The diabolical Chinese architect of doom, Fu Manchu(Christopher Lee, imposing as ever) still carrying a devious desire to control mankind across the globe, has orchestrated a new plan to destroy the top military nations' generals and Commander-in-chiefs who are gathering together in London for a service dedication at St. Paul's church. Through a method using energy(..provided through the use of light, heat and power, transmitted by sound waves), Fu Manchu needs the cooperation and know-how of the top industrialists and scientists, and in getting that he kidnaps their wives and daughters(..they are the "brides" of the title), using hypnosis with his incredible mental powers, removing their will and in doing so can command them to do anything he so desires. Fu Manchu's arch nemesis and wily adversary, Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Sir Dennis Nayland Smith(Douglas Wilmer), along with pathologist Dr. Petrie(Howard Marion-Crawford;Smith's Dr. Watson, you could say)and Parisian Inspector Pierre Grimaldi(Roger Hanin), must discover his plans and stop him before the cunning mastermind is able to remove the great military leaders which help to keep our world's countries safe.
The film has three basic settings. London where Fu Manchu has dacoit soldiers attempting to kidnap Marie Lentz(Marie Versini), the daughter of a great scientist needed to assist the madman in equipping his machines with the proper settings to bomb major cities. Marie's fiancé, German research chemist Franz Baumer(Heinz Drache), helps Smith and company in their efforts to find Fu Manchu's headquarters, buried underground in the foothills of a specific French mountainside. The film often shows the trapped women imprisoned in Fu Manchu's headquarters, and slave Abdul(Salmaan Peerzada)who plans to save them. A certain industrialist, Jules Merlin(Rupert Davies), is chosen for his expertise in building little wireless sets which enable Fu Manchu's henchman to set up their operations in small locations. The film shows Merlin's daughter Michel(Carole Gray)imprisoned which motivates him to do what Fu Manchu asks. When Marie is finally kidnapped in a well orchestrated siege in an opera house, she will coordinate an escape plan with Michel. Baumer will also infiltrate the headquarters posing as his fiancé's father. The film also has scenes in Paris where Merlin's business is centered. Marie doesn't know that her best friend, Nikki Sheldon(Harald Leipnitz)is actually working for Fu Manchu and assists in having her captured at the opera house. Fu Manchu's corrupt organization is under the disguise of Wireless International. Showing his capabilities, Fu Manchu destroys a cruise ship, The Windsor Castle, which will prompt Smith to move faster in stopping him before he's able to carry out his ultimate plan. Using Marie's father, Otto Lentz(Joseph Fürst)expertise, they will hatch a plan to use a stronger signal to counteract Manchu's with the lives of many important figures' lying in the balance.
Plot-heavy, exciting, fast-paced fun with a great cast and dangerous situations creating an exhausting thrill-ride with Lee in great form even though he doesn't even attempt to sound Chinese. Wilmer is effective at portraying Fu Manchu's adversary;he presents the commissioner as fast-thinking, wise, and courageous. Smith has to have certain attributes if he's able to somehow defeat a villain such as Fu Manchu, with lives at stake. I think Wilmer is convincing, selling his Smith as someone we can count on to catch the terrorists out to cause chaos and global mischief. There are some thrilling set-pieces, such as the opera house kidnapping, the fight that breaks out between the "brides" and Fu Manchu's dacoit soldiers, and an attempt at hi-jacking Marie in her hospital of employment. We get to see Baumer beat the hell out of Fu Manchu's men and the destruction of the Windsor Castle ship as Smith and his men failed in saving those killed is quite a stunner. Unfortunately, Fu Manchu's headquarters inside the foothills look like cheap sets(..it's clear, I believe, that producer Towers desires to mimic Hammer), but that did very little to distract me from the perilous situation the madman was creating for our heroes. There's so much going on, you have little time to catch your breath. Director Don Sharp once again shows his skills at creating a lot with little, crafting a nice adventure out of the money producer Harry Allan Towers was able to give him. Rounding out a solid cast includes Tsai Chin as Fu Manchu's daughter Lin Tang, ever supportive and willing to obey. Burt Kwouk(the Pink Panther movies)is Feng, Fu Manchu's top scientist who is leader over the mechanical operations functioning the energy sent to destroy targets at his boss' command. It's great to actually see Asians portraying Fu Manchu's Chinese soldiers.
The film has three basic settings. London where Fu Manchu has dacoit soldiers attempting to kidnap Marie Lentz(Marie Versini), the daughter of a great scientist needed to assist the madman in equipping his machines with the proper settings to bomb major cities. Marie's fiancé, German research chemist Franz Baumer(Heinz Drache), helps Smith and company in their efforts to find Fu Manchu's headquarters, buried underground in the foothills of a specific French mountainside. The film often shows the trapped women imprisoned in Fu Manchu's headquarters, and slave Abdul(Salmaan Peerzada)who plans to save them. A certain industrialist, Jules Merlin(Rupert Davies), is chosen for his expertise in building little wireless sets which enable Fu Manchu's henchman to set up their operations in small locations. The film shows Merlin's daughter Michel(Carole Gray)imprisoned which motivates him to do what Fu Manchu asks. When Marie is finally kidnapped in a well orchestrated siege in an opera house, she will coordinate an escape plan with Michel. Baumer will also infiltrate the headquarters posing as his fiancé's father. The film also has scenes in Paris where Merlin's business is centered. Marie doesn't know that her best friend, Nikki Sheldon(Harald Leipnitz)is actually working for Fu Manchu and assists in having her captured at the opera house. Fu Manchu's corrupt organization is under the disguise of Wireless International. Showing his capabilities, Fu Manchu destroys a cruise ship, The Windsor Castle, which will prompt Smith to move faster in stopping him before he's able to carry out his ultimate plan. Using Marie's father, Otto Lentz(Joseph Fürst)expertise, they will hatch a plan to use a stronger signal to counteract Manchu's with the lives of many important figures' lying in the balance.
Plot-heavy, exciting, fast-paced fun with a great cast and dangerous situations creating an exhausting thrill-ride with Lee in great form even though he doesn't even attempt to sound Chinese. Wilmer is effective at portraying Fu Manchu's adversary;he presents the commissioner as fast-thinking, wise, and courageous. Smith has to have certain attributes if he's able to somehow defeat a villain such as Fu Manchu, with lives at stake. I think Wilmer is convincing, selling his Smith as someone we can count on to catch the terrorists out to cause chaos and global mischief. There are some thrilling set-pieces, such as the opera house kidnapping, the fight that breaks out between the "brides" and Fu Manchu's dacoit soldiers, and an attempt at hi-jacking Marie in her hospital of employment. We get to see Baumer beat the hell out of Fu Manchu's men and the destruction of the Windsor Castle ship as Smith and his men failed in saving those killed is quite a stunner. Unfortunately, Fu Manchu's headquarters inside the foothills look like cheap sets(..it's clear, I believe, that producer Towers desires to mimic Hammer), but that did very little to distract me from the perilous situation the madman was creating for our heroes. There's so much going on, you have little time to catch your breath. Director Don Sharp once again shows his skills at creating a lot with little, crafting a nice adventure out of the money producer Harry Allan Towers was able to give him. Rounding out a solid cast includes Tsai Chin as Fu Manchu's daughter Lin Tang, ever supportive and willing to obey. Burt Kwouk(the Pink Panther movies)is Feng, Fu Manchu's top scientist who is leader over the mechanical operations functioning the energy sent to destroy targets at his boss' command. It's great to actually see Asians portraying Fu Manchu's Chinese soldiers.