PUZZLE

PUZZLE (aka L'uomo sensa memoria/1974.) Director: Duccio Tessari. 

A man who calls himself Peter White (Luc Merenda) has had amnesia ever since he was in a bad car accident. He is told that his real name is Ted and that he has a wife named Sarah (Senta Berger), whom he believes has sent for him. As he struggles to remember his past, which clearly includes criminal activity, he, Sarah, a little neighbor boy named Luca (Duilio Cruciani) and a doctor-friend named Daniel Reinhardt (Umberto Orsini) become the targets of a nasty character named George (Bruno Carazzari). George is convinced that Ted knows the location of something that is worth a million dollars, and he wants it -- or else!

Puzzle is considered by many to be a giallo film but it lacks the mad, mysterious killer, the fiendish murders, and so on that distinguish the genre. This is simply an Italian mystery that despite some good scenes is rather mediocre and even a bit dull. The dubbed cast go through their paces competently, however. The most lovable cast member is the cute little dog Whiskey, who, unfortunately, comes to a bad end. There are a couple of decent fight scenes, and at the climax, which has some suspense, a chainsaw figures in the action. 

Verdict: Basically bloodless so-called giallo really isn't worth your time. **. 

DON'T WORRY DARLING

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles

DON'T WORRY DARLING (2022). Director: Oliva Wilde. 

Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) live in a 1950's desert community where Harry works for the Victory Project, which deals with "the development of progressive materials" -- whatever that means. Although the other housewives in the cul-de-sac don't seem to care, it bothers Alice that her husband's work is so secretive and that she's told never, never, to go out into the desert. One neighbor, a black lady named Margaret (Kiki Layne) did so and hasn't been the same since. Although Harry's boss, the slick Frank (Chris Pine), has big plans for Harry, Alice threatens to topple them all with her paranoid attitude, especially after there appears to be a cover-up as to whatever it was that happened to Margaret. 

Chris Pine

The intriguing aspects of Don't Worry Darling are severely compromised by the off-putting style of the movie, which seems to be trying to transcend the thriller genre but only serves to weaken the suspense. It simply gets too artsy-fartsy for its own good at times. Too long at nearly two hours, the movie at least boasts some very well-staged action sequences at the climax. The acting also helps put this over, with exemplary work from Florence Pugh and a sinister and charismatic performance from Chris Pine. The other cast members, including Harry Styles and director Olivia Wilde in a supporting role as Bunny, are also effective, among others.  

Pugh with Pine in background

But the fact remains that I can't recommend this movie because it ultimately comes off like a much lesser effort from M. Night Shyamalan, with a "big reveal" that will probably make you groan out loud (although a few people who haven't seen as many movies might be impressed). The various anachronisms sprinkled throughout the movie could give you a clue -- the idea just isn't that original. It may also remind you in some ways of The Stepford Wives. Don't Worry Darling might have its heart in the right place in the political sense, but it just doesn't add up to a memorable movie. The explanation for what's going on only gives the audience more questions instead of real answers. 

Verdict: A few good scenes don't make a great movie. **1/4. 

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Shang-Chi in his spiffy new costume

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021). Director: Destin Daniel Cretton. 

Shaun (Simu Lui), AKA Shang-Chi, is the son of a woman, Li (Fala Chen), from the magical dimension of Ta Lo and an immortal man of various names, including Xu Wenwu and the Mandarin (Tony Leung). The essentially evil Wenwu was tamed by his lovely wife (one has to wonder why she ever fell for him) but after her death he trains a young Shang-Chi for combat and pretty much ignores Shang-Chi's sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang). Xialing now runs a fight club in another country while their father sends assassins after both her and her brother. This leads to an exciting fight on a bus between Shangi-Chi and Razor Fist (Florian Munteanu), as well as another thrilling battle high on scaffolding outside a skyscraper. Shang-Chi and his sister learn that Wenwu is convinced their mother is alive, and is calling to him from Ta Lo, but it's actually a voice from the Dweller in Darkness (how Lovecraftian!) who wants to escape from behind a mystic barrier. The race is on for Shang-Chi, Xialing, and Shang-Chi's adorable friend, Katy (Awkwafina), to get to Ta Lo before the Mandarin can and prevent disaster from affecting both universes. 

