1. Captain America (Aaron Sarnecky)
I didn’t know all that much about Captain America other than the basics until his first movie came out, so for all intents and purposes, The First Avenger was my formal introduction to the character. So, yeah, I’m not some long-time fan. It wasn’t hard to get behind Cap though. The word “hero” gets thrown a lot, perhaps too much, but he really is one. Even before the government injects him with the superhuman serum, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) shows signs of heroism through his determination to enlist despite being unfit for military service. Humanity clings to figures that embody and champion goodness. In the case of Captain America, he fights for what’s right by throwing his shield at bad guys.
If Steve Rogers has one character flaw, it might be his naïveté, but that’s just an indication of his genuineness, which is a rare thing to come by, not just in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in our world as well. Think about all the supposedly great people who have been exposed as liars and frauds. Captain America might not always make the best decisions, but he makes those decisions based on his moral judgment, not selfishness. Whether or not he’s right in Civil War is not as important as the fact that he believes he is. We need heroes like Captain America in popular culture, not only to comfort us in the complicated times we live in but also to keep us honest, to make us strive to be better.
Best Line: “I had a date.”
Even though Captain America is a beacon of hope, the heart of his story is tragedy. Is the idea of him getting preserved in ice for decades ridiculous? Yes, it is, but this is a comic book superhero we’re talking about. What’s really important is the effect it has on Steve. He’s forced to live in a time far more complex than the one he’s from and most of his friends and family are dead. To make matters worse, he and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) don’t get to live a happy life together.
No matter how good he gets at adjusting, 1945 will always be a part of him.
Favorite Moment: Cap vs. the Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan) on the highway
Captain America has a lot of great scenes, both by himself and shared with the other Avengers. But my favorite moment in all his movie appearance is his fight with the Winter Soldier on the highway in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Here are two legendary warriors literally facing each other in a street fight. It’s well-choreographed and edited in a pace fast enough to make you believe these are super-soldiers but controlled enough to make all the action apparent.
That flying knee? Amazing.
[php] wp_link_pages(array(‘before’=>’
‘)); [/php]
=========================================================================================================
