This is something that is often overlooked about this film. A couple of throw-away lines of dialogue between the future president and his friend after spotting Cap strapped to a rocket indicate there may have been plans to start the MCU with this film, as two other Marvel characters are directly name-checked. Sadly, these plans were put on hold, due to this disaster that involved Cap stealing cars by feigning car-sickness, walking away from the car, then running back and driving off when the driver went to check he was okay. Other than a few laughable moments like this however, this film is extremely dull. It's worth watching if you're a die-hard Marvel/Captain America fan, or a lover of bad film, but otherwise don't bother.

I'm confirming it is lame. It suffers from the same issues as the 1994 Fantastic Four, but unlike FF I can give it a, it's so bad it's good stamp (And I'm very happy about that).Captain America is a pretty easy comic to adapt to the big screen, it's just an action adventure war movie about a guy who sometimes wears a mask. They did take some liberties with the character that make my Fanboy radar point up, but it's superficial.Steve Rodgers is now a boy from Southern California who has polio and offered himself up to the super soldier experiment headed up by a woman who escaped from the Nazis (The idea of a woman creating the star spangled avenger was cool, not enough female brainiacs in the comic book industry ).Shortly after Steve Rodgers becomes Captain America the doctor is killed making Steve and The Red Skull the only one's like them. After stopping the Red Skull from destroying the White House he is trapped in Ice for 60 years and wakes up having to stop the Red Skull, who has formed an underground crime unit that basically is Hydra without saying it,again. Proving how well Cap works as an action movie, Matt Salinger who plays Steve Rogers, wearing some sort of padding to make it look like he's got more than he does, barely wears the cartoonish suit they made for him (of course wearing the uniform makes him Captain America, duh)It's got that 80s swagger to it. The Red Skull has his daughter do all the heavy lifting for most of the movie with her small army of rich Nazi brats who drive the fastest cars and wear the hottest fashions but more than capable with the guns.They took some liberties with The Red Skull's origin too, I think this was to save money and film the entire movie in Italy (I'm also guessing that certain places in Italy look more like Southern California than New York City)I am being harsh on the movie because I've grown to like the character more now than I ever did when I was a kid and saw this, but like I expressed before, the movie does have a so bad it's food quality that makes it real enjoyable. http://cinemagardens.com

