Across the Ocean, This Pepsi-Fueled Patriotism Will Be a Hit.
The Second World War is raging. A fervent, scrawny guy with principles keeps trying to trick the medical board to get to the front lines. Unexpectedly, a kind analogue of Dr. Strangelove (Tucci) comes to his aid, deciding that this weakling with a golden heart is just what’s needed for a revolutionary scientific experiment to turn ordinary people into super-soldiers.
One way or another, Captain America is the most patriotically charged superhero in the comic book world, so some, let’s say, simplifications in the film adaptation were inevitable. Fascists in gas masks à la “Sucker Punch” (2011) raise their hands in ecstatic “Hail Hydra!”, short-sighted monks hide a Scandinavian artifact right in a bas-relief depicting Yggdrasil, and poster-perfect positive heroes almost fight for the right to die saving others. It’s no wonder that “Iron Man” (2008) director Jon Favreau, sensing something was amiss, wisely declined “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
Even Spielberg and Lucas noted that if there’s a relatable hero, the audience isn’t bothered by even the most absurd plot constructions (for example, fighting almost identical fascist occultists who have seized an ark that spews lightning). When Robert Downey Jr. built a nuclear reactor into his chest or carried a supposedly heavy exoskeleton in a suitcase, it brought a smile, but it didn’t stop anyone from watching. After all, the movie wasn’t about heroic feats or high technology, but about a jaded jerk who carved out some free time to, fine, save this boring world and its worthless people.
The Problem with Patriotism
Evans, however, wearing a mask and tights, with a fateful expression on his face, gives speeches about hating Hitler and how American boys can’t sleep soundly while there’s chaos in Europe. And he does it exactly the same way, regardless of whether he’s on stage or behind enemy lines. It would be one thing if Cap, along with the brave Colonel Tommy Lee Jones, were winning the war on the sly—Tarantino made that at least funny in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009). But there’s no hint of irony or even audacity here. You get the impression that some seasoned expert in screen apocalypse like Michael Bay mistakenly filmed the script of a domestic film like some parody and, carried away by fights and explosions, didn’t notice the resulting, to put it mildly, ambiguity. However, it’s possible that the Captain’s story is purely national and this Pepsi-fueled patriotism will be a hit across the ocean.