Who doesn't love an old-fashioned serial? These are episodic films, typically divided into 15 minute "chunks", that were often played at matinée cinema showings before the main movie. They're the film equivalent of the classic pulp magazines of the 1930s and '40s, offering spectacle and excitement and inevitable cliffhangers to keep you coming back week after week.
Made in 1952, RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON is a rather late addition to the genre but one which effectively captures the fighting spirit of the oldies. Yes, it's two-fisted action all the way in this one, and the twelve chapters (running for approximately three hours, no less) fly past thanks to the emphasis on fights and chases. Forget boring dialogue and characters sitting around endlessly - that's all jettisoned here in favour of excitement.
And boy, do I miss the days when children's entertainment wasn't afraid to get its hands dirty. George Wallace's Commando Cody isn't the kind of hero you'd expect in a modern-day setting that's for sure; he's thick-set, mid 40s, no dashing good looks, just an ordinary guy. And yet his face fits, and somehow he inhabits that role just right.
Each and every instalment is packed with fiery death, long fights with multiple opponents slugging it out, ray guys and atomic bombs and interspace travel. The special effects are remarkably good, especially of Commando Cody flying on his jetpack, and have actually dated less than the awful-looking back-projection effects of, say, the SUPERMAN films. In short, there's nothing to dislike here, and this is one of those films you watch and can't help thinking that "they don't make 'em like this anymore"!
Made in 1952, RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON is a rather late addition to the genre but one which effectively captures the fighting spirit of the oldies. Yes, it's two-fisted action all the way in this one, and the twelve chapters (running for approximately three hours, no less) fly past thanks to the emphasis on fights and chases. Forget boring dialogue and characters sitting around endlessly - that's all jettisoned here in favour of excitement.
And boy, do I miss the days when children's entertainment wasn't afraid to get its hands dirty. George Wallace's Commando Cody isn't the kind of hero you'd expect in a modern-day setting that's for sure; he's thick-set, mid 40s, no dashing good looks, just an ordinary guy. And yet his face fits, and somehow he inhabits that role just right.
Each and every instalment is packed with fiery death, long fights with multiple opponents slugging it out, ray guys and atomic bombs and interspace travel. The special effects are remarkably good, especially of Commando Cody flying on his jetpack, and have actually dated less than the awful-looking back-projection effects of, say, the SUPERMAN films. In short, there's nothing to dislike here, and this is one of those films you watch and can't help thinking that "they don't make 'em like this anymore"!