Emenegger and Sandler, a pair of documentary filmmakers with an interest in UFOs, were given money from Gold Key Entertainment—a company based in Georgia (unrelated to the comic book publisher also called Gold Key)—to produce, write, or direct ten films released in 1980 and 1981. While two of these were documentaries, most were low-budget science fiction movies featuring recognizable actors like Adam West, Fred Willard, Peter Mark Richman, Kristine DeBell, and Martin Kove. These films are talky, slow, and lack visual dynamism, but I find something compelling about them that I can’t quite put into words; they aren't any worse than the work of Don Dohler. CAPTIVE is one of their better efforts, although the nonsensical technical jargon used as dialogue and the flimsy sets stop me from considering it genuinely good. Mitchell (from CAROUSEL) and Ladd—a former child actor known for THE PROUD REBEL—play aliens from Styrolia, a planet engaged in an interstellar war with future Earth. A significant portion of the initial segment involves these characters sitting in a cramped spaceship cockpit set, exchanging words that don’t make sense, aside from Mitchell's disturbing comments about enjoying killing people from Earth. They are also wearing striped shirts inspired by the Sandmen from LOGAN’S RUN. The special effects, while homemade, are surprisingly well-executed given the limited budget; Emenegger and Sandler fill the screen with space battles, animated laser blasts, and cutting-edge (for that time) computer displays. These effects possess a certain appeal. Unfortunately, they aren't enough to overcome Seth Marshall III’s dialogue, which is full of tired phrases and pretentious science talk. Once the special effects budget has been used up in Act I, CAPTIVE shifts into a low-cost adaptation of DESPERATE HOURS, as Ladd and Mitchell crash near an Earth farm and hold its residents hostage—Saunders (a recognizable face from PETTICOAT JUNCTION), siblings Ashley Emenegger and Dan Sandler (who are not strong performers but related to the directors), and Sturkie, who dislikes modern society (from THEY CALL ME TRINITY). The narrative reaches a satisfactory conclusion at the end of Act II. However, the filmmakers extend the film to fill a two-hour television slot with an extended final section that at least moves the action outdoors after more than an hour spent on just three basic sets. Ken Lavet, the editor, and Anne Spielberg—Steven’s sister who received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing BIG—are credited with directing the scenes set in Earth's control room.

Source on TMDB