Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987–1988) User Reviews

Gone, but not forgotten, a jewel of 80's Sci Fi TV

[kurgan-10 · 8/10 · 6 February 2001]

I loved this show as a kid. Granted it is a bit short (20 mins per episode) but it was big budget and had some pretty mature themes for a "family" program (which made it appealing to children and adults).

Great fun even today, though it can be a bit campy at times. Unfortunately the VHS tapes are out of print, but you can trade them with other collector's on ebay (which is where I got some of mine). This was way ahead of its time, and fell out of favor because of stupid controversy (that it was "too violent" and that it somehow forced people to buy more toys.. ). In addition to the show there were "Training Episodes" made exclusively for the interactive home market. These tapes were basically shooting galleries much like the arcade rail shooters (a la "Area 51") featuring mostly animated effects.

It would be awesome (but somewhat unlikely) if the series was released in all its glory on lucious DVD (all 22 episodes, plus the gag-reel, character bios, interviews, and how about the Interactive Ship/Guns as an added bonus?).

The series ended on a rather dark note; a second season was planned but never aired. There was also a short "film" made using some stock footage for effects (since they were low on funds at this time) and supposedly new storyline (I haven't seen it). I have seen a PAL tape up for auction called "Dread's Revenge" that supposedly picks up where the last episode left off, but I don't know if this is any different than the "film" version of Captain Power that was posted on IMDB.

One of the biggest innovations of this tv phenomenon is that you could fire at the screen during the show at various "targets" (on the chests of the bad guys mostly) to score points, and when they fired back, you had to shoot their shots, or else you got hit. Even without the toys, the show rocked. It had humor, tons of action, and great special effects for the time. The show captured the post apocalyptic future very well.

Critics like Ebert gave it high marks. I think if the parent groups would have realized that the show was just a live action video game, no different than dozens of other shows out there (except for that fact that most of the others were all animated). The show was still great even without the toys (though the toys are great icing on the cake), and it often had good moral messages (war is hell, violence should be avoided if a peaceful solution is available, human lives are more important than machines, greed and lust for power leads to suffering, and about working together to solve problems). Finally, the characters were likeable, and the plots were interesting.

While the show owes much to the likes of Terminator, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica, it has influenced other science fiction movies and shows over the years, including Star Trek: the Next Generation (compare Lord Dread to the evil Borg), and RoboCop (does that armor not look familiar?). ; )

Still great after all these years...

Very cool, far better than "Star Wars"

[AndreiPavlov · 7/10 · 12 September 2006]

What I needed to say – I have mentioned in the summary/reference. This movie was shown on our TV back in early 1990-s. It blew me away with its visuals and tough characters. The idea of "robotic regeneration" got stuck in my mind forever. The flying vulture-like robot looked very menacing. As I remember, the parts of this movie were shown in the evening and early in the morning (repeating the part of the previous day). Did not miss both showings. It was also very optimistic because the fighting men were almost invulnerable, while the robots and the evil characters were being smashed to atoms. Still remember the scene where some hot mass of burning steel (?) was rushing through space and the flying robot got in front of it pronouncing something like: "Stop, I'm telling you, I'm such-and-such – so, obey!" As if the deadly mass could understand. Very memorable.

Never seen the movie since then. Perhaps it's not that good after all, but it deserves a steady 7 out of 10 at least, I'm sure. Thanks for attention.

Easily my favorite show ever

[capnjobe · 11 November 2004]

I was very young when this show came out, perhaps 5. I didn't really understand it then, nor did I take much of an interest in the toys (my brother and I had two of them, I remember). But a couple years later, at perhaps age 7, I unearthed the tapes I had and became absolutely enraptured.

I recently remembered this show and watched it all the way through, and it still hits me like it did so long ago. All of the things that interest me now when it comes to scifi: post-apocalyptic stories, high tech armor, women in lycra and metal chestplates (did I just say that out loud?) all appear in this show.

Many people have theories as to the inspiration for Captain Power. I cannot claim to know what the creators were thinking, but it does bear a striking resemblance to the Japanese "Metal Hero" programs, such as Space Sheriff Gavan. The idea of using a codeword and body language to change into an armored hero was not unfamiliar at the time, at least in Japan. But what makes Captain Power different from the metal hero shows is the seriousness of it. Metal Heroes were always laden with superhero bravado and tongue in cheek plots. Sure, Captain Power had it's share of camp, but it was still miles ahead of the Japanese programs.

