Lives Up to its Reputation as the Best Serial Ever Produced
Added 10/19/2009
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.
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precursor of superman
Added 9/29/2009
This is one of many great Hollywood 'cliffhangers' from the '40's. Tom Tyler does an excellent job of portraying Captain Marvel, mythical super hero. You get alot of classic film entertainment for the buck as Captain Marvel comes to the aid of those in "difficult" situations. A good investment for insomniacs as this is almost 4 hours of entertainment. On that same note you might want to check out "the Phantom" also starring Tom Tyler who was the strongest man in Hollywood back in that era.
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The Best Of ALL The Saturday Matinee Serials!
Added 8/27/2009
Adventures of Captain Marvel is highly regarded among fans as the best superhero movie serial of all time! And with good reason. The sequences of Captain Marvel flying are very well done. This is due to the expertise of stuntman Dave Sharpe & Republic Pictures special effects crew run by Howard & Theodore Lydecker. Also the story about the golden scorpion device is excellent as well. The Malcolm Expedition has traveled to Siam to find the lost secrets of the Scorpion Dynasty. After they accidentally learn how destructive & even how useful the device is they become trapped in a cave. Here the wizard Shazam magically appears before Billy Batson for the first & last time in the serial. Shazam tells Billy to repeat his name & he will instantly be transformed into Captain Marvel. Shazam also cautions Billy that the powers of Captain Marvel must always be used for good & never for evil or for Billy's own personal benefit. Through the 12 chapters we're treated to many exciting cliffhanger endings. But at the end of chapter 12 when the golden scorpion machine is destroyed Captain Marvel cease to exist. Why didn't Republic Pictures want to allow for a sequel? No doubt because of the ongoing lawsuits between Fawcett publications(publisher of Whiz Comics Captain Marvel's comic book) & DC (publisher of Superman comic books). DC had claimed that Captain Marvel was an imitation of Superman & they tried to prevent Republic from releasing the movie serial. After many years of legal battles (1940-1953) Fawcett finally stopped publishing comic books completely. Nothing more was done with Captain Marvel until 1973. DC Comics gained control of Cap & began printing his adventures under the title Shazam to avoid any more legal issues. A Shazam tv series debuted in 1974 on Saturday mornings & ran until 1977. I remember watching the show back then & thinking ''this guy's so cool.'' I hadn't heard of Shazam before this & I didn't know about the 1941 serial until 1993. Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel & Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson perfectly resemble the comic book images. When watching this serial on dvd I suggest using the chapter select option rather than play all. At the end of each chapter you have to wait for the Artisan logo the Republic Pictures logo & the copyright warning before you can see the next chapter. It's time consuming! By using chapter select you hit your dvd player's menu button & go back to chapter select without all the hassle. As an added bonus each chapter is broken down into 5 scene selections. So if you want to stop watching halfway through 1 chapter & start again later it's no problem! Awesome! How many serials on dvd offer this? NONE! I do feel that the serial should have been truer to the origin of Captain Marvel from Whiz Comics. Such is not the case but it's still a great serial anyway. Adventures of Captain Marvel was the first time a superhero came to the big screen! Also actor Nigel de Brulier does an excellent job playing the wizard Shazam. He looks just like he walked straight from Whiz Comics right onto the movie screen! The Shazam tv show isn't entirely true to the comics either. Billy Batson (played by Micheal Gray) & Mentor (played by Les Tremayne) travel across the USA in their RV motorhome. On each episode Billy is briefed on his missions as Captain Marvel by the 6 elders(Greek gods Solomon Hercules Atlas Zeus Achilles & Mercury appear in animated form via mental telepathy). The wizard Shazam is never seen on this show. Shazam debuted in 1974 & ran until 1977 for a total of 28 episodes. Captain Marvel has not been seen in comic books or on movie screens since. I hope that will change someday soon. SHAZAM!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Really enjoyed this one
Added 7/29/2009
Some serials are enjoyable on different levels, either for snapshots on celluloid of better days passed, or in this case, for sheer quality entertainment!This dvd had me on the edge of my seat, i couldn't wait for the next chapter.The acting in this serial, unlike some I've seen, was top notch and the special effects, while some may call it cheesy,i loved it, i say gimme these type of special effects over CGI anyday!Would like to mention the SOUND ISSUES, because i thought my dvd might be defective and it took me a really long time to find someone who mentioned this, so to help someone else out there like me i will say that there is nothing wrong with your dvd, at the beginning of the series there is some hissing and crackling, but that soon passes. The picture quality on this serial is superb, compared to some of the releases out there that charge twice as much for their dvds!Really enjoyed this one, sometimes these serials can be a chore to get through like the highly overrated Lost City, but this one is exciting and really holds your attention all the way through!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Nice DVD -- but could be better
Added 4/30/2009
This a one of the great movie serials. My only complaint is you would think the picture quality of the DVD would be as good as DVDs of other movies from the same time period. It's not too bad, though. This gets my highest recommendation!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Lives Up to its Reputation as the Best Serial Ever Produced
Added 10/19/2009
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
precursor of superman
Added 9/29/2009
This is one of many great Hollywood 'cliffhangers' from the '40's. Tom Tyler does an excellent job of portraying Captain Marvel, mythical super hero. You get alot of classic film entertainment for the buck as Captain Marvel comes to the aid of those in "difficult" situations. A good investment for insomniacs as this is almost 4 hours of entertainment. On that same note you might want to check out "the Phantom" also starring Tom Tyler who was the strongest man in Hollywood back in that era.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
The Best Of ALL The Saturday Matinee Serials!
