Greeting Loyal Airmen, here we are a few days early this week, as by the time most you will be reading this Flight Log entry, we'll be in Columbus, Ohio at the third annual Pulp Fest convention.  Last week we mentioned we were excited to see the movie Captain America – The First Avenger, the one we'd been waiting all summer for.  Well we did and get ready for an exuberant earfull.  This is not only the best movie of the year, it easily ranks as one of the Air Chief's favorites of all time.

          
                       Chris Evans as Captain America
But first a little comic book history lesson. When World War II began, comic artist Jack Kirby signed up and went off to fight.  He was wounded early in the struggle and honorably discharged and sent home. Back at Timely Comics, he and writer Joe Simon turned to inventing a hero who would embody the spirit of America, a hero all could look up to and be inspired by.  A hero to give our country hope. Kirby, a veteran, went all out and draped him in the American flag, giving him those bold red, white and blue colors as if to slap the enemy in the face.  Captain America went on to become, and remains, one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time. Thus when Marvel began bringing their amazing characters to the big screen with successes such as the X-Men, Spiderman and the thrilling Iron Man, all of us comic fans held our breaths wondering when and if they would ever get around to doing Cap.

It has always been the Air Chief's belief that the most important person on a movie set is not the writers, the actors or even the stunt people, it is the director.  The director is the force whose vision shapes the final product and makes it either good or bad. Thus when Marvel announced two years ago that they were going to film a Captain America movie, we were naturally anxious.  But we had a dream.  You see, Loyal Airmen, there was one man the Air Chief totally knew was capable of delivering a great Captain American epic.  That man was Joe Johnson, who directed the cult-favorite, underrated gem, The Rocketeer. 

Johnson began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the original Star Wars for George Lucas. His association with Lucas and Spielberg proved positive as he won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark.  His first directorial debut was Honey I Shrunk the Kids for Disney studios. He then followed this with the Rocketeer, then Jumanji and October Sky.  After Spielberg's second Jurassic Park installment, Lost World, proved to be a cinematic turkey, Johnson stepped in and delivered the third Jurassic Park, making it another critically well received movie thus saving the franchise.  Knowing how well Johnson understood the era of the pulps and cliffhanger serials so well demonstrated in both the Rocketeer and Raiders of the Lost Ark, it was only logical that he was the one man to “get” Captain America and the world in which he was born. When Johnson was announced as the director, we knew immediately that Cap was in good hands.  And he didn't let us down.

The second most important man, especially in an action film of this caliber had to be the actor chosen to portray Steve Rogers, the 90 lb. weakling who is gifted with a miracle drug that transforms him into the ultimate super soldier.  Again, Johnson and Paramount hit a home run when they chose Chris Evans. Up until this time, the handsome young man's chief claim to fame had been playing the Human Torch in the Marvel Fantastic Four films. Many of our friends were apprehensive that he could not pull off such a role that would demand a great deal of depth and characterization. They were wrong as Evans picture perfect portrayal makes the movie work. He is totally Steve Rogers, with a little help of movie magic, the gutsy, puny everyman so desperate to get into the action and do his part to defend his country.  When he becomes the epitome of human perfection, Evens manages to retain that innocent, humble quality throughout and he never once is not in character, which is why his portrayal of Captain America is so brilliant.

As you can see the Air Chief loved this movie.  The supporting cast from Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, and Hayley Atwell are marvelous and each contributes so much to the whole.  Tucci as the German ex-patriot who becomes Roger's mentor/surrogate father and warns him never to lose his true self, even after gaining his new and powerful abilities.  Atwell as the spunky British agent and romantic interest, is every bit the 1940s girl next door, capable, independent and ready to do her part to help win the battle.  Captain America is a World War II movie, a love story and a super hero actioner all rolled into one.  It is a movie the Air Chief is planning on seeing again this coming weekend in Columbus with his partner Rob Davis. And you can bet he'll be the first one buying the Blu-Ray DVD when it comes out.  In fact, we've written these Flight Log tonight while listening to the movie's music score by Alan Silvestri.

GO SEE CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!  Let's make it the big hit ever and tell Hollywood, these are the kind of great movies we want more of.   Take care, thanks for stopping by and seeing you next week.
Ron – Over & Out!