The reasons why, are very clear. This low-budget action film is one of the worst comic book movies ever made, and that's saying a lot. Loosely based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name by writers-artists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The movie tells the story of Captain America/Steve Rogers (Matt Salinger) having to save the President of the United States, Thomas Kimball (Ronny Cox) from the evil arch enemy, Red Skull/Tadzio de Santis (Scott Paulin). Without spoiling the movie, too much, this film was infamous for a lot of big changes, they did with the comic book characters. First off, they change where Steve Rogers, used to live. Anybody, who readt comics books, know that the place, where Rogers grew up has always been the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. However, in this version, it was turn into Los Angeles, California. It was really jarring to see, Steve Rogers as a California Kid. Not only did that not help, but being played by the son of fame author J. D. Salinger made it worst. Matt Salinger was very mediocre as the lead. He has this puzzling look to him, as if he doesn't know, what he is doing. He really didn't do much, in the film, besides, looking confused, running away, badly fake-acting sick, and stealing cars/bikes. Plus, he really didn't had any chemistry, with his co-stars, at all. He was very stale. Another big change from the comics, is how they handle, Steve Roger's love-interest. While, the character of Bernice Stewart (Kim Gillingham) is a composite of Bernie Rosenthal and Peggy Carter from the comics; this new character never, share much screen time with Rogers to establish, their relationship. It really didn't seem, like they were supposed to be in love. Instead, the movie quickly, tries to force down, the love relationship with her daughter Sharon Cooperman (Also played by Kim Gillingham). Like Stewart, her character is based on a comic book character of Sharon Carter. While Kim Gillingham makes a somewhat alright female lead. She was a bit annoying at times. In the end, the worst change, these filmmakers did to the Captain America lore, was with the villain of the piece, Red Skull. Instead, of being an evil German Nazi agent and Hitler's successor named Johann Schmidt. They made Red Skull, Italian, and a tragic figure named Tadzio de Santis. Don't get me wrong, I know that adaptation have to change a few things to make it, work with the movie format, but doesn't it seem, a bit odd, to see Red Skull, not being a red skull for most of the film. I understand, they didn't had the budget for the Red Skull make-up, but couldn't they bring back, his original look, back toward the end. After all, isn't Red Skull being Red Skull, what I came here to see. Anyways, it was also odd to see that Skull was not able to conquer America, even with Captain America's absence, during most of the film's timeline. It doesn't add up. Not only that, but I really can't buy that Red Skull, couldn't get his hands on a Nuclear missile quicker, despite working for Military–industrial complex for years, before Captain America suddenly woke up. It doesn't make sense. Anyways, another problem with this film, is its tone. It's really gritty in certain scenes and way too lighthearted in others. It really feels unbalanced. Plus, it doesn't help, that the film feels foreign than American. It didn't help that most of the film was filmed in Yugoslavia and most of the supporting actors sport a European accent. If you thought, that was bad, then you haven't watch the action. Every action scene in this film was very badly edited, or too slow & dull to be compelling. It even had the nerves, to film in deep pitch black, where nowhere saw, what was happening on screen. To make it, worst, Captain America's weakness is also show to have some imbalances. A good example is how Captain America can easily get knock out by a soda, but not by a car. I guess, his weakness, only begin to affect him, when it convenience to the plot. Also, how did he survive the missile blast, and not freeze to death in Alaska. Better yet, how did, they find him in the middle of nowhere!? This movie had way too much, unrealistic conveniences, and Deus ex machina moments to make this film, seem somewhat real. Its reasons like this, is why 1990's 'Captain America' is disappointing. It's a movie, that too embarrassingly over-the-top and stupid to be seen. No wonder, why it was never given a widespread US theatrical release, & went straight to VRS/cable TV in 1992 after some financial delays. However, it was given a limited theatrical release in late 1990 in the UK, where the majority of audience kinda dislike it. I can understand, why. This wasn't the version that director Albert Pyun and writers, Stephen Tolkin and Lawrence Block wanted to put out. After conflicts during the production process, the studio altered the movie quite heavily and the final cut didn't have much in common with Pyun's original version. Furthermore, the scheduled theatrical release was postponed several until the movie was released direct-to video in 1992. In the end, this superhero movie turn out to be mostly boring. Yet, there is a director's cut, out there, and it's not any better. In the end, go see 2011 film, 'Captain America: The First Avenger' over this. That would entertain you. Overall: I really can't recommended this movie. It's not one of those, 'It's so bad, it's good' type of a movie. It's just bad. A really bad, bad film.

Before 1998's "Blade," Marvel Comics couldn't seem to catch a break when it came to movie versions of their different properties. In the wake of "Iron Man 3" and "The Avengers," I know that's very hard to believe. There was a serial for Captain America released in 1944 through Republic Pictures. George Lucas executive produced a live-action adaptation of "Howard the Duck" in 1986.The next few years up to Wesley Snipes' take on the legendary vampire slayer were plagued with low-budget versions of the comic book publisher's characters. Dolph Lundgren's "The Punisher" couldn't even muster a theatrical release in the U.S. Roger Corman's "The Fantastic Four" never officially saw the light of day anywhere, although bootleg copies float around.21st Century Film Corporation released "Captain America" straight to video in the middle of those two disasters. For many years, the movie was hard to get a hold of and only released on VHS. Shout! Factory released it on DVD and made it widely available to those who sought it out for so many years as a sort of Nerd Holy Grail.Several years after being caught by Red Skull and left for dead, Steve Rogers is found frozen in the ice and thawed out. He discovers Red Skull received plastic surgery to hide his true identity and is heading up a group of world leaders set on kidnapping the President of the United States for their own diabolical ambitions.Is "Captain America" filled with cheese? If you judge it from a modern standpoint, of course it is. If you look at it as being a piece of World War II propaganda filmed in the 1940s, you'll find it totally hits its mark. That's the standpoint I choose to view it from.My only real issue is that we only get about 5 minutes of face time from the real Red Skull. The rest of the film features actor Scott Paulin in flesh-colored make-up topped with scar lines. It's a real letdown for fans of the Red Skull who wanted to see the character the way he looks in the comic books.I still think that "Captain America" gets way more flack for being cheesy and low budget than it deserves. Is it on the same quality level as "Captain America: The First Avenger?" No way! However, it has an inviting and personal flavor to it that still works 23 years later. Real comic book fans will find value in this adaption and appreciate it for what it is.