Razor Fist vs Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi was introduced to the Marvel Comics Universe in the 1970's in a series called Master of Kung Fu. The very serious, biracial Shang-Chi was the son of Sax Rohmer's licensed character Dr. Fu Manchu. When Marvel lost the rights, Fu Manchu was said to be only an alias (which was also true in Rohmer's novels), and then long-time Marvel (and Iron Man) villain the Mandarin was made our Kung Fu fighter's father. Although much less of a stereotype, the Mandarin as depicted in this movie is also much less interesting than the fascinating Mandarin of the comics, whose appearance was revised and updated over the decades. This movie has little to do with Master of Kung Fu (for more on that comic series see Superhuman: The Bronze Age of Comics Volume One), although Razor Fist was a recurring villain there. 

Meng'er Zhang

Considering that I always thought he was a minor Marvel character, Shang-Chi made a lot of money at the box office and a sequel is being made. The film is entertaining, but overlong, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. The climax turns into Marvel's old comic series Where Monsters Dwell with two giant monsters battling each other while Shang-Chi and his sister are astride a mammoth flying serpent. Simu Liu is excellent as Shang-Chi, and the film's big delight is Awkwafina (gotta change that name, gal!) as the amusing and plucky Katy. Meng'er Zhang makes a striking and sexy Xialing, but Ben Kingsley, reprising his role from Iron Man 3, is just a waste as alleged comedy relief. The film sinks quite a bit into silliness when he appears along with a strange mouth-less creature named Morris. 

Verdict: Essentially a fun if relatively minor Marvel movie with some good FX work and great closing credit music. **1/2. 

VOWS OF DECEPTION

VOWS OF DECEPTION (1996 telefilm). Director: Bill Norton.

Fresh off the bus after getting out of jail for child abuse, Lucy -- now Lucinda (Cheryl Ladd) -- runs into Detective Matt Harding (Nick Mancuso). Lucinda is obviously pregnant, so Matt decides to play a practical joke on his buddy, divorced lawyer Clay Spencer (Mike Farrell of Prime Suspect), by setting him up on a date with Lucinda. The plan backfires when Clay invites Lucinda out for dinner and begins an intense romance with her. Eventually the couple marry, and Clay becomes a father to Lucinda's little girl. Although Lucinda seems to be in love with Clay, she begins to make passes at her handsome stepson, Nick (Michael Woolson). How long will Nick, who has a girlfriend in Terry (Nancy Cartwright), be able to resist, and what on earth will it lead to? 

Inspired by a true story, Vows of Deception is a standard but entertaining true crime saga with some good acting from Farrell, Woolson, and especially Nick Mancuso, who is dynamic and excellent. Cheryl Ladd, who is quite sexy in this, successfully keeps the viewer from knowing exactly what's on her mind, increasing the suspense. Bill Norton also directed Gargoyles with Cornel Wilde and False Arrest with Donna Mills. Michael Woolson later became a notable acting coach and stage director.

Verdict: Minor-league but absorbing crime drama. **1/2. 

GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2022)

GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2022). Directed by Matt Sobel. (An Amazon Prime streaming original.)

Two young twin boys named Elias (Cameron Crovetti) and Lukas (Nicholas Crovetti) are dropped at their mother's large house by their father. The mother (Naomi Watts of King Kong) has her face entirely swathed in bandages or some kind of mask. As the visit progresses, the boys become convinced that this woman is not their mother, even running away and being returned by a kindly police officer, a black lady named Sandy (Crystal Lucas-Perry) and her more laid-back partner. Then things take a dark turn when the boys decide to find out from this supposed stranger exactly where their mother is ... 

Goodnight Mommy is a remake of a 2014 Austrian movie which is supposedly much darker. However this version is well-made, suspenseful, and features some excellent performances by Watts and those two wonderfully gifted Crovetti brothers. 

That being said I was rather shocked by the ending of the film, which completely rips off the "big reveal" of Thomas Tryon's novel "The Other" and the film version thereof. (I don't know if the Austrian film has the same twist at the end.) This is too bad because the film intelligently explores how attitudes change in children towards their parents and vice versa as they all grow older and it has some strong and moving sequences. 

Verdict: The Other redux. Thomas Tryon would not be pleased. **1/2.

G-MEN VS THE BLACK DRAGON (Second view) IN COLOR

Rod Cameron as agent Rex 

G-MEN VS THE BLACK DRAGON (15 chapter Republic serial/1943). Directed by William Witney and Spencer Gordon Bennett. COLORIZED.

