGI trickery) becomes the jacked Captain America, the audience’s ability to relate to the character dissolves a bit. It’s tough to pull for a guy who’s seemingly invincible; even Superman has Kryptonite, but there’s never any real danger for Cap. He and his boys go around the world kicking ass, and it’s cool and everything, but I wish there would have been a little more importance attached to his missions.

Hugo Weaving as the villainous Red Skull was inspired casting, but he’s essentially wasted on a character that never shows the true evil of which he’s surely capable. He’s gotta have that Darth Vader moment where he completely destroys something on a massive scale for the audience to really fear him, but unfortunately the character is never allowed that moment. The makeup is great, and Weaving was solid, but the character himself didn’t really do much.

One of the reasons I liked Thor was because of how well the writers integrated the S.H.I.E.L.D./Avengers setup stuff, making it organic to the story instead of forcing it in (like Iron Man 2). Since Captain America is a period piece, it’s a little easier for them to deal with; the story revolves around the cosmic cube (referenced in Thor and surely an important part of the upcoming Avengers), and they incorporate Howard Stark’s involvement into the story, filling out that character and allowing for some fun moments for Dominic Cooper to chew some scenery as, essentially, an older version of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony. The rest of the supporting cast is serviceable, too. Names like Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci rarely disappoint, and more minor players like Neal McDonough (fantastic in “Band of Brothers”) and Sebastian Stan (entertaining in Hot Tub Time Machine, totally forgettable in the otherwise-brilliant Black Swan) also did some good work. (Though their parts are woefully underwritten.) Hayley Atwell (Cassandra’s Dream) takes center stage as Cap’s love interest, Agent Peggy Carter. Her character isn’t given much to do, but Atwell brings enough moxie to the part that I’m interested in seeing her again soon.

Like most of the other Marvel films, this one begins in media res and returns to the present time by the end. Aside from not detailing how exactly Cap is able to “sleep for almost 70 years” – and honestly, it doesn’t matter – I thought all of the storylines were nicely wrapped up and, without trying too hard, Captain America ended up being a pretty fun stepping stone towards next summer’s ultimate team-up flick. Until next time…

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Entertainment Tonight has aired the first official movie trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. It isn’t in HD (yet) but the footage itself looks great. I think I’ll enjoy this movie more than I thought I would, and i’m more of a Thor guy. We see Steve Rogers’ transformation from weakling to super-human, explosions, and some shield throwing action.

Update: HD is now available! Watch below:

Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers is inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he is rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offers Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment…Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers is at last administered the Super-Solider Serum and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerges from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers is then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program and, three months later, is given his first assignment as Captain America.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd and stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips.

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According to The L.A Times “market research results” have caused Paramount to drop the ‘Captain America’ from Captain America: The First Avenger in South Korea, Russia and the Ukraine. Marvel initially thought that a title change to simply The First Avenger would be required in various countries, but have had a ”pleasant surprise” that it is only required for these three.

Ever since the Captain America movie was announced there has been curiosity as to how it would fare internationally. The overseas box office is becoming more and more important, which is why Marvel decided early on not to make the title character, as described by Joe Johnston, a “jingoistic American flag-waver”. The director said at Comic-Con last year that the movie has “an international cast and an international story. It’s about what makes America great and what make the rest of the world great too.”

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd and stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips.

What do you think about Paramount and Marvel changing the title in some countries? Is it a smart move?

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I had the impression that the Iron Man franchise would remain the most ‘entertaining’ Marvel property as Thor‘s godly world needs a more serious approach in order to work, and Captain America is set during WWII with Nazi’s and people will red skulls for a face.

However in a recent interview director Joe Johnston revealed that he has just seen the first cut of Captain America and was thoroughly entertained, if he does say so himself.

From The L.A Times:

I watched the movie for the first time a few days ago and I just looked at the first cut and there is so much entertainment value — it’s just flat-out fun to watch. Maybe I’m somewhat biased — I was there [when we made it] — but, seriously, it’s funny, it’s exciting and there’s great visual effects. The movie is going to be something more than people are expecting. This movie is going to surprise some people. It is the origin story of Captain America but it is also something rare — it’s a period superhero film but there’s great action in it. You don’t normally think of guys driving around in 1939 sedans in an action film but there are some great action beats in it. It’s just a helluva lot of fun to watch.

You can read the rest of Johnston’s interview here, where he goes on to praise Chris Evans for his portrayal of Steve Rogers.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd and also Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips

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Entertainment Weekly got their hands on our first official look at Chris Evans in his full Captain America costume. You can check out the full image below!

If it looks strikingly different than the classic Captain America get-up — bold colors, flimsy material, a mask with weird little wings — that’s definitely by design. “You can’t really take him seriously in his flag pajamas,” director Joe Johnston told EW in last year’s exclusive first look cover story on the film. So instead, the hero’s main uniform was designed to resemble a tricked-out airman’s jumpsuit, the “A” on the helmet and star on the chest modest in size, the colors muted. It took Evans about 25 minutes to suit up. “He likes to do it all by himself,” explained costume designer Anna Sheppard. “I think it helps him feel like a super hero.”

