Trailer Park: "Captain America" Follows The Merry Marvel Way

Thor has come and gone, so for comic book fans it’s time to set their sights on the next superhero property to hit the big screen: Captain America. The story focuses on the frail, yet brave, Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) as he is experimented on during WWII by the U.S. in order to become the country’s very first “super soldier.” This experiment makes Rogers go from a 110 pound bag of bones with a limp, to a hulking 200+ pounder with over-the-top strength and conditioning.

Marvel Studios seems to be hitting all of the right notes with both comic fans and the general audience alike with their franchises. These movies may not be creatively daring or experimental, but they are simple stories told very effectively with a huge focus on pure entertainment. And it certainly seems like Captain America is following this formula by playing up the typical origin story with a healthy amount of humor and explosions sprinkled throughout.

The casting of Chris Evans was always a point of contention among many people because of his previous Marvel role as the Human Torch, and the fact that he never played such a serious character before. But the trailer does a good job at showing Evans in some particularly strong scenes, especially in his pre-transformation form. There still isn’t enough footage to truly show off how he is going to handle being in costume yet, but it does look like he is going to make for a more than serviceable Cap.

The other big question surrounding the movie is the portrayal of the villainous Johann Schmidt, aka the Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving. Most of the footage of Schmidt has hidden his true Red Skull form, so it will be interesting to see just how long he is shown in the movie in all of his crimson glory. Either way, Weaving will bring his own brand of crazy to the role as he fills out the impressive cast.

There is some hope that Captain America can shed the formula that the previous Marvel Studios films have followed so rigorously, but don’t bet on it. While the movie may not break new ground creatively, it can still be one of the more entertaining and emotional blockbusters of the summer. We’ll have to wait until July 22 to find out for sure.