Oyama Haruchi (Nino Pipitone), head of the Black Dragon Society, has come to the U.S. as a mummy in suspended animation. When he is revived, he embarks on a campaign of terror and sabotage. Fighting Haruchi are federal agent Rex Bennett (Rod Cameron), Chinese agent Chang Sing (Roland Got), and British agent Vivian Marsh (Constance Worth). Brave and adept as any man, Vivian handles a machine gun with aplomb and can also pilot an airplane. Haruchi's primary assistants are Ranga (Noel Cravat) and Lugo (George J. Lewis) and there is also a crow that attacks people on command after they are unwillingly deposited in an underground chamber via a trapdoor.

Nino Pipitone with pet

Well-directed, briskly-edited and action-packed, with those furious furniture-breaking fisticuffs that Republic serials were famous for, G Men vs the Black Dragon is a highly entertaining and often thrilling serial (and it benefits from being colorized even though the night time sequences are occasionally too dark). An Italian actor, Nino Pipitone played more than one Japanese role, and while you never quite believe he's a true Oriental, he is quite good and effective as Haruchi. The other cast members all play with heroic or villainous enthusiasm, as the case may be. And it's all backed by a rousing musical score by Mort Glickman. 

Vivian (Constance Worth) faces spear death

Highlights of the serial include Vivian tied to a log and nearly being buzz-sawed to death as well as being tied to a chair and almost punctured by a hurtling spear. Rex himself falls from a skyscraper window (saving himself by grabbing a firehose), has a fight in a cockpit and survives more than one plane crash, and is nearly crushed by toppling towers near the endangered Boulder Dam. Constance Worth was an Australian actress who first worked for RKO, then Columbia, then did free-lance work in a variety of B movies. She was married to George Brent for only a few months. In one silly sequence Vivian goes in disguise but doesn't bother to disguise her distinctive voice or accent, but no one is the wiser! 

NOTE: Okay, I already reviewed this serial on this blog about two and a half years ago -- not to mention on my brother blog Great Old Movies -- but discovering a colorized version on youtube made me watch it all over again. Here is my original BMN review, which is actually a little more detailed. 

Verdict: Snappy serial. ***1/2.  

NAKED GUN (1956)

NAKED GUN (1956). Director: Eddie Dew. 

Insurance agent Breen Matthews (Willard Parker) comes into the wild west town of Topaz with a chest of treasure from the late members of the Salazar family. The town is essentially run by the hanging Judge Cole (Billy House) and saloon owner Joe Barnum (Barton MacLane). Barnum sells his bar to unsuspecting newcomers, who are then hung on trumped up charges by Cole, after which Barnum reclaims his bar and keeps the money from the sale. The latest sap is Sonny Glenn (Tom Brown), who has a reputation as a card shark which may or may not be deserved. His main squeeze is the hard-boiled Susan (Veda Ann Borg), and into Topaz comes another female, Louisa (Mara Corday), who is the niece of Sheriff Jackson (Morris Ankrum) and hopes to sing in the saloon. Then the treasure chest is stolen, a certain party is hung, and anyone participating in such a foul deed winds up stabbed to death as Naked Gun turns into a western slasher!

Mara Corday has at Veda Ann Borg

One of the most notable things about Naked Gun is that it has an absolutely incredible B movie cast. Veda Ann Borg of The Shadow, Morris Ankrum of Earth vs the Flying Saucers, Mara Corday of Tarantula, Tom Brown of The Adventures of Smilin' Jack, Chick Chandler of Soldiers of Fortune and The Lost Continent, Rick Vallin of Batman and Robin and Barton MacLane of Unknown Island. Willard Parker was Rosalind Russell's leading man in What a Woman and also starred in The Earth Dies Screaming and he's fine as the laconic hero in this. The whole thing has a TV show-type feel and is directed with little inspiration, but the actors are game enough and there's a zesty, if too brief, cat-fight between Corday and Borg at the halfway point. Billy House makes an unusual hanging judge and isn't quite satisfactory in the role, but Timothy Carey as a gunman is as quirky, twitchy  and charismatic as ever. 

Verdict: Surprising just how entertaining this B western really is. ***. 

SMILE (2022)

 SMILE (2022). Written and directed by Parker Finn. 

