Captain America: The First Avenger

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) - July 22, 2011
A basically enjoyable film about a scrappy but scrawny wannabe soldier who winds up getting injected with a special serum that turns him into a super soldier, and then goes after a similarly-injected baddie, the Red Skull.  Featuring some solid direction from Joe Johnson (whose old-fashioned direction, particularly in the action sequences, is quite refreshing) and an engaging lead performance from Chris Evans.  The film kind of drags in parts, but I was definitely never bored, and it was fairly engaging all the way through.  It's nothing particularly special, but it was a passable piece of summer entertainment.  **1/2