Added 8/27/2009
Adventures of Captain Marvel is highly regarded among fans as the best superhero movie serial of all time! And with good reason. The sequences of Captain Marvel flying are very well done. This is due to the expertise of stuntman Dave Sharpe & Republic Pictures special effects crew run by Howard & Theodore Lydecker. Also the story about the golden scorpion device is excellent as well. The Malcolm Expedition has traveled to Siam to find the lost secrets of the Scorpion Dynasty. After they accidentally learn how destructive & even how useful the device is they become trapped in a cave. Here the wizard Shazam magically appears before Billy Batson for the first & last time in the serial. Shazam tells Billy to repeat his name & he will instantly be transformed into Captain Marvel. Shazam also cautions Billy that the powers of Captain Marvel must always be used for good & never for evil or for Billy's own personal benefit. Through the 12 chapters we're treated to many exciting cliffhanger endings. But at the end of chapter 12 when the golden scorpion machine is destroyed Captain Marvel cease to exist. Why didn't Republic Pictures want to allow for a sequel? No doubt because of the ongoing lawsuits between Fawcett publications(publisher of Whiz Comics Captain Marvel's comic book) & DC (publisher of Superman comic books). DC had claimed that Captain Marvel was an imitation of Superman & they tried to prevent Republic from releasing the movie serial. After many years of legal battles (1940-1953) Fawcett finally stopped publishing comic books completely. Nothing more was done with Captain Marvel until 1973. DC Comics gained control of Cap & began printing his adventures under the title Shazam to avoid any more legal issues. A Shazam tv series debuted in 1974 on Saturday mornings & ran until 1977. I remember watching the show back then & thinking ''this guy's so cool.'' I hadn't heard of Shazam before this & I didn't know about the 1941 serial until 1993. Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel & Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson perfectly resemble the comic book images. When watching this serial on dvd I suggest using the chapter select option rather than play all. At the end of each chapter you have to wait for the Artisan logo the Republic Pictures logo & the copyright warning before you can see the next chapter. It's time consuming! By using chapter select you hit your dvd player's menu button & go back to chapter select without all the hassle. As an added bonus each chapter is broken down into 5 scene selections. So if you want to stop watching halfway through 1 chapter & start again later it's no problem! Awesome! How many serials on dvd offer this? NONE! I do feel that the serial should have been truer to the origin of Captain Marvel from Whiz Comics. Such is not the case but it's still a great serial anyway. Adventures of Captain Marvel was the first time a superhero came to the big screen! Also actor Nigel de Brulier does an excellent job playing the wizard Shazam. He looks just like he walked straight from Whiz Comics right onto the movie screen! The Shazam tv show isn't entirely true to the comics either. Billy Batson (played by Micheal Gray) & Mentor (played by Les Tremayne) travel across the USA in their RV motorhome. On each episode Billy is briefed on his missions as Captain Marvel by the 6 elders(Greek gods Solomon Hercules Atlas Zeus Achilles & Mercury appear in animated form via mental telepathy). The wizard Shazam is never seen on this show. Shazam debuted in 1974 & ran until 1977 for a total of 28 episodes. Captain Marvel has not been seen in comic books or on movie screens since. I hope that will change someday soon. SHAZAM!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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