Considered the pinnacle of all serials this is certainly a grand epic adventure. Telling the story of how Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel in order to save the members of his archaeological party and then how he must uses his powers to prevent the villainous Scorpion from using the scorpion statute that they found for evil. Seeing the serial again divorced of the initial hype with which I watched it, I found it's a much better serial than I first took it for. Its action packed with lots of neat cliffhangers and all the things you think of when you hear "serial". It is one of the best cinematic translation of a comic book to the big screen. And keep in mind if the adventures seem a tad familiar its because movie makers and comic artists have been raiding the film for the sixty plus years since it was made-you've seen this before because everyone stole from it. (It also shows the peril of having a superhero as serial lead-how do you make it exciting when the hero can't be hurt. It was a problem Columbia wrestled with when they did Superman several years later) A must see not only for the history but also for the adventure.
Review of Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel
(1941)
Lots of fun thats only familiar because everyone has stolen from it
30 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers