Review of Face Of Fu Manchu, The

Introduction

Of late, Christopher Lee is having something of a renaissance. At the tender age of eighty-plus he is still as prolific as ever, and with films like the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, he is receiving critical acclaim. He also was arguably the best thing about Attack Of The Clones. But he has been making films for close to 6 decades now, and has portrayed many memorable characters on screen, not least of which is the definitive Dracula, as well as the brilliant Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun. And who can forget the Fu Manchu films? Well, I can for one. Believe it or not, I have never seen one of these sixties classics up until now. I finally get to see what all the fuss is about.

Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard returned from the Orient after witnessing the execution of his arch nemesis Fu Manchu. However the London that he returns to appears to be sinking further and further into a crime wave. Crimes are being committed with a rather familiar modus operandi, and when Professor Hans Muller is kidnapped, Nayland Smith can come to only one conclusion. Despite being visibly parted from his head, Fu Manchu is once again pursuing his dream of a global criminal organisation. When it becomes apparent that Professor Muller is on the verge of developing a lethal and incredibly powerful poison based on an obscure Tibetan flower, it is only a matter of time until Fu Manchu will be holding the world to ransom.

Video

The picture on this disc is presented in the original 2.35:1 ratio, anamorphic of course. It`s hardly worth mentioning the technical proficiency of the transfer when the original source material is so problematic. The print suffers from grain, dark scenes are particularly indistinct and the picture tends to look a little faded around the edges. Blacks could be a little stronger, but by far the worst problem is the print damage. Flecks, scratches and blips are all apparent to some degree throughout and on the rare occasion are practically overwhelming. I think the film was set in the twenties or thirties judging by the vehicles, but the buildings look more recent, with tower blocks and television aerials readily visible.

Audio

Sound is available in DD 2.0 mono English. The sound is adequate, with the dialogue audible at all times. There is the expected Oriental style music, which does tend to be sparsely used. Finally there are no subtitles on this disc.

Features

Trailer

Conclusion

I`m not sure what I was expecting, but The Face Of Fu Manchu certainly wasn`t it. Putting aside the political incorrectness of European actors looking jaundiced and squinty in an attempt to achieve inscrutability (It`s more laughable than offensive anyway), I failed to find any entertainment value in the film. The intense seriousness with which the story unfolds and with which the characters behave verges on the tedious. Nayland Smith and his gormless assistant Dr Petrie are a double act that should be paying royalties to the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The incongruousness of a Chinese criminal gang roaming loose in London, dressed in traditional apparel untroubled by the police lacks total credibility. The plot is very James Bond in style, with Fu Manchu the villain to Nayland Smith`s hero. Fu Manchu has all the villainous accoutrements, a secret base, fallible henchman, a plan to take over the world and a doomsday weapon. Nayland Smith lacks the gadgets of Bond, but certainly doesn`t lack for a willingness to throw himself into the action. Surely worrying for a man of his venerable years.

But as I said, all the actors play their roles with perfect seriousness, not least of who is Christopher Lee. Christopher Lee is an actor of amazing talent, little of which is evident here. Fu Manchu is a stiff and un-emotive character that is almost a non-presence on the screen. It`s all done with such po-faced reserve that I was wishing for a tongue in cheek moment, a little wink to the audience, just a little sign that the actors had fun making the film. I`m afraid to say that I fell asleep during the denouement and had to skip back through the chapter.

The Face Of Fu Manchu, a film that`s just a little full of itself. The original source material is in poor condition and that doesn`t help the movie any. Ill-executed clichés and a yawn-worthy narrative make this one for fans only.