I recently watched Captain America to bring myself up to speed in the world of superheroes and the path to The Avengers.

If you’re not aware of who Captain America is, you should be. He’s the reason we won WWII. I’m not making this up, in the Marvel Universe Captain America swayed the tides of war in our favor and allowed us to beat not only the Nazis but also their cult-like subdivision of HYDRA. To think some of us thought it was our not so distant relatives who fought and won the war for us.

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) did not grow up to be a soldier. He’s small and frail. Imagine the kid who goes through puberty late in life while everyone else has finished, that’s Steve Rogers. He’s bullied by the guys and ignored by the girls. But Steve is an idealist. He the modern day Arthur. He doesn’t believe that might makes right. Though with the amount of fighting he does for what’s right, he looks open to the possibility. But it’s his beliefs that make him the perfect candidate for the American super soldier serum because he won’t get drunk on his power because he knows what it feels like to be bullied and weak.

What is a superhero movie without a love interest? Peter Parker has Mary Jane Watson. Wolverine has Jean Grey. Thor has whoever Natalie Portman plays. Tony Stark has Pepper Pots. Superman has Lois Lane. Batman has Robin Rachel Dawes. You get the idea. Steve Rogers falls for Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) who he meets in basic training, before the superhero macho-ness is pumped into his bloodstream by Howard Stark. She falls for him as a puny, helpless man and it comes back to this later in the film. Fortunately, the love interest isn’t the driving force to the film. I consider it to be more of an encapsulation device.

The main plot of the story is Steve Rogers fighting HYDRA, headed by the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). The Red Skull went through a similar process to become a super soldier like Rogers, but it was before the serum and the process was perfected. It caused a mutation and gave him delusions of grandeur. And, like any super villain, he is determined to destroy the world so he can rule it. Alone. With no one to talk to.

Rogers is aided by a group of soldiers and his trusty, iconic shield. The shield was crafted by Howard Stark out of vibranium, a rare metal which absorbs vibrations. The shield is seemingly weapons-proof and when Rogers throws it, it will bounce off of something and come back to him. Not a bad piece of armor to have when you’re fighting HYDRA.

The two battle it out across Europe. Rogers fights to destroy the weapons the Red Skull plans to use in his world conquest. It culminates in a lackluster fight to the death. Marvel seemed to be in a bind to make this final battle scene worthwhile. Neither Rogers nor the Red Skull have any powers other than super strength so there is very little room for special effects to make the fight more screen friendly. However, a short battle can leave the viewer with much to be desired. Marvel seems to have gone with the latter and not having the two battle one another twenty minutes by punching and kicking each other. I was disappointed.

Now you might be wondering if Rogers fought in WWII and Thor came to Earth present day and both are being used as a setup for The Avengers, how is Rogers still going to be in fighting shape. Well, it’s no surprise to anyone familiar with Rogers’ story that he ends up in a bit of a hibernation and isn’t found and woken up until present day. Also, due to the serum he was given, his cells have trouble dying or die at a much slower rate than usual and therefore he doesn’t age. He still the handsome, young super soldier with American ideals even in present day.

As is with all Marvel Comics movies, Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance. I have to be honest, I didn’t catch him when I watched and had to YouTube his cameo. Not one of his best cameos but he still in there.

I’d put the need of watching Captain America in with Thor. If you’re following the buildup to The Avengers, it’s worth watching. If you’re a Captain America fan, it’s worth watching. If you’re a superhero film fan, it’s worth considering to watch. Other than that, I doubt you’d find much in the story worth watching.