Captain America Special Edition (1990) Blu-Ray Review
Matt Salinger (JD Salinger's son of all things) plays Steve Rogers, a young man who wants to help out the war cause. He just isn't equipped for it, but thanks to new government research, he is transformed into a one man army. While the new incantation of Captain America spends most of its time in the WWII era, in the 1990 edition, Captain finds himself suddenly thawed and living in 1990s America. Confused and not understanding how the world has changed, it makes the largest portion of the film about not only his attempt to thwart the bad guy, but also about his adjustment to a new world.I wish I had a way with words to frame this better, but I found myself laughing when Rogers was confronted with the news of how his world had changed, his girl had moved on.. and took a big gulp of milk.
I don't know if it was intended to be campy/goofy, but it is one of the few moments where I found myself outright laughing at the goofiness of the confrontation that the world had changed, and gulping down a frothy glass of Vitamin D.Salinger isn't a perfect candidate to play Rogers, as the constraint in budget means his physical look makes very little transition from Rogers to Captain America. That said, the film plays it straight in a very earnest, almost Hallmark Movies like sentimentality to the story which I quite like. It doesn't hide the failure in production values, the cheap sets and the not-so-great acting, but it reminds me of the kind of production real fanboys would mount on a small budget with very real reverence for the work they are creating.I think this is part of why this film, which was not released in the US until 2011, as a tour before the new Captain America has somewhat of a following. It's goofy, but it has heart.. far more heart then better production value films like "Elektra" and "Punisher".Even if you grade the film on a curve based on the budget, it's hard to overlook the goofiness. There are some great bit parts here, but the production values are very uneven. If you are not someone who appreciates camp films, this is just going to come across as.. bad. And at times, REALLY bad. People walk on each others lines. Actors move aimlessly. Makeup and costumes are horrible.
I'm giving this a 2.5, only because for some, the camp value will be a real attractor.. but for others, I imagine they will turn it off early on. And, as goofy as the acting in, Ronny Cox and others turn in great camp performances in a film that flew under the radar.
In 2013, our box office is full of fantastic films with amazing budgets that take place in the world of Marvel Comics. Super hero films draw major stars, major effects and a lot of fans. It's not just the fans alone who go to see them - they have become staples of our culture, good date films, decent nights out with friends and Marvel has turned their success into an empire.But it wasn't always this way. In 1990, Marvel attempted to make a film version of "Captain America", and let me just say that even SyFy Channel Saturday afternoon movies look like masterpieces in comparison.. but I found that even with the low budget, bad acting, wildly out of control plot I enjoyed myself far more than I should have.. no, not because the film was good or great - but because the camp value was just too high
Studio: MGM
Distributed By: Shout! Factory
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA
Subtitles: English
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1 Hr. 37 Min
Package Includes: Blu-ray
Disc Type: BD25 (single layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 05/21/2013
MSRP: $14.97
The Production Rating: 2/5
Matt Salinger (JD Salinger's son of all things) plays Steve Rogers, a young man who wants to help out the war cause. He just isn't equipped for it, but thanks to new government research, he is transformed into a one man army. While the new incantation of Captain America spends most of its time in the WWII era, in the 1990 edition, Captain finds himself suddenly thawed and living in 1990s America. Confused and not understanding how the world has changed, it makes the largest portion of the film about not only his attempt to thwart the bad guy, but also about his adjustment to a new world.I wish I had a way with words to frame this better, but I found myself laughing when Rogers was confronted with the news of how his world had changed, his girl had moved on.. and took a big gulp of milk.
I don't know if it was intended to be campy/goofy, but it is one of the few moments where I found myself outright laughing at the goofiness of the confrontation that the world had changed, and gulping down a frothy glass of Vitamin D.Salinger isn't a perfect candidate to play Rogers, as the constraint in budget means his physical look makes very little transition from Rogers to Captain America. That said, the film plays it straight in a very earnest, almost Hallmark Movies like sentimentality to the story which I quite like. It doesn't hide the failure in production values, the cheap sets and the not-so-great acting, but it reminds me of the kind of production real fanboys would mount on a small budget with very real reverence for the work they are creating.I think this is part of why this film, which was not released in the US until 2011, as a tour before the new Captain America has somewhat of a following. It's goofy, but it has heart.. far more heart then better production value films like "Elektra" and "Punisher".Even if you grade the film on a curve based on the budget, it's hard to overlook the goofiness. There are some great bit parts here, but the production values are very uneven. If you are not someone who appreciates camp films, this is just going to come across as.. bad. And at times, REALLY bad. People walk on each others lines. Actors move aimlessly. Makeup and costumes are horrible.
I'm giving this a 2.5, only because for some, the camp value will be a real attractor.. but for others, I imagine they will turn it off early on. And, as goofy as the acting in, Ronny Cox and others turn in great camp performances in a film that flew under the radar.
Video Rating: 3.5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 3/5
Special Features Rating: 1.5/5
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed By: MattCR
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