This is a decent and entertaining film, but not one that is particularly inspired or memorable. In many ways, it's like a 1930s B-film with very modest pretensions as well as some excitement and clichés. Of course, what else would you expect from a Fu Manchu film?!
In this third installment from the Christopher Lee series, we see the very resilient Fu Manchu attempt to organize all the criminals of the planet under his leadership. His trump card is a genius missionary doctor who just happens to be nearby. This doctor can do plastic surgery to make people look exactly like famous people and the plan is to have him make fakes of the leaders of all the world's police forces. How this guy, with early 20th century technology, can make PERFECT replicas is anyone's guess--this is just something you'll need to suspend disbelief for and you'll have to force yourself not to ask too many questions. Questions like "why would they leave a HUGE pile of gunpowder sitting there for the good guys to ignite?" and "when the guy throws a torch on these barrels of gunpowder, why does Fu Manchu just stand there while everyone else makes their escape?" and "if Manchu is replacing one police inspector, why doesn't he kill the original instead of taking him halfway around the world and giving him a chance for payback?". All these are very obviously plot holes, but once again, what do you expect--Shakespeare?!
This is an agreeable, though silly, time-passer. Worth a look if you're into Lee films--otherwise, it's pretty easy to skip.
In this third installment from the Christopher Lee series, we see the very resilient Fu Manchu attempt to organize all the criminals of the planet under his leadership. His trump card is a genius missionary doctor who just happens to be nearby. This doctor can do plastic surgery to make people look exactly like famous people and the plan is to have him make fakes of the leaders of all the world's police forces. How this guy, with early 20th century technology, can make PERFECT replicas is anyone's guess--this is just something you'll need to suspend disbelief for and you'll have to force yourself not to ask too many questions. Questions like "why would they leave a HUGE pile of gunpowder sitting there for the good guys to ignite?" and "when the guy throws a torch on these barrels of gunpowder, why does Fu Manchu just stand there while everyone else makes their escape?" and "if Manchu is replacing one police inspector, why doesn't he kill the original instead of taking him halfway around the world and giving him a chance for payback?". All these are very obviously plot holes, but once again, what do you expect--Shakespeare?!
This is an agreeable, though silly, time-passer. Worth a look if you're into Lee films--otherwise, it's pretty easy to skip.