Captain America: The First Avenger

Not only is “Captain America” the fourth superhero film of the summer, it's also the fourth origin story, so to say this territory is well-worn is an understatement.

The movie follows some typical story beats, and much like “Thor,” occasionally focuses too much on setting up next year's “Avengers” film – going as far as to sacrifice a decent ending for one that better serves the timeline. That said, “Captain America” is an entertaining movie.

Chris Evans brings a lot to the title role: the scrawny kid from Brooklyn turned Nazi-fighting super-soldier. One thing that separates “Captain America” from the rest of the pack is a unique retro charm. Set in 1940s America, when men were men and patriotism was at its peak, the film is often carried by nostalgic style alone. The action sequences are particularly well done; some films that depend on action to drive the story fail to put together a decent sequence. That isn't the case here. “Captain America” delivers, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and it knows when it needs to ramp up the tension.

The film spends a good portion early on establishing the supporting characters, including a hard-ass commanding officer (Tommy Lee Jones), and tough-as-nails love interest (Hayley Atwell). In the entire opening half hour, Chris Evans looks comically scrawny with his real-life head digitally placed on a smaller man's body. Despite the character's many weaknesses, he remains resilient, refusing to back down from a fight, and continuously enlisting in the Army despite being rejected.

After being noticed for his determination and good will by army scientist Stanley Tucci, he’s volunteered for an experiment that turns him into a super-strong super-enforcer. From there, the film does little to differentiate itself from other superhero films, dealing with a standard bad guy with a god complex (Hugo Weaving) hell-bent on taking over the world. After proving himself in an insane prison-camp break-out, Captain America is given free rein to assemble and lead a team into battle, eventually going one-on-one with the evil Red Skull.

Filled with heady action sequences and battle-fueled montages, “Captain America” also includes some well-timed comedic scenes that don't feel too shoehorned in. Its good guy is really good, and its bad guy is really bad; the picture’s biggest flaw is that it's simply been done so many times before. But don’t let that stop you from checking it out. Even if you’re burnt out on superhero films this summer – perhaps disillusioned by the super-bad “Green Lantern” – give this one a try.

New in Theaters

The Smurfs

“The Smurfs” continues the trend of children's movies juxtaposing tiny computer-generated creatures with real actors. As an adaptation of the cartoon, it's not very faithful, ditching many of the original characters, and then transplanting the rest to New York City for some reason. It's probably so they can be forced to interact with a straight-laced milquetoast played by Neil Patrick Harris, who begrudgingly grows to accept them.

From the concept to the execution, everything about this movie fails, and the Smurfs themselves – all voiced by major celebrities – are much more annoying than they should be. Most of the gags involve them replacing a word with "smurf," or having them deal with something modern that they don't understand. There are also some pop-culture references, allusions to the series, and plenty of scenes in which NPH bumbles his way through, trying to keep them hidden.

Cowboys and Aliens

The title alone lets you know exactly what you’re getting in this action-packed thriller directed by Jon Favrea.

It's clear by now that nerds have taken over the movie industry. Seemingly every big blockbuster is a comic-book hero or something that sounds like a fanboy dreamed it up. If you like the title, chances are you'll enjoy the film. Daniel Craig plays a cowboy who wakes up with no memory, and a strange metallic object strapped to his wrist. The first act plays out like a great Western with something slightly amiss, and if you're not on board by the time the aliens arrive, you'll never be. It's certainly action-packed. Unfortunately, it offers little beyond the premise set forth by the title.

New on DVD

Source Code

Duncan Jones directs this intelligent sci-fi thriller about Source Code, a government program that allows individuals to transplant themselves into another person's body during the last moments of their life.

Jake Gyllenhaal wakes up in one of these bodies, not knowing who he is or what’s going on, and is made to live the same eight minutes over and over until he can remove a bomb from a moving train. Jones takes an interesting premise to some strange places without managing to lose direction of the story. Despite a lackluster ending, it's a film worth renting. In the vein of “Inception” and “The Matrix,” “Source Code” manages to combine suspense and unusual logic, while grounding it in mind-bending reality, making for a heady thriller that will please fans of the genre.

Dylan Dog

Coming off the heels of the vampire/werewolf craze is this comic noir, trying to inject humor with the supernatural but failing to do either very well. The performances are flat and the budget is low, so the neo-noir style comes off as cheesy.

Adapted from the 1980s comic-book series, this adaptation rips all the fun and comedy from the story. Dylan Dog is an investigator who unwillingly is pulled back into the world of zombies, werewolves and vampires. , Brandon Routh plays Dog with little to no enthusiasm, spouting off one-liners that fall flat and fail to amuse. I’ve already wasted my time; don’t waste yours.