DVD Review: Captain America: The First Avenger ****

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19:

• Genre: Action/Adventure

• Rating: PG-13

• Director: Joe Johnston

• Actors: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Some good news for all you readers of this column who are getting bored with all the recent super hero/cartoon movies, this is the last one for a good long time, we promise. Truthfully we’re bored as well, because while the CGI special effects and ear popping sound are amazing in many of these movies, they are no substitute for the basic ingredients of engaging plots, compelling characters and well-written scripts.

With that said this week’s review, Captain America, has those ingredients and uses CGI special effects to enhance the movie, not to overwhelm it. As a kid growing up, Captain America was my favourite comic book hero because he was a normal person, who could not fly did not swing from webs or have any special ability except he was always the most courageous and fought evil because it was the right thing to do and not because he would get the girl.

The story begins in 1942 and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to serve his country by fighting Nazis (all time greatest bad guys) but keeps on being rejected by the army because he’s too skinny and in bad health.

However, his doggedness is eventually recognised and he asked to join a super soldier programme that is looking for a candidate that has courage and persistence. After some detours, Captain America is sent to fight Dr. Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) the head of Hydra, a man so evil even the Nazis are scared of him. Epic battles are waged and won by Captain America and his band of soldiers until the final showdown between him and Dr Schmidt.

Some people will find the rah-rah American patriotism off putting, but this is a character that was actually created during World War II for that very reason and the filmmakers are true to the original story and character. We become the stories that we read and the virtues of selfless courage, persistence, humility and sacrifice that defined the great comic hero’s of the 1940’s like Superman, Batman and Captain America and the real people of that “greatest generation” still deeply resonate today even in a culture that does not embrace those values.