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DVD Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA – DEATH TOO SOON (1979)

Written By:

Nick Blackshaw
captain-america-death-too-soon-dvd-review

Review: Captain America – Death Too Soon / Cert: PG / Director: Ivan Nagy / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Reb Brown, Christopher Lee / Release Date: Out Now 

In Captain America – Death Too Soon, Steve Rogers (Brown) continues his role as a crime fighter. This time the US Government call him in after a break-in at a West Coast Laboratory and the kidnapping of a microbiologist, Professor Ilson. The clues point to known revolutionary Miguel (Christopher Lee) who has slipped into the United States to cause havoc using a formula worked on by Ilson to accelerate the ageing process, which he intends to unleash on the City unless our beloved hero can stop him.

The highlight of this follow-up to Sentinel of Liberty has to be Christopher Lee playing the baddie. Yes, you soon realise that he is the most smartly dressed terrorist you will see between this side of Die Hard (and also, why he is called Miguel when he’s so obviously in possession of a British accent?), but you appreciate his sheer malevolence and the ever so slight hamminess that comes with being a top-notch villain.

However, like its predecessor, Death Too Soon suffers from at times incredibly clunky dialogue. In addition, because of a much more elaborate plot, the production itself looks cheap and not in a good way, with Captain America battling hoods with a ‘shield’ that is obviously just a big Frisbee. Death Too Soon, in short, isn’t as good as Sentinel Of Liberty. It tries to be more elaborate in its plot and partly succeeds with a clear villain as played by Christopher Lee, but low production value and poor dialogue make it less enjoyable than one could hope.

Extras: None

Nick Blackshaw

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