Captain America (1979 film)

Not to be confused with Captain America II: Death Too Soon.
Captain America

DVD cover
Genre Superhero film
Directed by Rod Holcomb
Starring Reb Brown
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Running time 97 minutes
Distributor CBS
Release
Original release January 19, 1979 (1979-01-19)
Chronology
Followed by Captain America II: Death Too Soon

Captain America is an 1979 television film loosely based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, directed by Rod Holcomb and starring Reb Brown. The film was followed by the sequel Captain America II: Death Too Soon, also released in the same year.[1]

Plot

Steve Rogers (Reb Brown) is a contemporary man whose father was a 1940s government agent. The very patriotic attitude of Steve's father (patriotism that did not consist of "corny flag-waving" but was, instead, oriented towards a better America) earned him the nickname "Captain America." His father was later murdered. Rogers, a former Marine now making a living as an artist and traveling the countryside in a conversion van, is inspired by his father's story to sketch a super-hero. After receiving potentially fatal injuries in an attempt on his life intended to seem like an accident, he is administered an experimental chemical called the FLAG formula; FLAG is an acronym for "Full Latent Ability Gain," a kind of "super-steroid." (Rogers's father had developed the FLAG serum from his own glands.) The formula not only saves his life but enhances his strength and reflexes. These new abilities inspire Dr. Simon Mills (Len Birman), the research biochemist and intelligence official behind FLAG who was once a friend of Steve's father, to recruit Steve and give him a costume based on his drawing. As Captain America, Steve's conversion van is so re-configured that it can launch a high-tech motorcycle. The bike features rocket thrust, a jet booster for rapid acceleration, a stealth setting that reduces engine and road noise, and (as shown only in Captain America II: Death Too Soon) a detachable wing resembling a hang glider that allows limited gravity-powered flight. In the last scene of the film, Rogers decides to become the same Captain America as his father had been in every way--this means wearing an identical uniform to that which his father had worn, the "classic" Captain America uniform, which Brown, as the Captain, is shown wearing in the final scene. (Brown again wore the classic uniform when he reprised his roles as Rogers and as the Captain in Captain America II: Death Too Soon.)

Cast

Reception

The movie received a mixed reception from critics.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Cord Scott, Robert G. Weiner (2009), Captain America and the struggle of the superhero, p. 221, ISBN 978-0-7864-3703-0
  2. ↑ "MARVEL IN THE 1970S: DR STRANGE AND CAPTAIN AMERICA". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  3. ↑ "ANether Regions: 07.12.11: Captain America - The 1979 TV Movies". 411. Retrieved 2012-02-03.

External links

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