filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Bluebell Alcock
Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
Gary
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
BA_Harrison
Christopher Lee dons silk robes, eyeliner and droopy moustache to return as the most evil criminal master mind in the world, yellow peril Fu Manchu, who this time plans world domination by kidnapping the wives and daughters of top industrialists and scientists, forcing their menfolk to build a highly destructive weapon that operates via radio waves. And when he has no more use for the women, into the snake-pit they go...A little bit James Bond and a little bit Sherlock Holmes, assistant commissioner from Scotland Yard Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer) is the man tasked with tracking down the evil Asian before he can put his dastardly plot to control the world into action.I thought I was settling down to yet another Jess Franco film when I pressed play on this film, so was rather relieved to see that it was directed by Don Sharp, who made the rather excellent Rasputin The Mad Monk for Hammer Studios. But while this film is nowhere near as bad as your average Franco film, it isn't all that great either, the tedious plot providing dull intrigue, little suspense and lots of repetitive fisticuffs between our brave heroes and their despicable enemies, all of which gets rather boring after a while. About the only thing that prevented me from dozing off at times was the fact that all of the kidnapped women are very attractive and wear revealing dresses. Now what are the chances of that?
Woodyanders
Shrewd, ruthless and fearsome Chinese criminal mastermind Fu Manchu (the impeccable Christopher Lee in peak villainous form) kidnaps the beautiful daughters of the world's leading scientists and demands that they help build him a lethal death ray or else he will kill all of the lovely ladies. It's up to Fu Manchu's cagey and stalwart longtime nemesis Scotland Yard Inspector Nayland Smith (nicely played by Douglas Wilmer) to stop him before it's too late. Ably directed by Don Sharp, with an absorbing and eventful script by Peter Welbeck, a constant brisk pace, crisp, lively color cinematography by Ernest Steward, several exciting and well-staged action scenes, a rousing, spirited score by Johnny Douglas, a reasonable amount of tension, an admirably serious tone (there are no cheesy one-lines or needless campy humor to get in the way of the story), and a stirring fiery conclusion, this picture overall really delivers the entertaining goods. Moreover, the solid acting from a sturdy cast helps matters a whole lot: Lee naturally excels as the deliciously wily and wicked Fu Manchu, Wilmer makes for a properly resolute Smith, plus there are sound supporting performances by Tsai Chin as Fu Mancho equally evil daughter Lin Tang, Marie Versini as feisty, fetching nurse Marie Lenz, Heinz Drache as hot-headed chemist Franz Baumer, Howard Marion-Crawford as Smith's competent partner Dr. Petrie, Rupert Davies as beleaguered scientist Jules Merlin, Kenneth Fortescue as the eager Sergeant Spicer, and Burt Kwouk (Cato in the "Pink Panther" movies) as Fu Mancho's loyal henchman Feno. A neat little flick.
Space_Lord
I love these old movies that were made when the words 'politically' and 'correct' were never used in the same sentence together. It is a bygone age of cinema where it was as simple as 'he's the good guy, that's the bad guy, sit back and be entertained'. Once again Christopher Lee absolutely owns the film whenever he's on the screen, such is the attention the man commands. Fu is a diabolical genius, he would probably be branded a terrorist in today's times. He has abducted the beautiful daughters of some of the world's prominent political figures and is using them to manipulate world politics. It's up to the equally nutty British cop Nayland Smith to cross swords with Fu (once again) and stop the yellow peril!! Not as good as 'The Face of Fu Manchu' but enjoyable nonetheless.
stryker-5
The nefarious Fu Manchu is bent on world domination, and he has built a heinous gizmo in the Atlas Mountains of French Morocco which will bring the world's governments to heel. His contrivance is able to transmit massive energy charges in the form of soundwaves. In order to handle the technology, Fu Manchu needs western scientific experts, and he acquires these men by the fiendish ploy of kidnapping their daughters (all beautiful 20-somethings) and threatening to chuck the girls into his ghoulish snakepit. Unfortunately for the Chinese arch-villain, Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard is on the case ....If the 'Fu' films which came after this one were considerably worse in quality, then they must have been execrable. This dire effort is difficult to watch, and two reviews would not be sufficient space to list all the improbabilities and nonsense contained herein. Portentous music and mock-heroic acting by Douglas Wilmer (Nayland Smith) and Christopher Lee (Fu) sit uneasily with cheap fibreglass sets and weak stunt choreography.Nayland Smith and his sidekick Dr. Petrie are obviously meant to be Holmes-Watson imitations. The film is set in some vague period of the early 20th century, with Edwardian touches (uniforms of jailers and nurses, telephone handsets) but with aircraft and automobiles of later periods. Marie Lenz (Marie Versini) dresses like a 60's girl, with her short skirts and mink coat. The captive girls and Fu's daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin) sport the ultimate in 60's lacquered coiffure, which seems to stay in place no matter how they are chained to pillars, held over snakepits or roughed up by Fu's guards. One of the girls has a very exposed black bra, hardly an Edwardian garment.When Marie and Franz are attacked near the Tower of London, Fu's men obligingly come at Franz one at a time, rather than overwhelming him - a curious behaviour trait repeated elsewhere in the film. Marie is a nurse, but she attends the ballet in a mink coat and sits in the royal box."They live only to serve me," says Fu of the beautiful girls whom he can hypnotise with a glance. So why does he chain them to pillars? Petrie has a suspiciously modern-looking wireless set in his home, and an even more suspiciously convenient uncle at the BBC. Nayland Smith laughably orders 'three carloads' of police officers to accompany him to Limehouse, and makes a personal call to the Home Secretary on a whim. Worse follows.Bert Kwouk, the ever-present British-Chinese actor, plays Feng, Fu Manchu's reliable technical boffin. Feng is worried about the power loads that Fu is demanding, because they might start a 'chain reaction' (an electro-magnetic chain reaction? huh?) Nobody even attempts to explain how the millions of tons of equipment found its way to Morocco and got assembled without the knowledge of the French authorities. Why do the men in the sham police vehicle drive to the scene in Fu costumes, and put on police uniforms once they are in situ?At the end, the ominous voice of Fu Manchu tells us that we will hear from him again. That is the most dreadful moment in the film - the threat of a sequel.
