While the infamous Superman has the weakness of kryptonite, another one of our beloved superheroes, Captain America, has a different Achilles’ heel: Cinema. Yes; Captain America, the epitome of strength and freedom, can conquer Nazi Germany but cannot find success on the silver screen. What could have been a successful film ended up being a superficial incoherent fanatical portrayal of, a more deserving superhero, Captain America.

Director Joe Johnston employed many elements to progress the nostalgia of the film; however, in an effort to recreate the atmosphere of WWII, the logical nature of the film was neglected, constructing an environment with perplexed viewers.

The movie opens with Steve Rogers, a frail young man with hopes of serving in the Armed Forces. He is quickly rejected by many recruiters due to his superficial traits, namely lack of size. While his minute stature is dwarfed further by everyone around him, he holds an undying passion for his country. This passion supersedes his size and is one of the primary reasons he is selected for a government experiment to generate the perfect solider.

Before continuing, it is important to note the set design is superb. The viewer is immersed into an era of elegance and valor, surrounding the glorified war. While this is an accomplishment, it is not profound enough to save the story line.

The progression of the story is choppy at best, seeming as if multiple mini-episodes were stitched together in order to make a movie. This generates an incoherent plot filed with the queries. Also, due to the erratic pace of the film, character development is abandoned, outside of Captain America.

Skull face, the antagonist to Captain America, is as superficial as the mask he wears in the beginning of the film. He is portrayed as the epitome of evil seeking to form his own cult, named Hydra. Their salute mirrors that of the Nazi’s, only with one creative variation, they raise two hands in the air instead of one while stating “Hail Hydra”. His motivation also seems original: world domination. In attempting to manifest evil in Hugo Weaving’s character, Skull face, Director Mr. Johnston let evil define him leaving him as a two dimensional character.

Holistically, this movie has an all star cast, a riveting premise, and betaking scenery. However, it still manages to come out mediocre. The producers have announced a sequel. Hopefully the Captain will be able to retain his status as America’s hero and, in light of the new 3-D trend, break through the silver screen and touch the hearts of the audience, not in the form of an explosion, but, in the form of superb cinema.