Captain America: The Hero I Never Knew I Needed
(For those of you who are just joining us, I’m on a mission (thanks V) to watch all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies before Avengers: Infinity War is out of the theaters. It’s already out of the IMAX here, but I guess a regular theater viewing will suffice. These are my thoughts on the movies. It needn’t be said after that but SPOILERS ABOUND!)
Just another alert that HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Dear V,
I’m not sure why the pirate in me wants to come out (the whole “spoilers abound” and “here there be spoilers thing” — in case you might have missed it), but there it is.
This was one of the movies you said I would like — and yet, for some reason, I didn’t want to watch it. I mean, come on, it’s Captain America, right? Surely, it’s going to be some cheesy patriotic American superhero, right? (Not that any of these movies have been, but I’m only four in — they could start.) I see in my notes that I mentioned that this “better not be an age joke,” the movie being set during WWII and all.
I couldn’t have been further from the truth, could I? (And don’t mention that I thought you were shallow — I didn’t, ever, really — I promise.)
This is also going to be completely different than my previous thoughts which gave away the entire gist of the movie because this movie struck me harder than the previous three. And it struck me exactly where I wanted (and didn’t realize I needed) to be.
So in Norway 1942, we see the beginning of Hydra (and I am not going to tell you how long it took me to figure that one out), Hitler’s deep science divisionand Agent Smith/Elrond finds an object he calls a “tesseract, the jewel of Odin’s treasure room.” We get a hint of who he is here with the whole “The box was not for ordinary men.” — “Fortunately, I am no ordinary man.” Ok, that’s paraphrased, but you get the gist. He thinks he’s special. (Oh, don’t they all, honey, don’t they all?) And the only hint of just how special he is? He touches his cheek and puts his jaw back in place.
When we see Steven Rogers (yes, we call him Steven right now), he’s a scrawny 90-pound weakling like Charles Atlas was before he bulked up.
The CGI they used for Rogers was interesting. It didn’t quite look like CGI but it didn’t not look like CGI either. From what I can tell, they didn’t do a bad job on it and I’ll have to look up how that part of the movie was made.
Rogers wants to join the military badly; his reason? “I don’t like bullies.”
Doesn’t surprise me — he spends most of the first scene we see him in being bullied and in a fight (where he uses a trash can lid for a shield — can we say foreshadowing, hmmm?). By the time we get to him, he’s tried four or five times to join the army, but he can’t because of medical issues — and, well, he’s just plain short and scrawny-looking.
But he gets in with the help of a scientist who sees ideals in Rogers that he believes in. And, yet again, he’s bullied by those bigger than he is, but he shows intelligence where they only see strength.
As the corporal, Tommy Lee Jones is brilliant. But then he’s brilliant no matter what he does.
When the scientist (whose name I didn’t catch) chooses Rogers, he talks about the serum, about Hydra and explains to Rogers what is going on.
My favorite part of this for sheer amusement value? The leader of Hydra is Johann Schmidt. To anglicize that, we then have John Smith. And yet, of course, Hugo Weaving played Agent Smith in the Matrix.
Anyway, we learn that Schmidt took the serum first, that there were undesired side effects, and that the serum amplifies everything inside. A good man would become a better man. A bad man would become a worse man.
The scientist explains that, if a strong man took the serum, then he might only think about getting stronger, while a weak man, if he were to take the serum, knows the value of strength and knows compassion. He would not be a perfect soldier but a good man. In the BBC’s show, Sherlock, Inspector Lestrade says, “Sherlock’s a great man — maybe one day he’ll be a good one.” I love this idea of being great not really being so great and being good, well, being the better part of the two.
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt (and accepted) compassion from anyone. And that compassion, my dear V, is a large part of why I care so much about you. But it wasn’t until I watched this movie that I could put a finger on what it was. It’s compassion that breaks me and is my kryptonite. (I know, it’s DC, but I couldn’t think of another metaphor.)
One thing that’s fun here is that I feel like these are all people I know — pop culture I knew as a child — and I’m remembering it little by little as the movie goes on. I know who Hydra is and why, in the comics, Captain America saying, “Hail Hydra!” just wouldn’t — couldn’t — happen and why the comics community was up in arms about it. Especially after watching this movie which I have to admit filled in some details I was missing.