I've also heard this show mentioned as an inspiration for Power Rangers. This is not true, as Power Rangers is simply Japanese Sentai shows adapted into new American series. Sentai series have been running since the early 70s, thus predating Captain Power.

In my opinion, Captain Power was crippled from the get-go by the tie-in toys. They were a good idea from a marketing standpoint, but this was not the show to test them on. Perhaps if this show had been marketed (and named) differently, sans-interactive toys, it would have lasted longer. A kids' show is still a kids' show to most people, no matter how well done it is.

This show had its share of television firsts, which of course are always ignored :

As far as I know the first completely CGI characters in a TV series. Sauron and Blastarr looked quite good, with the technology being so young at the time.

The first real "cyberpunk" reference in a TV series, in the episode "Flame Street".

And surely others I cannot recall at the moment.

It also contained a lot of very kid-unfriendly ideas, such as torture, drug use, and the sheer horrors of global war.

What makes the shame of this show's cancellation even greater is the depth of themes that were present. It of course had the very strong "War is hell" message in nearly every episode. These days this is quite common, but at the time it was nearly unheard of. Naturally it also dealt with the power of the human spirit, in the heroes' continued triumphs over Dread's often superior forces. This was also very uncommon at the time. And some specific episodes had some fantastic lessons to teach, such as "Freedom One", which tells of the use of the radio medium as a voice of defiance. Very powerful work for a supposed children's' show.

Watching this, recently, I often find myself forgetting that I am watching what was marketed as a children's' show. Nearly every episode is laden with rather mature material, such as the first episode, where Power's old lover is brought back to bait him, or the final episodes which are laden with suspense and darkness far above kiddie-levels.

To this day it infuriates me that a show with such great creative force behind it, and nearly unlimited potential, met an early demise due to what was essentially studio politics. Reasons given for the cancellation of Captain Power vary, from poor toy sales to parents' groups. Personally I think all these could have been avoided if the show had been properly (in my eyes) marketed to a broader audience. Any fan of sci fi in general would appreciate this show, although it was rather campy at times (that was to be expected). And besides, Pilot was my first crush ever (I doubt I was the only one).

A great lesson of brave, honour and devotion...

[kaskad66 · 10/10 · 29 June 2011]

I watched this TV show in early 90s when it was on TV in Russia for the only time ( I was 12-13 years old then). And I liked it very much then though I had no idea about the toys and the reasons why this show hadn't been continued. In our post-communist country we had no idea about it and for me it was just a fun to watch something new, something we'd never seen before. Now I am 30 and I suddenly remembered this show. Unfortunately I failed to buy an official DVD or Blue-ray issue in Russia, so I decided to watch it on YouTube. And I was stunned! Now when I'm not that young I can feel the importance of such things like friendship, courage, honesty and love. They are so rare things in our self-help time. And this film gives you all it. Forget about biodreads, forget about metal wars, forget about blusters. This film tells us that no matter how circumstances are tough, real friends should always stay together. And while they are united they are able to deal with the most difficult problems in this world. And machines and all nano-technologies that are so popular nowadays will never replace the basic things that always stay with us. But unfortunately we forget about them too often. Definitely this show is not for kids. I think the main problem of this show was that late 80s wasn't the right time for it. It was certainly too deep and serious for children but I think it wasn't actual enough for then adults. What else can I say? I can say that when I watched the last episode I was completely broken. However I think it was a great ending. Because sometimes we have to lose too much to understand the importance of the things we have.

Great film! I hope finally I will be able to buy it on DVD or Blue-ray.

Why hasn't this been released on DVD yet?

[xanitra · 9/10 · 10 June 2008]

Yup, that is what I am asking. I mean for us who enjoyed the 80s not only for its music, but also for the cartoons, CPATSOTF was like a relief in many ways, because it was a real show, with real actors, but with the cartoon feel that Transformers had. Although CPATSOTF is a little bit of Mask as well, and no, I do not mean that mediocre film with Jim Carrey.

