Review of Captain America (1990) by Patrick L — 23 Feb 2012

Frank Lovece, Sean Axmaker, Rob Gonsalves, Luke B. and Lafe F. : get a heart and some imagination!!!

I get the impression that the people above, giving bad reviews, either are not knowledgable of the myth of Captain America and/or aren't fans and/or are fans without a sense of the historical nature and the possibilities in the myth of Captain America and Steve Rogers. So what if it didn't match the magnitude of the Batman films, maybe their ambition for Cap was slighter and more of a joy of a project as opposed to the overly negative and violent emphasis of even the earlier Batman films? Batman wasn't always an overly violent and negative comic; it seemed to reach its zenith in that respect when the Joker shot and raped(?) Barbara Gordon and brutalized her dad the commissioner as well as when Bane crippled Batman.

I watched this film and it is brilliant, in fact I prefer it to the recent release of Captain America although that cast did a great job in bringing the Captain to life. The problem with the more recent film, of being too nationalistic and even insulting to Europeans, is not a problem with the earlier release which uses realistic action (one problem perhaps is the action involving the shield throwing) and is not too nationalistic and it introduces an unexpected spin on the idea of the Red Skull ruining the future world by being involved with nuclear waste and with high profile assassinations.

Although the film tinkers with the characters and their involvement in Cap's life, I like the idea that Cap's one-time love has a daughter who ends up assisting Cap in his battle (like Sharon Carter did in the comic) and not just being eye candy and someone to rescue.

I think I will remember this film above and beyond any of the Superman films, all of the Batman films, the Spiderman films, and the recent Captain America. Maybe it wasn't perfect, as with the subtitles or lack thereof, but it doesn't have to be perfect.