Captain America

One of many incarnations of the Marvel Comics character born in the World War II-era and revived during the 1960s comic book superhero boom, this 1990 film—starring Matt Salinger (son of the late J.D. Salinger) as the gee-whiz symbol of American courage—was actually made for the big screen, but bad luck with rights issues delayed the release and it was eventually dumped directly to home video. A low-budget effort from filmmaker Albert Pyun, this is a corny piece of nostalgic pulp with cheap action, cheesy dialogue, and a charismatically challenged leading man. Although it shares the same origin story and nemesis (the Red Skull, played here by Scott Paulin) as the 2011 feature starring Chris Evans, much of the narrative takes place in 1990, with Cap traveling around the globe in a rematch with the Skull, now the leader of a secret criminal society bent on world domination. This MGM Limited Edition Collection DVD-R release, branded as the “Re-Released 1992 Edition,” is presented in a full-frame version, which only makes it look more like an old made-for-TV movie. Not recommended. (S. Axmaker)