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future had an amazing story set around a group of heroes which of course it is to save the world from these beings that "digitize" humans. Hehehe, something we can today do with a scanner, or a cheap digital camera. But digitizing in this show means feeding the biodreads, with.... well, you probably get the idea of how corky the idea seems now.

But a well executed cast, good villains, some impressive effects (yes, even today), and excellent music, makes this a series to remember, and which deserves a DVD release.

Historic, Groundbreaking - and Forgotten

[spiritof67 · 10/10 · 10 March 2007]

I used to get out of a warm bed early on Saturday morning to see this show. That alone says a lot. It was the only interesting, thoughtful and certainly adult show on at that time, during the "kid show" time period. The themes of humanity, loyalty,father-son relationships, post-apocalyptic survival, you name it. There was even a hint of extra-marital concern with one of the characters. Pretty heavy stuff for a "kids show", wouldn't you say? On top of that, it actually had interesting characters with solid, evolving backstories.

The show was dropped, by the way, because Landmark Entertainment, who were told that the show would be cross-merchandised with a complete line of interactive toys, found instead that the release of the toys was delayed - thus removing the basis for the show! So the SECOND ever interactive TV show - the first one was Winky Dink, by the way - lost its sponsor. The interactive toys were revolutionary and never repeated, from the Interlocker, the "Power On" base which self-activated when the show came on, the "ships", which enabled watchers to "shoot" at the bad guys in the show - and they shot back, by the way! - and to collect "points" for doing so. Just amazing, really. And a lot of fun.

It was also the first and probably the best CGI TV show. The characters of Lackey,Soaron and Blastarr (a character name stolen from 1960's Marvel comics) were the first all CGI characters on TV, and were fully formed, again with backstories. it's a shame that the episodes will probably never be available on a DVD, with the ability to use the old ships, Interlocker, etc. Of course, you could still use your Captain Power laser tag guns. Oh, I didn't mention them, did I? By the way - somewhere out there is the original "teaser" for the TV show. A housewife is making breakfast for her kids in a commercial-all of a sudden, breaking into the commercial is Captain Power, telling you he needed your help. It was fantastic, and it hasn't ever appeared again. And for a prequel of some of the Captain Power aesthetic, take a look at the He-Man feature film....

Power On!!!

[jezernik-marko · 9/10 · 15 May 2020]

Now this is the science fiction franchise that we needed back in the day. The storyline was set on Earth in the 22nd century following the Metal Wars, a cybernetic revolt that resulted in the subjugation of the human race by intelligent machines. Captain Jonathan Power and a small group of guerrilla fighters, called the "Soldiers of the Future", oppose the machine forces that dominate Earth.

And it had everything: robots, evil robot overlords, even more evil robots, Eath was a wasteland... I started watching it again couple of days ago and it's still awesome. I really hope taht the planned reboot will be made (Phoenix Rising). This show will always be a classic.

Good scripts and character development

[tallguy98366 · 9/10 · 20 January 2008]

I watched this show with my kids and got hooked on it. The scripts were a lot more intelligent and adult then I expected and the characters were fleshed out quite well. I had not gotten so drawn into a show since the original Star Trek went off the air. The computer graphics were impressive for the time and I did not find the bad guys corny or trite. In fact, they were almost sympathetic. The episode where the blind woman was kidnapped by Soaron and given her sight was incredible and quite memorable. I thought the controversy over the toys was absurd. My kids loved them and I found them to be sturdy and fun. I bought some unopened toys and gave them to my kids. Maybe someday they'll be worth something.

I was pleased to find that I had videotaped all of the shows and am now digitizing them. I need to build a good show opener and end credits (I was not too great on the pause button) and the transfer is not so hot but the tape is nearly 20 years old so I was happy to get what I got. I loved watching the Captain and his sturdy crew kick butt once again. I hope this gets released to DVD.

Power on!

