Captain America and Captain America II

Oh no movie lovers this is not the recent big screen version of Captain America.  This isn't even Albert Pyun's abortion of straight to video wreckage of the eighties.  This is the SEVENTIES Captain America that came in the form of two TV pilots.  The first pilot was the basic origin story and the second was a bit more adverturous, but more about that later. 

So, how did they handle Captain America's origin for the seventies?  Well Steve Rogers, as hunkily acted by Reb Brown, drives to California in his tricked out van to start a life on the road seeing America.  Turns out though that some scientists who work for the government want him to test his father's super steroid.  Also turns out that a scientist friend of his is killed and when Rogers tries to find out why he is banged up pretty good.  The government scientists see that his only hope is daddy's super steroid so they shoot him up.  Rogers isn't happy about this first but as the super powers kick in he decides to work with the government to help the little guy.

So what did they do right and wrong here?  Well first Reb Brown is already a super hunk, that's a bad thing.  The heart of the Captain America story is he started off 4f and caught people's attention because he tried harder than anyone.  This Steve Rogers is already an ex marine and professional motorcross rider.  He's already practically a superhero.  One the other hand making his dad the maker of the super soldier formula was a good idea since in the plot his father used his own cells to make it.  That gives a good reason why Steve is the only one who can take it.  They also do a good job showing just what the formula does.  He definitely is much stronger and faster than a normal person and he says his senses are also better.  On the other hand the muck up the shield badly.  It's fricking plastic!  They also mess with the classic design of the suit for no clear reason.  On the other hand, they gave him a really radical motorcycle that even has a "silent" mode of travel.  Cool.

The first was mildly interesting but a standard origin story.  The second was better.  It's a shame that they avoided using a super villain like the Red Skull but Christopher Lee is always a good choice.  He plays a terrorist who kidnaps a scientists and secretly takes over a jail.  From there he creates an aging gas that causes anyone exposed to age 38 days an hour.  He of course has the antitoxin and he holds a town hostage for a ransom of a billion dollars.  Captain America must first find him, break into the jail and get the scientist and antitoxin out.  It's actually pretty decent for made for tv.  It's a shame really that neither pilot really took.  I think it could have been a lot of fun to watch.