DVD : Adventures of Captain Marvel

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Captain Marvel Magic
I first saw this serial when I was a kid back in the fifties. I loved it then and seeing again now was absolute magic. It's still top class even after all those years. Great cliff hangers at the end of each episode and good acting all round. Even my teenage kids thought it was great and they are hard to please. Well worth a look.

Rating:

- STILL, The World's Mightiest Mortal!!
What can I say other than THIS serial is not only one of the best superhero adaptations ever, but as a point of historical significance, it is also the series that helped Captain Marvel's comics outsell those of The Man of Steel--Superman,which prompted the infamous DC COMICS v. Fawcett lawsuit! As entertainment, it does veer away from the comics somewhat. Billy Batson isn't a 13 year old, but a young man in his late teens or early 20s. Most of the original supporting cast is missing but Tom Tyler is near perfect as the Ol' SHAZAM-er(except for that slight Mid-Western accent!)The action centers around an ancient artifact called the Scorpion which contains lenses that can either turn base metals into gold or fire destructive power beams! The lenses are scattered and a masked villain, who also calls himself the Scorpion, spends the entire series trying to retrieve them, for they only work if they are together. The Big Red Cheese (as Marvel is nicknamed by fans) tries to stop him. The action is high octane with gunplay and violence that may be too strong for the very young. Captain Marvel is stern and like the pulp heroes of the day, isn't squeamish about using intimidation to get a thug to talk. The highlight of the series are the scenes of our hero in flight. Contrary to popular belief, it was Captain Marvel,not Superman, who first demonstrated the power of flight and in this series the stunt is pulled off by three methods: 1. Tom Tyler supported by wires against a cloudy backdrop ala George "Superman" Reeves 2. The spectacular take offs and landings by a stuntman. 3. The most clever of all, a lifelike dummy sliding on wires filmed in a real landscape! The overall affect is amazing and has you truly beleiving that a man can fly! This series is a must have for any comic book fan, devotees of the REAL Captain Marvel and action lovers everywhere!

Rating:

- Hero? Zero!
Random thoughts...
1. This was suppossed to be Superman's first movie outing, it should've been.
2. The movie itself and the special effects were okay.
3. The most vocal objection that I have is about the scene where Captain Marvel throws a thug off of a building! This is not the way heroes are suppossed to act! All the rest of them were hummanitarians and never killed; Captain Marvel seemed to enjoy throwing people around!
4. As Billy Batson, he's a wimp! He must not have his powers without the suit. The part where Billy revelas to the Scorpion the secret of "Shazam!" when he saw that his girlfriend Betty was about to get murdered is a total cop out! Superman never would've dilberatly revealed his secret identiy, but then again Superman had his powers all the time, maybe Capttain Marvel didn't.
I agree that it's a great movie otherwise, but not fantastic.

Rating:

- c'mon Billy boy, shazam.
This has to be the best serial ever, alongside to the Flash Gordon. We had a saturday morning pictues where it cost us sixpence to get in. This was done by the Regal cinemas. We had Flash Gordon and Captain Marvel every week. I never missed a week for you had to find out what happened at the cliffhanger before. It was great fun and still is. One day I found the video for sale for $5 and grabbed it, went home that day and watched it all the way through. Gof I went back in time. I still watch it now and again and never get bored. Tom Tyler was excellent as Captain Marvel, But for the 1040's serials, this is the best. The Gaumont cinema ran Superman, but everyone came to wa captain marvel. If you are into the old serials, then this is a must for you. You won't be disappointed, and like some others with comments about strings etc, forget about that, at least it was him flying and not all computerised. Go out and buy it now.

Rating:

- A "Marvel" of 40's film making!
The only complaint I have is that this serial didn't continue for another 12 chapters. You'll be hooked on serials for life after watching this one. Everything in this serial hits on all cylinders. The nerdy Batson, the villainous Scorpion,the wisecracking pal, the stodgy professors and the scrappy secretary are all superbly cast and acted. Tom Tyler, a stunt man and actor who later played the Mummy in one of the Universal monster movies,plays Captain Marvel with appropriate heroic stoicism. We're treated to mad villains with grand schemes,deathtraps and terrifying weapons.The effects surprisingly hold up today, especially the flying scenes. Sets the standard for movie serials.

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