Jack and I liked, way better than we expected, this story of scrawny patriot Steve Rogers who volunteers for an experiment that beefs him up so he can fight Nazis. Chris Evans (Rogers) had to be convinced to take the 6-picture deal that will continue with The Avengers next year, and we're glad he was. In fact, the very sight of the Marvel Comics logo generally puts me in a good mood. It's been over five weeks since we saw it, so this will be brief.
Evans has made other Marvel movies, as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in two Fantastic Four movies (2005, 07), and I liked him in Cellular (2004), The Nanny Diaries (2007), and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and he gives his all in a good script adapted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFreely (writing partners on The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), three Chronicles of Narnia movies (2005, 08, 10), more) from the comic books by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and directed by Joe Johnston, who apparently got the gig based on his period work on The Rocketeer (1991) and October Sky (1999) (he also directed Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jumanji (1995), and more). Good supporting cast members include Hayley Atwell (Cassandra's Dream (2007), Brideshead Revisited, and The Duchess, among others) as Agent Peggy Carter, Tommy Lee Jones (I listed my favorites in The Company Men) who has some funny lines as Colonel Chester Phillips, Stanley Tucci (after I wrote about him in both Julie & Julia and The Lovely Bones he was in Burlesque) who took the role because he'd always wanted to do a German accent, and, of course, the obligatory and always entertaining Stan Lee cameo (he's dressed as a general who says at a press conference, "I thought he'd be taller.").
The exciting orchestral music is by Alan Silvestri, who has 108 titles in his résumé, including all three Back to the Future movies (1985, 89, 90), and was Oscar-nominated for Forrest Gump (1994) and for a song in The Polar Express (2004). To hear the score, go to this page and progress numerically to #27 as suggested.
This is still in theatres, so you can see it and you won't be sorry. And if you're a comic/Marvel fan, you must know by now not to leave before the lights go up. There's almost a full minute of bonus footage!
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