After seeing a patient, Laura (Caitlin Stasey), commit suicide right in front of her, psychologist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), starts becoming paranoid. Laura was convinced that she was being stalked by an "entity" that could look like her or anyone else, and caused bad things to happen every time it appeared. Rose starts to act quite odd, causing anger and consternation in her self-absorbed sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser) and fiance Trevor (Jessie T. Usher). With the help of a detective and ex-boyfriend, Joel (Kyle Gallner), Rose discovers that there have been a whole series of suicides whose witnesses seem to take on the curse of the person who killed themselves. Apparently the only way Rose can get rid of the curse is by killing someone else -- in front of a witness ... The title refers to how the entity makes people/apparitions smile in a fearfully grotesque fashion. 

If Smile clocked in at about 80 minutes, it might have been a taut and effective horror film, but at nearly two hours, the deliberate pacing works against it. The premise is creepy but kind of familiar, and while the climax is quite well-done and spooky, it is also not that original. The entity looks quite horrifying, however. The acting and FX in this are good but the flick is just so so. Smile might have been more interesting if it had at least explored the possibility that a human agent was behind the bizarre goings-on. Sosie Bacon is the daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Segwick -- she scratched and clawed her way to success! 

Verdict: Sometimes less is literally more! This might have been a knock-out if it didn't remind one of a dozen other previous movies. **1/2.   

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD

Father and Son: Michael C. Hall and Jack Olcott

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD (2021 Showtime mini-series).

Dexter ran for several seasons and was certainly an unusual series. The anti-Hero, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), was a serial killer who only murdered people who really deserved it, such as other serial killers, child molesters, or those who had gotten away with murder. His task was made easier because he worked for the Miami police department, and part of the "fun" of the show was watching him stay one step ahead of his colleagues, especially his detective sister. The show ended with Dexter presumed dead, but turning up far north in a small town in upstate New York.

Olcott, Hall and Jones

Dexter: New Blood takes up a decade later, when Dexter, under an assumed name, has become firmly established in the small town of Iron Lake. The utterly far-fetched premise has him becoming the boyfriend of -- get this -- the female Chief of Police, Angela Bishop (Julia Jones)! You would think that our dear Dexter would want to stay as far away from the police as possible, and if he had this mini-series might have had a very different conclusion. Another complication is that Dexter's son, Harrison (Jack Olcott, a 21-year-old actor successfully playing about 16), finding out that his father is alive, comes looking for him. But does the boy carry his own "dark passenger," and exactly how much does Dexter want to share with his son? And considering the number of women who have disappeared from Iron Lake over the decades, could there be another serial killer at large, and will he or she wind up on Dexter's kill table?

Like the original show, Dexter: New Blood is extremely entertaining, well-acted, and suspenseful. It also has a satisfying, dramatically-right conclusion, although it will undoubtedly disappoint those who were hoping to see another mini-series about Dexter. Michael C. Hall is superb as the conflicted, confused, morally ambiguous Dexter, and he is matched by Olcott as Harrison, who clearly has problems of his own. Jones, Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's late sister (appearing in fantasies), Clancy Brown in a fine turn as respected townsperson Kurt Caldwell, Alano Miller as Coach Logan, among others, all help make the occasionally absurd proceedings more convincing. The series is also unpredictable, and may not go in the directions you think it will. Dexter: New Blood can be gruesome at times, but nothing over the top, and there are no scenes of (practically) lip-smacking torture porn like you will find in Criminal Minds: Evolution. Pat Irwin's theme music is a decided plus. 

Verdict: Surprisingly moving wind-up to the strange Dexter saga. ***. 

SHAZAM

Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel/Shazam

SHAZAM (2019). Director: David F. Sandberg. 

Young trouble maker Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has been searching for his birth mother ever since she lost him at a fairground years before. Now age 14. he is in foster care. Running from a couple of bullies, he winds up in a cavern off of the subway, and encounters an elderly wizard (originally called Shazam), who tells him he is pure of heart and can attain great power by saying the magic word, "Shazam." When he does so Billy transforms into a grown man (Zachary Levi) who still has the mind of a boy. His foster brother, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), councils him and helps him catalog his super-powers, but he is appalled that Billy seems more interested in getting attention and autographs than anything else. Then Billy has to face a real challenge in the form of Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), who grew up bitter and warped due to the bullying of both his father (John Glover) and brother and being told by Shazam that "you will never be worthy." Now Sivana has great powers himself and Billy -- who is not certain what to call himself as a hero -- may find himself in for the fight of his young life.

