Review of Brides of Fu Manchu, The

Introduction

This Momentum release of a Studio Canal/ Kinowelt title comes completely bereft of extras, not even subtitles. The transfer is, however, anamorphic widescreen.

In the 1960s, producer Harry Alan Towers made a series of sub-Hammer adventures for Anglo-Amalgamated starring Christopher Lee (in bad Oriental makeup) as Sax Rohmer`s ultimate villain Fu Manchu. Rohmer`s "yellow peril" would not pass muster in these PC days, but the character spawned a number of movie incarnations through the first half of the 20th Century played by among others Warner Oland (the best Charlie Chan) and Boris Karloff. The character almost certainly inspired Ian Fleming`s Doctor No.

Fu Manchu was the prototype Bond villain in many respects - a brilliant scientist and ruthless megalomaniac he would develop ways of taking over the world when the normal commercial exploitation of his inventions would have made him rich, famous and admired and he wouldn`t be working against the police or secret service. The Harry Alan Towers Fu`s expanded on the formulaic aspect by always ending the picture with Christopher Lee`s echoey declaration "The World Shall Hear From Me Again".

Lee is supported in this sinister potboiler of kidnap and coercion by Tsai Chin (the girl who set 007 up in the spring-loaded bed in You Only Live Twice) as Fu`s really-nasty-piece-of-work daughter. On the forces of law and order is Douglas Wilmer (in the first movie Face of Fu Manchu Nigel Green) as Fu`s nemesis Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard. Nayland Smith was a sort of poor man`s Sherlock Holmes, always accompanied by blustering Watsonian sidekick Petrie, played by Howard Marion Crawford. Televisual Maigret Rupert Davies guest stars as one of the brilliant scientists coerced into working for Fu.

Video

Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, it is almost certain this movie would have been shot in 1.66:1. However, the movie benefits from the expansion of the image. Wear and tear is evident, but not a problem and colours are vivid and contrast excellent.

Audio

This is the standard, slightly tinny original mono soundtrack reproduced in DD2.0 mono. Screams are particularly shrill, so you might not want to watch this wearing headphones.

Features

None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Conclusion

As an extremely bare-bones release, this is a bit of a disappointment. If you can get hold of the set on offer, this is a very nice series of sub-Bond sub-Sherlock-Holmes adventures of an extremely silly kind.