So Rogers is chosen for the program and placed in the tube. I love that Howard Stark is integral to this program because it adds that more connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Nick Fury showing up at the end (or in the middle) of each movie (but no “motherfucker” lines, damnit), it feels like we are being prepared for something. Something is coming together and is going to happen.
Anyway, back to the tube. When the nurse gave Rogers a shot and he said that it wasn’t so bad and his scientist friend says, “That was penicillin,” I laughed and laughed. You see, when I was young, I used to get tonsillitis all the time. (Didn’t have my tonsils taken out until I was an adult, but that’s a different story.) My pediatrician would give me shots of penicillin, sometimes in the hip, sometimes in the arm. Never once did I say, “That wasn’t so bad.” Penicillin is a thick white milky liquid and it fucking hurts going in. I have never had another shot hurt as badly as that.
When Rogers starts screaming in the pod and everyone wants to shut it down, his shout of “No, I can do this!” is interesting. He makes the decision —he was chosen for the program however this is what he wants, but not for himself, as evidenced by who he is and what we’ve already seen of him.
Okay, okay, I have to make a comment on the fact that Chris Evans looks much better than Chris Helmsworth shirtless. We didn’t see Robert Downey, Jr. shirtless, but that’s okay. I don’t think Iron Man needs to be this buff (but, Robert, if you’re reading, he can be, if you want him to be. If not, I’m happy with you just the way you are.).
The scientist is shot by the fake state department man and in his death scene, which was short (thank you, God), he simply points at Steve’s heart. (Note: now that he’s not the scrawny 90-pound weakling anymore, he’s Steve. It’s noticeable but barely.) It’s what’s inside of Steve that is going to make him who he wants to be.
So, back at Hydra’s headquarters (well, one of them, at least), we get to finally see the Red Skull under Agent Smith’s skin as well as a really nice demonstration of weapons powered by the cube Schmidt found earlier in the movie.
Tommy Lee Jones, however, is not satisfied with what he got: “I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough.” How many times have I thought that of myself in my lifetime? “You are not enough.”
Steve finds himself schmoozing with the senator and being used to help sell war bonds to help the war effort by being a part of a cabaret show. And he’s still being bullied by people who don’t see him doing anything but being a huckster. Even as Captain America, costume and all, he’s still being bullied.
So it’s not about what you look like that makes people respect you — it’s what you choose to do and your actions that can make people respect you. I have always believed that if you’re being bullied or if someone wants to start a fight with you, the best way to get rid of them? Stand up for yourself. Even if you don’t “win” the fight, it’ll show the bully that you’re nobody to be trifled with (thank you random Princess Bride quote).
Bringing his best friend and the captured men back to Allied territory showed who he was to everyone, including the people who were heckling him and the corporal, Tommy Lee Jones.
Out of the heroes we’ve seen thus far, I think Captain America fits that bill perfectly. He has the two traits I like the most: compassion and humility. The only way I can justify that mask though is that he’s humble. Perhaps he, Steve Rogers, doesn’t want to take the credit for what Captain America does.
When his best friend died falling off the train, I wondered how it would affect Rogers. Would he stay the compassionate and humble man he was/is? And yeah, my notes don’t have anything else about that except that I love it during fights that their weapons (Cap’s shield, Thor’s hammer, etc.) become boomerangs when thrown at an enemy. If Cap hadn’t stayed the compassionate man he was, I would have made a note of that.
Out of the romances we’ve seen thus far (Tony and Pepper; Thor and Jane), this is the relationship I like the most. The two flirt back and forth subtly. There’s actually tension between the two characters. We know Steven (note the name, this is before the change) finds Peggy Carter attractive because, when he’s in the car with her, there’s a touch of heavy-handedness with him — he’s never talked to a girl before. After he bulks up with the serum, Peggy finds him more physically attractive, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t, at least, like him in the beginning. Jane falls for Thor’s muscles. And Pepper falls for… well, the whole kit and kaboodle that is Tony Stark, but at least she’s known him a long time, from what it sounds.
One last question before I go: when the ship went down and Rogers went with it, why couldn’t he get out at some point in 70 years?
Captain America is the “hero-iest” hero to me out of all the “superheroes” we’ve seen so far. The compassion, heart and courage he shows before actually becoming Steve Rogers, Captain America, are all traits that I would expect a hero to have. Tony decides to be a hero. Thor… well, Thor is a god. Captain America? He is a hero.