[DragonMasterHiro · 2 July 2003]

This is truly one of my most favorite shows of all time. Sure it might have been a little cheesy, but it was great. You learn what's happening in the opening monologue:

"Earth 2147. The legacy of the Metal Wars, when man fought machine and machines won. Bio-Dreads. Monstrous creations that hunt down human survivors... and digitize them. Volcania. Center of the Bio-Dread empire, stronghold and fortress of Lord Dread, feared ruler of this new order. But from the fires of the Metal Wars arose a new breed or warrior-born and trained to bring down Lord Dread and his Bio-Dread empire. They were soldiers of the future, mankind's last hope. Their leader, Captain Jonathan Power; master of the incredible powersuits, which transform each soldier into a one-man attack force.

Major Matthew "Hawk" Masterson, fighter in the sky. Lt. Michael "Tank" Ellis, ground assault unit. Sgt. Robert "Scout" Baker, espionage and communications. And Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase, tactical systems expert. Together, they form the most powerful fighting force in Earth's history. Their creed: to protect all life. Their promise: to end Lord Dread's rule. Their name? Captain Power and the Soliders of the Future!"

I loved this show. Sure it was a little intense but when it was on, I was hooked. Jonathan Power was just a great 80's sci-fi hero. Soaron Sky Sentry used to scare the hell out of me when he'd show up and digitize people into pixels. Lord Dread was also very creepy. When I was kid, I had all the toys from Captain Power's fighter jet to Interlocker, and the videos which you could use with the ships. You had to try to see how many enemies you could kill by shooting the flashing 3D-ish flashing areas of enemies. You could also take damage too if enemies were shooting at you on the screen. If you took too much damage, the figure in the cockpit would be ejected! You could also use the ship to shoot at bad guys during the actual show, too.

It's too bad they only got one season out of it. More could have been done with it but I read that since the toys didn't sell that well during Christmas, they pulled the series. It was obviously aimed at kids as it was on Saturday Mornings, but kids may not have liked it because it was too serious or intense for them. I'd like to see it come back. They could probably do some great things and fix it up from the areas is lacked in the first time.

a marvelous Saturday morning sci-fi series

[powersroc · 9 November 2004]

Captain Power & his soldiers of the future may have been saddled with one of the worst titles for a t.v. series, but don't let that fool you. It was one of the most sophisticated sf shows of its time.With terrific scripts,some of which were written by Babylon 5 creator J Michael Straczynski,a wonderful cast, and some cutting edge computer animated special effects,all make this series memorable.While it was a Saturday morning kids show, it managed to be dark & edgey in its atmosphere.The adults acted as such, & there were no stereotypical cute kids,cute animals, or funny sidekicks to distract us from the intriguing plots.In an interview with JMS that I read years ago,he said that he & the other writers decided not to approach this show as being just another Sat morning show for the tiny tots.They were going to write as mature & cool a show as they could & not limit themselves under any labels.The result was one dynamic sf series.What a shame such a fine show was cancelled because the interactive toy associated with the it was not a huge seller.

One of the best forgotten treasures of the 80s.

[Curare · 29 September 1999]

Earth. The 22nd Century. The evil Lord Dread has taken over the world, and with his machine empire seeks to eliminate the last traces of mankind and remake the world in the image of the machine. The only thing stopping him: a small resistance of humans, led by. . .Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future! A bit intense for Saturday morning, eh?

This was one of the best when I was a kid. Combining bits of "Star Wars," "The Terminator," and "Mad Max." And, unlike most shows from the 80's meant to sell toys, it actually had engrossing plots! It was the first TV series to use computer-generated special effects, and the first to have an interactive toyline. I tell you, science fiction doesn't get better than this.

my favourite childhood serial

[skorpio78 · 7 April 2001]

Captain Power and the soldier of the future was transmitted on Italian t.v. at the end of 80'.I think that this and Visitors was the best series of 80'.In this serial appears for the first time the use of digital special effects for example to create the unforgettable Soaron. The atmosphere is dark, but the plot has a good development. Certainly the actors are not perfect, sometimes seems like they are children who are playing. The best idea was the Power suits, when I was a child I dreamed to have one.This serial didn't have a lot of success in Italy, so it was transmitted just once and I'm still waiting for another. POWER ON

Good Idea, Poor Execution

[wingsandsword · 27 October 2004]

As a child of the 80's, I grew up with all the toy/TV fads. GI Joe and Transformers were kings, but there were many claimants to the throne.

Captain Power was one. It had the whole package deal, action figures and vehicles, a TV show, video tapes, and even a tie-in magazine.

