Just recently I watched The Avengers. I liked it. But afterwards, I saw a sarcastic critique of the movie that referred to Captain America as "no one's favorite superhero." What? Actually, he's my favorite! I really liked the Captain America movie and I know exactly why I like him--because he's a rare moral gem in the plethora of superheroes.
I asked myself the question, what kinds of people do I look to as my heroes? For me, choosing a hero has always involved, not only actions, but character. To be honest, Captain America is a breath of fresh air to me. Today superheroes are edgy, often slightly evil themselves or at least willing to do immoral things to win at times. Maybe we like broken superheroes because we can identify with a broken person and hope we can achieve good in spite of our nature. I get that, but that isn't what I want in a superhero that I call my favorite. I want a hero that truly is a hero, and for me, that includes morality.
So, why do I like Captain America? From the get go, he's a moral person. He is chosen for the experiment that will make him super for the reason that he is moral. And he's not just moral when every one is watching; he's moral even when no one's there and even when it's hard. He's determined to do what's right, no matter the cost--even if it costs his life. I like Captain America because he is all I want to be, the true morality I strive for.
In short, maybe Captain America reminds me of my real hero, not a movie character, but a hero of history who was, himself, utterly moral, even from the beginning. A hero who shows me everyday how to live. A hero who did what was right even when it cost his life. My real life hero? Jesus Christ.
So, I choose Captain America because he's the one I admire the most. He's not arrogant like Iron Man or loses his temper like the Hulk or prideful like Thor or led astray like Hawkeye or a liar like Black Widow. So, take that, sarcastic video--Someone out there does like Captain America the most.
5 comments:
He is my favorite Avenger, too! And, if I dare to admit it...I like him a bit more than Superman. At least, I like him in the movies better than I like any of the movie incarnations of Superman.
I really liked Clark Kent/Superman on "Lois & Clark," because he was so morally good. He didn't just rescue people; he had moral character. In "Superman II," Clark sleeps with Lois Lane (at least it is implied), and that has always angered me. On Lois & Clark, they intentionally chose to wait until they were married -- it was an actual plot point. As much as I enjoyed "Smallville," I did not like the amount of immorality that Clark went through in "becoming" Superman through those 10 seasons. It was exhausting and very infuriating at times, especially when he slept with Lana and Lois both (not simultaneously...in different seasons!).
All that said, I like the movie Captain America better than the movie Superman. Crazy, but true.
Wow. I didn't think you'd like movie Captain American better than Superman. That just proves my point. Even Amanda likes Captain America best!
For Superman, I'm just partial to the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. Though I still like Captain American best.
I'm another that likes Captain America best! Most times I watch superhero movies, I find myself wading through all the bravado and arrogance and ends-justify-the-means tactics to get to the action and the good guy winning in the end. It's like picking all the yucky toppings off a pizza to get to the cheese and pepperoni. But the Captain America movie did not make me do that. I genuinely liked the guy all the way through.
I know Nathan really likes Captain America, too. I don't know whether he trumps the comic book Superman in Nathan's book, but I'm pretty sure he's in the top 2.
Love the pizza analogy! Well put!
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