The original "Captain America" comic books were introduced in the 1940s as World War II raged in Europe and the Pacific. The story of a scrawny little guy transformed into a super soldier resonated with a worried nation.
Marvel Studios now goes back in time to create an old-fashioned superhero movie with "Captain America: The First Avenger."
Chris Evans stars as the weakling who becomes the mighty champion. He brings the right mix of innocence, courage and humor to the role. Lovely Hayley Atwell plays his training officer and love interest. Tommy Lee Jones plays the grumpy colonel in charge of their secret army project.
The screenplay borrows from other family-oriented adventures. Familiar scenes reminiscent of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" are obvious. But there's also a dash of "Flash Gordon" to complete the retro look of the science-fiction elements.
Any movie with evil Nazis and old Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcasts in the background is bound to have a distinctive throwback feel. The snappy dialogue and wholesome characters add to the cornball fun of this nostalgia fest.