The show itself was kinda neat, the only live action children's sci-fi show I think there was in the 80's. Now, the effects were hokey, but I recall that the writing and story lines were actually halfway decent (the excellent J. Michael Stracynzki was responsible for the writing). The show ended up on what was presumably to be a cliffhanger, and I remember thinking that the entire episode was very, very dark for a children's show. Unfortunately they never got to resolve that cliffhanger.

The show broke new ground in it's use of CGI, back in the late 80's before it became ubiquitous in movies about 5 or 6 years later. The villain's two major henchmen were entirely CGI creatures.

There were 3 tie-in videotapes which were just a short intro sequence with the main characters at their base before moving along into an animated battle sequence that was interactive with the gun/ships. There wasn't animation for the battles in the show, but presumably they just used cartoons to save money for the tie-in tapes.

I even had a subscription to the tie-in magazine, which was a disaster. It had it's glossy, shiny opening issue which of course talked all about the show and it's world, with a few side-articles about sci-fi type things going on in the real world (the Biosphere II project and the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation). By the second (bimonthly) issue Captain Power magazine merged with He Man magazine (a very dying franchise at the time) and production quality of the magazine dropped sharply from it's glossy premier. Then with the third issue it was only He Man magazine (with a short note that Captain Power magazine had been discontinued and the remainder of subscriptions would be serviced by He Man). Then for the 4th issue on the subscription He Man magazine folded and gave way to Muppet Magazine, and so on, as it fell between dying and fading children's entertainment franchises.

Unfortunately, the toys were the real let-down. I remember when Captain Power came out, at the same time as the Nintendo Entertainment System was in the US. Among all my friends, the two products were in direct competition. You could have fun being interactive with your TV by shooting it with light guns built as toy planes, or you could have video game cartridges. The toys themselves weren't exceptional either. I might have been spoiled by GI Joe, which had great figures with good sculpting, flexibility and variety. There were only 3 good guys and 3 bad guy figures (nevermind the variety of heroes and villains on TV), and 2 good-guy vehicles and 2 bad-guy vehicles. The interaction with the TV was glitchy at best (often taking hits when nothing on TV was shooting at you), and almost never scoring hits even when you get right up on the TV and hit it directly.

So, it was a decent show that might have had a shot of being successful, but the poor execution of it's tie-in lines doomed the brand.

Now THIS brings back memories

[TheEtherWalk · 28 May 2003]

Wow, this is older than I thought. I tried tracking down this show by looking up people who were in it, and for some reason I thought Colm Meaney played Hawk Masterson. Anyways, I finally did a search for "project new order" which was basically the only thing I remember of this show. I finally found out that the title was Captain Power.

Anyways, I thought this was a great show, but the ending kind of left you hanging, I mean I remember Power saying "project new order is finished" but the bad-guy and his computer orb were still alive, right? I dunno, it was a weird show, but it was cool.

A real underrated gem of a series

[speedway1975 · 13 December 2003]

I believe this series was created with the intention of selling a toy line, it was interactive tv, kids could buy the guns and figures and shoot the robot troopers that had flashing badges on their chests, sadly the toys were too expensive, didn't sell and the show got cancelled after one series, which is a shame since it was a damn fine series with some strong adult themes, and good characterisation thrown into the mix. The show was well cast with good likeable actors and well written by Michael Straczynski, creator of more famous Babylon 5.

It's basic premise was a group of futuristic freedom fighters, fighting literally against 'The Machine'. A post apocalyptic future where machine had overrun mankind and humans scavenged for survival. Led by Captain 'Jonathon' Power (played excellently by Tim Dunigan), his one man resistance forces goal was to free mankind from Lord Dredd and his Bio-dred empire. They were the soldiers of the future.

This show was awesome in its day

[cosmos80 · 13 March 2002]

This has to have been one of the best cartoons to remember in the 80's not just because it contained adventure, but for the interactivity that it featured.

The series showed a very harsh looking earth where pretty much every traces of civilization is gone, with the exception of Lord Dread, who wants to rule whats left. But Captain power, is the only thing that can stop him.

It was a pioneer in those days with its computer generated graphics and best of all, of course, the TV Interactive use. Any kid with a Captain power airplane could actually use it to help Captain power fight evil doers on the screen as if it was actually happen.

