Captain America: The First Avenger Directed by: Joe Johnston Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell Rating: PG-13 Release Date: July 22, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 6/10
MY THOUGHTS: It seems like Marvel Comic's mission to make all multiplex visitors a pseudo-knowledgeable Marvel fanboy or girl will meet another challenge with the beginning of this movie, which has usually buff Chris Evans looking comically small. (Benjamin Button strikes back not just in technique, but size.) Regardless of whether this is a story element direct from the Captain America saga, it seems very goofy. If it's played wrong, with bad acting or clunky effects, these important parts of this story could lend themselves towards giddy silliness. (I'll be giddy, at least.) But at least pre-Captatin America won't be on the inevitable Slurpee cups. (Though I would add that one to my summer movie Slurpee cup collection faster than you can say "America, F**K YEAH!")
But, once that awkwardness is hurdled over by the trailer, things get fairly smoother. The teasing story line within this trailer is pretty straightforward - scrawny dude gets pumped full of AMERICA and then walks around in blue tights with a shield. Still, the action doesn't have me salivating just yet (that slow motion spin move towards the end isn't enough). I'll of course leave this mission up to later advertisements, but even a film's first trailer should be throwing people on board, ready to rock and or roll, waiting to stand in line.
With what little knowledge I have about this film or even this franchise, it's nice that Red Skull is only given a brief cinematic glimpse. In fact, for some I bet it's a really intense tease, as we've only seen him in pictures previously. It's an effective tease that doesn't have me thinking, "Oh, well that looks stupid," which was my reaction to that Green Lantern trailer.
Well, it's at least a step up from that Thor trailer. Yeah, that's right, anybody-who-might-be-freaking-out-that-this-trailer-features-Mr.-Stark. Thor looks lame. I'm stoked for that movie's inevitable 7-Eleven product placement and random Natalie Portman implementation, but not much else. Captain America though, on the other hand, shows some promise. With its unique era settings and straight-up usage of guns, this could be a great little period action piece. And who doesn't love seeing Nazis get their butts kicked in by super heroes from our fake history?
Or, this could be like The Rocketeer.
(Wait ... who directed this? Joe Johnston? Oh, DAMMIT!)