Levi with Grace Caroline Currey

Shazam is based on the golden age character of Captain Marvel, who was published by Fawcett comics. DC and Fawcett were entangled in a lawsuit over the alleged similarity between Cap and Superman for many years until Fawcett went out of business and DC bought the rights to the character. Meanwhile Marvel Comics created their own Captain Marvel (apparently the name had fallen into the public domain for a spell), an alien actually named Mar-Vell. (Captain Marvel is now a female who had a long history at Marvel comics, originally being known as Ms. Marvel). Although DC still uses the name Captain Marvel in its comic books, the name is never used in this movie, probably because at the time Marvel was developing its own Captain Marvel movie. Although he never refers to himself that way, our hero is apparently named Shazam, and the old wizard is just the Old Wizard.

Mark Strong and John Glover with demons

Shazam, which is rated PG-13, has a light tone throughout the movie, but one sequence is completely at odds with the rest. Dr. Sivana uses demonic creatures to slaughter not only his father and brother, but every terrified and innocent person in the board room. One man has his head bitten off and his body thrown out of the skyscraper (the brother is also thrown through a window). This sequence would be perfectly okay in a horror/monster movie, but it's out of sync and disturbing in a near-comedy like this. It also makes such a sentimental sequence as Billy being reunited (in a very disappointing way) with his mother seem a touch hypocritical. However, both Levi, Angel, Grazer and others give good performances -- Faithe Herman is adorable as little Darla -- although Mark Strong, while competent and not campy, is a little disappointing as the head villain. As the old wizard, Djimon Hounsou comes off more like a witch doctor from the South Bronx than any kind of magical sorcerer. At the end Billy's foster siblings all temporarily transform into adult heroes in similar costumes. The FX throughout are very good and a scene when Shazam causes a bus accident but manages to save everyone afterward is well-done. 

Verdict: Okay DC super-hero movie with some out-of-sync sequences. Stick with The Adventures of Captain Marvel serial. **1/2. 

ORPHAN: FIRST KILL

Isabelle Fuhrman

ORPHAN: FIRST KILL (2022). Director: William Brent Bell. 

In this prequel to Orphan, a psychotic young lady (Isabelle Fuhrman) escapes from a mental institution overseas, and manages to take the place of a missing American child named Esther to the initial joy of the family. "Esther" now has a new mother (Julia Chiles), father (Rossif Sutherland), with whom she falls in love, and older brother Gunnar (Matthew Finlan). Unfortunately for Esther a child psychologist (Samantha Walkes) and a Detective Donnan originally assigned to the case (Hiro Kanagawa), have their suspicions. But they may not have them for long.

Rossif Sutherland

Since the big reveal of the first film (which actually takes place after this film) is no longer a secret, First Kill has come up with its own twists and surprises. These may be a bit far-fetched, but they work within the confines of this type of horror picture. Isabelle Furhman is excellent as the clever and crazy Esther, but she is not a child actress any longer, being 23 or so when she filmed this prequel. (In the first film she was about 12.) Julia Stiles offers a terrific performance in a difficult role, and she is matched by Sutherland (son of Donald) and Finlan. The action and murder sequences are well-staged and the film moves at a brisk pace.

Verdict: A sequel/prequel that is as entertaining as the original. ***. 

STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

William Shatner as Captain Kirk

STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991). Director: Nicholas Meyer. 

Captain James Kirk (William Shatner of Dead Man's Island), who blames the untrustworthy Klingons for the death of his son, is outraged when he learns there is to be a peace treaty with the barbarian-like aliens. Worse, he is to invite the Klingon delegation aboard the enterprise. Dinner is awkward, but things take a turn for the worse when the Enterprise apparently fires on the Klingon ship, and Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) is killed. Trying to help matters and figure out what happened, instead Kirk and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves put on trial for assassination! 

Kim Cattrall on the bridge of the Enterprise

The Undiscovered Country -- "the undiscovered country, the future" is from Hamlet -- was the last of the theatrical Trek movies to feature the original cast all by themselves, although Shatner and others appeared with Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations. The film is fast-moving and entertaining, although there are times when the script allows Kirk/Shatner to be a little too "cutesy." Otherwise the performances are good enough -- Leonard Nimoy [Zombies of the Stratosphere] and Janes Doohan are aboard -- and the actors playing Klingons, including Warner, are especially notable: Christopher Plummer as Chang and Rosanna DeSoto as Gorkon's daughter, Azetbur, among others. Sulu (George Takei) is now captain of his own ship, with Grace Lee Whitney as his communications officer. (Christian Slater also has a small part as a crew member of Sulu's ship). Iman makes an impression as a shapeshifter who helps Kirk and McCoy get out of the prison mines on an icy planet where they are incarcerated. Kim Cattrall is also memorable as a new Vulcan crew member on the Enterprise. Nichelle Nichols has a little more to do as Uhura. 