Captain Power was a first step in using the TV Interactive use with its merchandise, it's still as exciting today as it was in 1987, I wish they bring back this form of TVIneractive.

A little bit of 80's sci-fluff

[Milpool · 9 January 2000]

In a series that had a short run during the late 80's, Captain Power and his friends faced dim-witted robots, flying machine-men with the ability to turn humans into digital information, and an evil overlord (a cross between the borg and a pasty faced techno geek). Each episode mixed fast-paced, cyber-hokum with a blend of computer animation and live action, the result being a program that was quite limited in various areas (such as suspense) but still fun to watch. Very tongue in cheek.

It was a great series

[Robbie_s · 29 June 2003]

I remember that I was really little-4years ago when I had watched Capitan Power and ... It was the most wonderful film in the world. Now I'm sorry that I couldn't find more information for this series if somebody can help me I will be really grateful.

THE BEST serial I've ever been seen!

[amik-ru · 6 May 2005]

Hi, my name is Olga, I'm 22 years old. It is pleasant to recollect! 15 years I remembered this serial, 15 years tried to find the information on a serial and actors, and here just now when I have an Internet, it was possible to me! In Russia this serial was very popular In us, children played Captain Power, a serial all country looked. It was unforgettable. Recently I have got this film of the childhood on DVD and now is simply happy. And Captain Power was my first love... In my 6 years. At us for a long time it did not repeat, I had to buy it in English translation and to translate independently. It is easy, as I well remember it, I experienced for each series. Memoirs of the childhood - they the strongest.

great!

[zubano · 14 February 2000]

I was just a kid when I saw Captain Power, but It's surely one of the best tv-movie Iìve ever seen! it was modern, with an interesting story, and in spite of the time, with beautiful special effects! I'd really like to see Jonathan Power and his soldiers again, but unluckily it disappeared! Why can I already see some stupid tv-movie like A-team or something like that while many good movies have been forgotten? I really don't understand.

I Hate Myself For Watching It

[ben_ashmole · 11 January 2006]

This refers to the video of the film 'Captain Power and The Soldiers of the Future'. How the hell did this win any awards ever!!!! it was the worst film ever made, it was torture to watch. The actors are terrible, the script is terrible, the props are terrible, the effects are terrible, the lighting's terrible, the music's terrible, the story is atrocious. George Lucas could sue every 5 minutes of film, especially the part with the 'Deathstar trench run'.

The first 20 minutes are pointless and the next hour is revolting, it stung my eyes to watch. It was as if they got a new director for every 5 minutes of footage, because nothing made sense. The love story is hardly Titanic in any sense of the word. And the whole premise is like Terminator's b a s t a r d child with mental retardation. If i meet anyone who featured in this film i will punch them in the middle of their face.

A vague but fun memory for me

[KUAlum26 · 29 November 2008]

Around 1987-88,I'd mostly weened myself from Saturday morning television,but since I usually liked to watch a little boob tube during a late breakfast on Saturday mornings,I'd stumble upon this show,which I found mildly addictive.

A 22nd century EArth that is ruled by androids is the setting here,as the title character and his small assembled unit of specialists fight these menaces using technology that was at least partially connected to the lead character--or more to the specific,his father whose knowledge of cybernetics becomes the seeds for this dystopic future(its sorta long,complicated and has SPOILER written all over it)-- with the fate of humanity riding on it. What more could a closet Trekkie like myself want! I watched nearly every episode.

Too dark and intense to be pure children's entertainment,too puerile to be serious Sci-Fi action adventure,this show was in the dreaded limbo of being mostly modern(for that era)radio serial,set for television. It seems to have cribbed somewhat liberally from the same story framing that created the hugely successful Terminator movies and FOX TV series,though I doubt anybody affiliated with this show would ever cop to that. Employing mostly unknown(Canadian?)actors(notable exception:lovely young up-and-comer Jessica Steen as "Pilot" Chase) and filmed in ONtario,this show would be memorable enough for fan clubs and cult status and somewhere out there,there has GOT to be seasons of this show on tape or DVD. Frankly,I'd like to see this again,if for nothing else but pure nostalgic curiosity.