The Pumaman (1980)

Thousands of years ago, aliens visited Earth and fathered the Pumaman, a man-god with supernatural powers entrusted by a gold mask with the ability to control people's minds, which in present-day London, falls upon the wrong hands.

Director:

Alberto De Martino

Writers:

Massimo De Rita (screenplay), Luigi Angelo (collaboration on screenplay)

Stars:

Walter George Alton, Donald Pleasence, Miguel Ángel Fuentes

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Walter George Alton	...	Prof. Tony Farms / Puma Man
Donald Pleasence	...	Kobras (as Donald Pleasance)
Miguel Ángel Fuentes	...	Vadinho (as Miguel Angel Fuentes)
Sydne Rome	...	Miss Jane Dobson
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Ambassador Dobson
Benito Stefanelli	...	Rankin, Kobras' Lieutenant
Guido Lollobrigida	...	Kobras Thug with Moustache
Peter Cellier	...	Museum Curator
Geoffrey Copleston	...	Sir George Bradley (as Jeffrey Coppleston)

Storyline

Professor Tony Farms discovers that he is really Puma Man, a superhero who is descended from the gods. Together with an Aztec priest, they try to thwart the plans of Kobras, who is in possession of the sacred puma mask, and plans to hypnotize government leaders with it and take over the world. Puma Man spends most of the movie flying awkwardly and jumping around, leaving the Aztec priest to perform all the physically demanding tasks.

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Plot Keywords:

superhero | superpowers | flying | character name in title | hero | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Star Donald Pleasence once cited this as the worst film he'd ever been in.

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Goofs

Stonehenge isn't located next to the sea.

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Quotes

Kobras: You cannot escape me! You can no longer jump into space! Because you are made of earth! And to earth, you shall return!

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Alternate Versions

The Greek video version has parts of the scenes at the start rearranged.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Shakma, Python II, and Beaks: The Movie (2014)

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Soundtracks

Flying Like A Puma
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by Renato Serio And His Orchestra

User Reviews

You will believe a puma can fly....

Puma Man - who is he? Why is he here? Where did he come from? Why is he a manic-depressive?

All of these questions - or at least most - can be answered by watching "L'uomo puma" (or "Puma Man", as I know it). Made (solely) to cash in on the "Superman" craze, this comes in at just barely more tolerable than "The Indian Superman" (never seen that one? Check out "Stomp Tokyo").

Seems Aztec priest Vadinho ("an onion?") is throwing guys out of high-rise windows all over London to see which one is a super hero. Well, if there's no better way to find out.... Then he comes upon college professor Tony Farms (Alton, whom you probably haven't seen since those old "dry look" commercials), who survives a three-story fall quite nicely. Vadinho then bestows a magic belt on him that grants Tony the heroic powers of a puma.

Okay...stop there. Comparison time. Tony jumps, pumas jump. Tony claws things, pumas claw things. Tony flies, pumas.... Aah, there, SEE? Of course, if a puma was going through the air, it would probably flail its limbs all around and have its butt up the air, too.

Anyway, Tony's first assignment: stop the evil Kobras (Pleasance!!) from taking over the world by staring at people through an aluminum foil mask and controlling their minds with papier-mache mock-ups of their heads (poor representations, too), and while wearing leather S&M suits or silver nehru jackets. Oh Donald, what were you thinking? "Paycheck", no doubt.

Everything here suggests the film-makers were trying to attain the lofty heights of "Superman"; but this group doesn't even get close to "Super Mario Brothers" territory.

Love the disco soundtrack, though, as well as the special FX (no more special than back projection technology) and that perplexed look Donald Pleasance has on his face throughout the film. Maybe he was expecting Steve McQueen to drop by and help him escape?

At any rate, MST3K is the safest, least harmful way to witness the disaster that is "Puma Man". For certain, Mike and the robots supply the best dialogue (favorite - "Couldn't control me bladder - sorry, mate!")

Three stars for "L'uomo puma" (for sheer joy in its stupidity), and ten stars for the MST3K version.

Catch it, just to see what puts the "poo" in "Puma Man".

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

14 February 1980 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Pumaman

Filming Locations:

Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ADM Films Department, La Deantir

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1