During their dinner together, Chang remarks that "you have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon." Of course, one might wonder if the Klingons would even be familiar with Shakespeare or have any interest in reading him, but this is undoubtedly an in-joke among several. The FX work in the film is excellent, and Cliff Eidelman's score, especially the dynamic theme music, is also memorable. 

Verdict: Semi swan song for the original Star Trek crew. ***.
 

DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange

DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022). Director: Sam Raimi. 

Marvel sorcerer Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch (of Spider-Man: No Way Home) dreams about and then encounters a young lady, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who comes from another dimension and has the ability to travel from one universe to another. She is being pursued by former Avenger Wanda Maximoff, aka, the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who wants the girl's power and will kill anyone who gets in her way to obtain it. Her own little boys turned out to be magical in nature -- they didn't really exist -- and she wants to take over the life and body of an alternate Wanda (from another dimension) who has two honest-to-goodness children. Dr. Strange and America travel to a variety of alternate Earths to try and stay one jump ahead of Wanda, encountering Other-Versions of Strange himself and other Marvel heroes (such as Professor Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart of Lifeforce). To win this battle Dr. Strange may need the secrets of the Darkhold and the Book of Vishanti, but will he be corrupted like other versions of himself have been?

Mad Mother Love: Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch

Let's state at the outset that this is a movie for Marvel comics fans and hardly anyone else. As usual multiple characters are thrown at you and the uninitiated will not only not know who most of them are but be quite confused by the storyline (especially as it bounces around from dimension to dimension)! That being said, Dr. Strange 2, as it is also known, is an improvement over the first Strange film, and is quite entertaining, although its moments of alleged humor may make one groan. The storyline is based on events that occurred, I believe, at the very end of the long run of The Avengers comic book volume one, when Wanda went  berserk after her unreal children vanished (but don't quote me, as it's been quite a while since I read these stories). 

the giant one-eyed "octopus" monster

Whatever its flaws, Dr. Strange 2 benefits from the people both in front of and behind the camera. Super-hero movies are often helmed by fledgling directors who can't handle all the disparate elements but Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead; Spider-Man 2) is an experienced director and despite the movie's fast pace you can follow the action -- these sequences are all well done. The FX work is also outstanding, such as when Wanda sends a gigantic, one-eyed tentacled monstrosity after America in Manhattan; or a stunning journey through dimensions in which the characters temporarily turn into water or even paint; and a sequence when two versions of Dr. Strange hurl mystical musical notes -- and the actual music -- at one another (not an original concept but it works beautifully anyway). At one point our Dr. Strange takes over the body of a deceased, rotting version of himself! 

Dead Dr. Strange from an alternate universe

Cumberbatch makes an effective Dr. Strange, but Elizabeth Olsen steals the movie with a terrific and impassioned performance as Wanda. Danny Elfman has contributed another exciting and dramatic score while cinematographer John Mathieson -- with the help of a variety of production designers and art directors, not to mention FX people -- insures that the film is always visually striking. In fact, Dr Strange 2 is stunningly opulent from start to finish. 

Verdict: Strictly for Marvel maniacs, but they should enjoy this. ***. 

THE SHADOW (1940)

The Shadow on the prowl!

THE SHADOW (15 chapter Columbia serial/1940). Director: James W. Horne. COLORIZED.

A gang headed by the mysterious Black Tiger is causing havoc in the city as well as conniption fits in some of the most prominent civic leaders, members of the Committee. The Black Tiger is using a special ray to bring down plane after plane as well as targeting railroad trains and other industries. Police Commissioner Weston (Frank LaRue) brings in criminologist Lamont Cranston (Victor Jory) for help -- along with his assistant Harry Vincent (Roger Moore) and secretary Margo Lane (Veda Ann Borg of Accomplice) --  but doesn't realize that Cranston's alter ego, the masked and cloaked crimefighter the Shadow, is also on the case. But Weston comes to believe that the Shadow and the Black Tiger are one and the same, which means Cranston has to fight off cops as well as gunsels!

