The Return of Captain Invincible

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The Return of Captain Invincible

PG

1983

1h 30m

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

67%

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6 Reviews

37%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A red-caped legend (Alan Arkin) in leotards emerges from drunken exile to save the world from evil Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee).

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…there’s funny ideas but not a lot of timing, and it’s easy to see why this was shelved without a champion. Yet Arkin and Lee are great performers; for novelty alone, this particular superhero movie will leave you more intrigued than fatigued…

Rated: 3/5

Apr 17, 2024

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James Evans

Starburst

This film is one of those bizarre ideas that you're surprised in retrospect ever got off the drawing board. It's not especially funny, but it's hard to hate a film where a bad guy tries to kill Invincible with a machine gun hidden in a plastic fish.

Rated: 5/10

Nov 10, 2017

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Rated: 3/5

Apr 14, 2008

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

It's entirely unfunny, with intentionally campy dialogue that falls flat and songs to match.

Rated: D

Mar 17, 2007

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Sep 30, 2005

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Gregory Weinkauf

New Times

One of the best superhero movies ever made (really).

Aug 15, 2002

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Paraskevi O

I shut it down after the first 10 minutes, when POTUS started singing. I like corny movies but this started to be unwatchable.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

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R M

Strange super hero musical comedy. The plot is not important. The musical numbers are forgettable. But the scenery chewing by Arkin and Lee is oddly entertaining.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

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Audience Member

Very disappointing. It seems to be written straight but acted and directed as a farce.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

Maybe it takes a former alcoholic, or ex-drug addict, to truly appreciate the genius of this film. Captain Invincible was born with superhuman abilities, courtesy of an alien race, and for the first 3 decades of his life was the usual, self-confident superhero, who knows that he's fighting the good fight. Then, shortly after World War 2, a criminal genius who takes the long view began a campaign to turn the Public against the Captain. Feeling isolated and alienated Captain Invincible becomes an alcoholic, and spends the next 2 decades as a drunken bum. It is only when a global crisis forces the then President of the United States to seek him out that the story really gets cracking. Since the late 1980s we have seen comic book superheroes lose their sense of identity and moral compass, but I think that the return of Captain Invincible was the first mass market attempt to tell the story of a super-man in a mortal world in a realistic manner. Parts of it are corny, and a bit is inconsistent with other parts, but overall, it is my personal opinion that the film is a masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

Good idea, choppy presentation.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Not bad. The Incredibles before the Incredibles, but not nearly as funny, touching, or musically competent.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Philippe Mora

Director

Alan Arkin

Captain Invincible

Christopher Lee

Mr. Midnight

Kate Fitzpatrick

Patty Patria

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Synopsis

A red-caped legend (Alan Arkin) in leotards emerges from drunken exile to save the world from evil Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee).

Director: Philippe Mora
Production Co: Seven Keys
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Surround