Review of Captain America (1990) by Kenny S — 20 Mar 2011

I don't really know what the deal was with Marvel films earlier on, but the clearly had no clear studio to work with. They had a couple made for TV films, a cheap series or two, and some poorly made films that were meant for theater distribution but ended up being direct to video.

Even Spider-Man sat in development hell for over a decade. So unlike DC, which had a deal with Warner Bros, Marvel films were either not made or made terribly: hence Captain America. The film was one of the meant for theaters, and its a mess.

The acting is poor, the action is lame and sloppy, the costumes and make up are cheesy, the production values are awful, and the story is weak. The things that were changed from the comics are all a lot less cool, which makes you wonder who thought they were a good idea.

For example instead of being a Nazi, Red Skull's an Italian Fascist. Why? Nazis are way scarier. Captain America's first fight with Red Skull is short and lame, and he IMMEDIATELY gets frozen and wakes up 50 years later, and we have to sit through a TERRIBLE pop song montage.

Then we get plot contrivances like the president seeing Captain America on a rocket as a boy, or that the President just happens to know Captain America's friend, despite the fact that Cap barely knows her.

Also Red Skull's plan is lame...kidnap the President to control his mind? Yeeps. You also almost forget what movie you're watching with how long Captain America goes without putting on the costume.

In the end the only thing in this production I didn't find horrendous was the casting of Matt Salinger as Captain America. He was decent, not great but decent. Woo...lame film though.