Victor Jory

The Shadow, one of the best of Columbia's chapterplays, has its flaws -- there aren't that many decent cliffhangers and way too many explosions which the Shadow simply gets up and walks away from -- but in general it's fast-paced and vastly entertaining. Shadow purists have already complained that the Shadow doesn't use his ability to cloud men's minds or seemingly turn invisible -- not to mention that "Lamont Cranston" was also a fake identity -- but he does dress in his cloak and takes on the bad guys with aplomb. While the fight scenes may not achieve the level of operatic -- or acrobatic -- intensity of the Republic serials, they are still quite lively and well-done. The more memorable cliffhangers include Margo being caught below a descending freight elevator, the Shadow falling onto tracks with a train rapidly approaching, and Margo and two others held captive as a sizzling laser beam inexorably pivots in their direction.

Veda Ann Borg as Margo Lane

Then there's Victor Jory, who is perfect casting as Cranston/ the Shadow, a fine actor who adds that touch of class to the proceedings. He also gets the Shadow's taunting, sinister laugh down pat. Jory also scores as the Oriental Ling Chan, another of Cranston's disguises, which he uses to infiltrate the mob. Borg, Moore, LaRue are all on target, and there is notable work from Philip Ahn as Wu Yung, who also assists Cranston, and especially Jack Ingram as Flint Williams, the Black Tiger's main henchman. Richard Cramer does the amusing, terminally grumpy voice of the Black Tiger, who can seemingly become invisible and talks through the replica of a tiger's head. 

Cranston faces the Committee: who is the Black Tiger?

I found this colorized version of The Shadow on youtube and quickly pounced. Although some sections of the serial are not as clear as I might like (I'd rather watch a clear black and white print than a murky colorized one), the color does add to the enjoyment, although some might suggest that a character like the Shadow belongs in black and white. This version is also edited, which means you get the entire serial (not an 80-minute "feature" version like they used to show on television) with the credits, aside from the first chapter, excised. Some might miss those dramatic and fun cliffhanger closings, but this way you get all of the thrills and don't have to sit through the credits over a dozen times. This is not the first or last serial to utilize a grouping or committee of civic leaders, one of whom is intimated to be the master criminal, but The Shadow certainly keeps you guessing as to which one, as the members of the committee are rather numerous. James W. Horne also co-directed Flying G-Men. 

Verdict: Suspenseful and thrilling Columbia serial is a lot of fun! ***1/2. 

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER

Robert Conrad as Nick Carter

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER (1972 telefilm). Director: Paul Krasny. 

Around 1910 in Manhattan private eye Nick Carter (Robert Conrad), learns that his old friend and mentor, Sam Bates (Byron Morrow), has been murdered. Bates was trying to find a young lady named Ivy, who supposedly left town with a young man named Lloyd Deams (Sean Garrison), the paramour of club owner Bess Tucker (Shelley Winters). Nick is hired by Ivy's father-in-law Otis Duncan (Broderick Crawford) to find out what happened to Ivy, although Nick is just as interested in discovering who bumped off Bates. As Nick investigates he encounters Duncan's two sons, the flamboyant and dissipated Freddy (Dean Stockwell) and the much more uptight Neal (Pernell Roberts), not to mention corrupt cop Captain Keller (Neville Brand) and his murderous henchmen. 

Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts

Adventures of Nick Carter is based on a character who first appeared in print in the late 19th century. It's been decades since I read any Nick Carter stories but it seemed to me they were a little wilder than this fairly reasonable mystery-detective tale. Robert Conrad had wrapped up his lengthy run on The Wild, Wild West and it was undoubtedly thought that lightning might strike twice with the actor in another suspenseful period piece, but Nick Carter did not become a series. Conrad is okay as Carter, basically playing himself, but he gets fine support from the other cast members named above, as well as from Pat O'Brien as the head of a mission who gives Carter tips from time to time. Brooke Bundy is Carter's secretary, and the awful singer Jaye P. Morgan shows up very briefly as a forgettable chanteuse. The best performances are from Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts as the two highly unalike siblings. Nick Carter was later turned into a kind of super-spy in a series of lurid paperback books and was also featured in the foreign parody Dinner for Adele. 

Verdict: Could have made an interesting series, although not as much fun as The Wild, Wild West. ***.