In recent years it has been difficult to find any decent representation in Hollywood cinema of the characters which first existed in words and imaginations. Anyone with any love of reading or comics feels the pang of disappointment and a surge of anger when they find their childhood heroes and long time friends misrepresented and misunderstood by modern movies. Certainly it is important that we respect the difficulty of transferring a character from an earlier time into today’s time should be acknowledged. However, the fact remains that technology has come far beyond the point to where a movie can take us over a broad span of time without reminding us of our own real time.
Only a few months ago I found myself propelled out of my own world and into the world of a character whose world I have long dreamt of: Captain America. When I first heard that Joe Johnston would be directing a movie based off of the comic series, I cringed. Why? For fear that the character which I had known and admired for so long would be ruined in television. Would Joe Johnston capture the spirit of the character? Would he miss it? Or could they actually do it? Would this movie sit next to Daredevil and Elektra in the library of dismal failed attempts at portraying a well loved fiction character? Or could Johnston pick up on the Captain humble yet mighty strength? Would they show his love and dedication to his country without damaging the storyline and character?
Could Hollywood give a proper representation of Captain America? The answer: yes. Unequivocally yes.
The 2011 production of Captain America has been my favorite movie of the year thus far because it correctly represents the comic book character and his ideals. The story seemed to pull me away from reality and into a world which had been lost since my childhood. It was a world of imagination and heroes. It was a world of action and justice. It was a world where a pure spirit could vanquish evil and stir up the hope of his people. This movie shows a summary of everything that Captain America has ever been about throughout the years. No other portrayal outside of the actual comics in which he made his first appearance could show Captain America more adequately than this movie. Therefore I have deemed this movie my favorite.