In the run up to Joss Whedon’s highly anticipated The Avengers, a number of Marvel heroes have had their fair share of screen time in the last couple of years. In 2008 we saw Iron Man introduced to the mass media – not so much a hero but a rich, sarcastic playboy, portrayed convincingly by Robert Downey Jnr. As well as Thor, another character was given his own feature in 2011 and although Captain America worked nicely as a prequel to what will be one of 2012s blockbusters, how well does it function as a standalone flick?

Joe Johnson helms the 1940s origin story of Steve Rogers, and aspiring soldier who is deemed unfit for military service until he is given a chance to take part in a super soldier program. Injected with a serum that dramatically heightens his strength, agility and every other physical attribute, Rogers (played by Chris Evans) becomes the USA’s poster boy during World War II and is dedicated to protecting America’s ideals.

The film goes for a more ‘popcorn’ approach to cinema, as opposed to gritty realism that directors are so keen to deploy in recent comic book adaptions – Captain America is much closer to its sibling film Iron Man than Christopher Nolan’s Batman interpretations. This is no bad thing, and the film sets off to a promising start, with a tight narrative cutting from Rogers’ training in the US to the antagonist’s scheming in Europe. Hugo Weaving’s fiendish depiction of Johann Schmidt is one of the stand out performances in the film and his transformation into the Red Skull will please fans of the comic as well as impress those not familiar with the source material.

Visceral set pieces and visual effects up the ante and most notable SFX include super imposing Chris Evans’ head on a puny body, before his hulking transformation. Red Skull’s make up was also superb; up to the comic book standards whilst maintaining a level of realism. However, it’s when the Captain is put into action that everything starts to dip. The pacing becomes choppy and scenes are not quite as coherent as they should be. A romance that had been slowly developing between Rogers’ and Atwell becomes sudden and awkward. The action scenes are frantic and fun but hinder slightly by the obvious ‘made for 3D’ parts and seem to end too quickly – it sometimes feels rather lacklustre.

Fans of the comics will love Captain America – it’s enjoyable, looks great and has the makings of a great comic book adaption. But just as it seems to be high-flying, it loses its footing, lacking a certain spark seen with other films of the same genre. Kenneth Branagh’s personal approach with Thor worked with fans and strangers, injecting humour and Shakespearian eloquence without derailing from the source material. Whilst Johnson’s slant on the comic is great fun and by no means bad, it’s not quite up there with Marvel other offerings.

Captain America: The First Avenger is out now on DVD and Blu Ray