What do you think of the costume? I think it looks quite good, and will probably look better on-screen as most costumes do. Johnston recently said that he had thirty weeks of pre-production on the movie, so they must have gone through a number of different designs before going for this one. I guess for those who aren’t a fan there is a chance the costume could get a modern update for The Avengers.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd and stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips

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At least he’s honest. Back in 2008 Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go) bailed on directing The Wolfman due to “creative differences”, which lead Universal to hire Jurassic Park 3 director Joe Johnston less than a month before filming was scheduled to begin.

Production problems caused the movie to be pushed back several times, from November 2008 all the way back to February 2010, and the end result was 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and only $140 million at the worldwide box office (the budget was $150 million). In a recent interview Johnston spoke about his time on the movie, and admits that money was a factor when taking on the job.

From CBM:

I had three weeks of prep on WOLFMAN, a ridiculously inadequate amount of time to try to bring together the fractured and scattered pieces of the production. I had taken the job mostly because I had a cash flow problem, the only time in my career I’ve ever let finances enter into the decision process. Money is always the wrong reason for doing something that requires passionate devotion. The production was a leaky, rudderless ship in a perfect storm suffering from bad decisions, infighting, reluctance of the powers-that-be to take responsibility, and too many under-qualified cooks in the kitchen. The good news and bad news about directing is that when the picture works you’re showered with all the credit and when it doesn’t work you’re dumped on with all the blame. Both scenarios are undeserved. I take full responsibility for THE WOLFMAN not working because it goes with the territory.

There were wonderful aspects of THE WOLFMAN experience. I inherited a crew that was the best of my experience, including a first assistant director without whom I could not have made it through the first two weeks. I had the immense pleasure of working with a cast that was as diverse and multifaceted as it could be. I rediscovered all that I love about London and its environs and I made some lifelong friends, on and off the crew.

In comparison Johnston says he had thirty weeks of prep on Captain America: The First Avenger, and with the help of “qualified, supportive, creative producers” and “the best designers, artists, sculptors, craftspeople” he has had “the most universally positive experience in this mad business.”

If Johnston delivers next July i’m sure people will forgot about his Wolfman mishap. Before The Wolfman Johnston’s last movie was Hidalgo in 2004, so I can understand why he decided to take on a movie he wasn’t 100% passionate about.

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Marvel has released a bunch of new images for Captain America: The First Avenger which gives us a good look at Chris Evans as Captain America. We also see Hayley Atwell as love interest Peggy Carter and Hugo Weaving as villain Red Skull, Hitler’s right-hand man.

Check them out below!

Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers is inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he is rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offers Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment…Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers is at last administered the Super-Solider Serum and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerges from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers is then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program and, three months later, is given his first assignment as Captain America.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd 2011 and is directed by Joe Johnston (The Wolfman, Jurassic Park 3).

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The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine features our first official look at Chris Evans in his Captain America costume. We’ve seen a few set images over recent months but this is the first time we’ve seen the actor with his shield.

Check out the full cover and quotes from Evans and director Joe Johnston below:

“At the time, I remember telling a buddy of mine, ‘If the movie bombs, I’m f—-ed. If the movie hits, I’m f—-ed!’” After declining the part three times, Evans took a meeting with Marvel execs and Johnston and was dazzled by their plans for the movie. He still felt wary about suiting up for Captain America — but then he had an epiphany. “I was just scared,” he says. “I realized my whole decision making process was fear based, and you never want to make a decision out of fear.’” Evans signed a six-picture deal with Marvel to play the character, and he has no regrets: “I can’t believe was almost too chicken to play Captain America.”

“The interesting thing about this character is that he’s an everyman who in the course of a few minutes become a perfect human specimen. That has to create some interesting personal issues,” says Johnston. “I saw it as an opportunity to make a superhero movie that felt real, that didn’t have to rely on an overabundance of fantasy elements.”

Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips, and will be released next July.

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In June Stanley Tucci was cast as Dr. Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger who, in the comics, was a German scientist behind the project that created the serum turning Steve Rogers into Captain America.

Filming has been underway for around 2 months now, and the actor recently shared some details on his role and his experience on the film.

From ScreenCrave:

“I play Dr. Erskine who’s described as an elderly German scientist. I have to do an accent and be elderly. When they asked me to play him initially I was like ‘Is that like a compliment or is that an insult? I don’t know?’”

I shot with Chris [Evans], and Dominic Cooper, and Tommy Lee Jones and Hayley Atwell. I love the role. It’s really well written. I’d never done anything like that before. I’ve always wanted to do a German accent. It’s so much fun. It’s really interesting. Very good script, great experience. I was shooting it in London and I go back in a month and a half.

Getting an Oscar nominee such as Tucci for a supporting role was a welcomed move. Director Joe Johnston’s work on The Wolfman and Jurassic Park 3 hasn’t been that encouraging, but with Marvel and Joss Whedon having input the movie should turn out well and set up The Avengers nicely.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released next July.

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SHH directed us to some recent images from the set of Captain America: The First Avenger. The images were taken on Sunday (August 22nd) and show extras in period clothing filming a scene at Trafalgar Square in London, England (a busy tourist location during the week).

From the looks of things the scene takes place on VE Day, which is the date the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.

You can check out more images by clicking here!

Earlier this month we heard that the streets of Manchester and Liverpool (cities in the north of England) will be transformed into 1940s New York for a dramatic car chase, which will be filmed in mid-September.

Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips, and will be released next July.

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