DVD : Adventures of Captain Marvel

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Like a good fight then say SHAZAM
I'am from England and can remeber watching the serial each week at my local cinema. But this resulted in me missing one or two episiodes. Well here it is in all its glory.

For thoes interested in American comic books and the collecting of the ART form. Then the Adventures of Captain Marvel two volume video set is a valid purchase.

If you like a good old fasioned slug feast without the angst or camp of the present comic book character then here we have a suscessful portrayal on the wide screen.

The plot and dialouge is simplistic. But the budget and the period of time it was produced, you will be well served.

Good punch-ups! and mandatory cliff hangers still got me shouting now nearly thirty years on!.

Money well spent.

Rating:

- Adventures of Captain Marvel
Great example of what cliffhangers are supposed to be. Billy Batson could not possibly have been portrayed any better. Interesting story line and plot. Creative action sequences and a sinister villian who is a well kept secret until the very last moment. This was both engaging and fun to watch. I thought I was reading the original comic books. Definintely worth adding to your collection.

Rating:

- Marvel is Marvelous!
If you've never seen one of these old "chapter plays" or "movie serials" from the Golden Age of the 30s and 40s, then this is the one to start with. Great cast, wonderful special effects of Captain Marvel flying through the air, outstanding production values--something rare, and increasingly more rare as the 40s came to an end. Tom Tyler is perfect as the steely-eyed marvel of a hero, although David Sharpe stunted for him. The real tragedy in watching Tyler as Marvel is that within a few years, he was barely able to move or shuffle his feet because of acute rhumotoid arthritis. His portrayal of Kharis the Mummy is a horrifying harbinger of how he would actually become in real life. Louise Currie is the feisty heroine and Douglas Coughlin is perfect as the wide-eyed, earnest Billy Batson, who becomes Captain Marvel by simply uttering "Shazam!" After you've watched this serial classic, you'll have to check out "Spy Smasher," "G-Men Vs. the Black Dragon," "King of the Texas Rangers" and "Manhunt in the African Jungles." Oh, nearly forgot, another great goodie: Daredevils of the Red Circle. Watch and thrill to these marvels of yesteryear!

Rating:

- Marvelous Captain
Movie serials were written for youngsters but, as screenwriter Barry Shipman observed, this was not a putdown: "No, it's for the 12-year-old in all of us." Republic did them best, and "Adventures of Captain Marvel" is one of Republic's best (some say THE best). The flying superhero is based on a 1940s to 1950s comic book character, who went out of business after being sued by DC, the publishers of Superman, as a ripoff (in more recent years, he has been acquired and revived by DC; go figure). DC had a chance to have Superman serialized at Republic, but passed (the script was revised to become "The Mysterious Dr. Satan" with a non-super hero); Superman serials later came from Columbia with cartoon flying sequences. When the promoters of the Chris Reeve/Superman movie said it would be the first time audiences would believe a man could fly, they obviously hadn't seen the Captain Marvel serial.

Rating:

- The Adventures of Captain Marvel
Shazam! Tom Tyler stars in what is regarded by most as the best serial ever made. If you love cliffhangers, this has to be in your collection. If you're only a casual fan of serials, this is the one to own. Released by Republic in 1941, the story follows Billy Batson played by Frank Coughlin, Jr as he battles evil forces to prevent the Octopus from obtaining the necessary lenses to create a weapon of mass destruction. He wonders into a hidden room where is is given the power to turn into Captain Marvel at will by uttering the word, Shazam! Sometimes you'll wonder why he doesn't use the power, but you have to have cliffhangers in a serial. The interesting thing to me about Captain Marvel is he's one of the only super heroes I can remember who is downright brutal. At one point, he grabs a machine gun and mows down some arabs as they flee, laughing with a gleem in his eye. In another scene he throws a guy angrily off a building to scare his associate into talking. I loved it! An indestructable guy who actually kills his opponents. It's a great story, wonderful cast, and non-stop action. The only thing you'll hate is that there isn't a sequel so you can have more!

page 12 of 14