Captain America: Episodes 14 and 15

 

 Episode 14: The Scarab Strikes

"We have nothing to worry about from the District Attorney!"

Not much time to blog tonight, so I'm glad these are short.

A long reprise this time, in an episode full of fistfights- and including a rather nasty whipping to show just how nasty the Scarab is.  

It's the penultimate episode, but there isn't much to show this- even Gardner tracing a call doesn't (yet) led to the Scarab's headquarters. But Gardner's careless comment to where hes going (as Cap) to a goon will have consequences later.

The final cliffhanger- a building being bombed from the air- is admittedly a good one.

 

Episode 15: The Toll of Doom

"It's obvious the District Attorney and Captain America are the same man."

It's the final episode, so the plot has to stop. Gardner and the Scarab discover each others' secret identities in ways they could easily have done much earlier; Gail is put in some intriguing type of peril yet manages to be damn clever; the baddie gets a brutal comeuppance in a way that blatantly condones judicial killing as though no one would object. Wow.

Surprisngly, Gardner is outed as Cap, and it sticks. That's an interesting move.

This was, it has to be said, quite a good movie serial overall. It's a movie serial nevertheless, though. I don't think I'll be seeing another any time soon.

Captain America: Episodes 12 and 13

 Episode 12: Horror on the Highway

"You might as well accuse me of being the Scarab!"

Dare I say it, but this serial seems to be getting a little less aimless and more entertaining as we approach the final strait: this episode is the best in a while.

We begin just after Matson's resirrection as he and his accomplice getaway, although of course there is absolutely nothing in the way of philosophical musing on the miracle of a dead man being resurrected, even if the machine and its inventor are gone.

We then get even more absurdly exaggerated dramatic irony as Grant Gardner once again trusts the scheming Dr Maldor and includes him in his plans.It's all very insidious, and fun to watch, even if the Captain America costume isn't seen again after the first scene.

 

Episode 13: Skyscaper Plunge

"You may tell the Scarab I'll not aid his murderous plans even at the risk of my life!"

The cliffhanger (Grant's car falling off a cliff) is resolved without cheating if a little easily, and were off. This episode is a little less entertaining than the last one, being somewhat full of the usual filler, but we have a new MacGuffin and new Mayan archaeologist character who will presumably take us through the final phase of the story.

But for now it's all set pieces so, after a bit of fisticuffs, Cap falls out of a skyscraper window...

Captain America: Episodes 10 and 11

 Episode 10: The Avenging Corpse

"These scientists don't seem to realise they're walking eight into the Scarab's trap!"

Two thirds of the way through. I can do this.

So this episode, after we resolve the cliffhanger with the traditional blatant reediting cheat, suddenly changes track as the brother of the late professor from a couple of years ago has conveniently invented a resurrectin machin which the Scarab will obviously wan to steal, and is even giving a talk about it at the Mayan Explorers' Club just so the plot convenience can be total. No wonder Grant blatantly lampshades this in the quoted line.

The Scarab essentially steals the machine and kidnaps its inventor right after a demonstration, in which the scientist revives a dog whom, presumably, he has thoughtfully killed for the occasion.  And then we move to a chase and cliffhanger. You know the drill.

 

Episode 11: The Dead Man Revives

"I didn't contruct this machine to bring a dead murderer back to life!"

The Scarab's henchman Matson is killed, but the Scarab can now resurrect him- and we spend the entire bloody episode in suspense for this to happen. That is, literally, the episode, plus a standard bit of peril.

How many more episodes do I need to sit through? Four? Sigh...

 

Captain America: Episodes 8 and 9

 

Episode 7: Cremation in the Clouds

"I wonder what's keeping the DA..."

Sigh. This is a perfectly decent movie serial, it really is, but movie serials are just one damn set piece after another. This serial is fine, but if, like myself, you only watch the genre because of superhero completism or some such reason, they start to try the patience by the halfway point, especially as we start with a cliffhanger resolution that is yet another blatant re-editing cheat. And that within a serial that is only sort of about Captain America.

Lionel Atwill is good, it's amusing to see Grant Gardner walk yet again into the Scarab's lair unwittingly, and the stuff with the blowpipe is a rather fun way of seeminly engineering a sdden absence of Henley from the plot.

Whats this? A cliffhanger of Gail piloting a plane with a time bomb on it? How very original...

 

Episode 9: Triple Tragedy

"Don't start anything unless you absolutely have to..."

This cliffhanger is the most blatantly dishonest piece of re-editing since... last episode. Yes, this time we splice in some footage of Gail jumping out with a parachute. This kind of cliffhanger cheating really is becoming a hallmark of this serial. 

This is the point where the serial really starts to bcome repetitive, and the lack of actual plot progression starts to feel really annoying. Yes, I like how Grant trusts Gail as a woman to be badass even though it's 1944, and badass she certainly is, but this episode ends yet again with another bloody building blowing up.

Another six to go...

 

Captain America: Episodes 6 and 7

 

 Episode 6: Vault of Vengeance

"Now the homicidal maniac will plan a counter-attack!"

There's actually a rather good cliffhanger resolution, for once, as this episode's peril monkey Gail is saved from the guillotine by a realistiv distraction before Captain America arrives to fight the baddies- ultimately stopping the blade from touching her by mere inches. 

We then move to the baddies pretty much suspecting the D.A. of being Cap, as a surprising series of cat and mouse games ad tricks commences between Cap and the Scarab. It's all rather good fun. And the cliffhanger involves Cap with a rifle(!), and an impressive-looking mine shaft.

 

Episode 7: Wholesale Destruction

"It'll blow sky high!"

The intrigue grows, as last episode's extortion victim is afraid of his life, as the Scarab is rather miffed that the $100,000 he extorted has been rendered useless by Grant's cleverness. Meanwhile, Grant does some clever and plot-convenient sleuthing in a place what repairs vans.

We end up with a rather ominous cliffhanger as the building with Cap in it is blown up with "Nitrogas", with some rather impressive and explosive effects. This is still just a load of random set pieces, but I'm enjoying it.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel's Secret

"Shazam!"

And so it ends, wth a bang. This has been a splendid serial, retaining not only just excitement but plot progression (or at least the illusion of such!" throughout. But this is the final episode, and stuff can actually happen.

So we finally- after a teaser scene with his face in shadow, and a typical cliffhanger resolution- discover that the Scorpion is Bentey: it would be an interesting exercise to rewatch them all with that knowledge, although I'm not going to do it. We also discover- inevitably- that Tal Chotal is just what he seems to be- an obvious red herring, and secretly a decent chap. There's still a scattering of vague racism everwhere- Thailand is still just like Afghanistan, apparently, and I raised an eyebrow at Captain Marvel's assertion that Bentley would be extradited to face justice in the USA when he should surely be tried for the murders he's committed in, er, Thaighanistan first- but hey, it's 1941.

The ending is surprisingly final, as Billy is thoroughly outed as Captain Marvel in dramatic circumstances, and once the Scorpion is finally defeated the powers are seemingly gone forever. But it makes for a good, self-contained story.

This final episode may be brief, and somewhat crowded. But it's a thoroughly enjoyable end to a superb serial, one which has restored my faith in the material just when I needed it. Superb stuff.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Valley of Death

"White infidels plan to enter the sacred valley the day after tomorrow!"

Som it's the penultimate episode, and we're back in Thailand (Siam in 1941)- but it seems that Thailand is Afghanistan, going by the place names, costumes and culture- although no one seems to be specifically Muslim. No one seems to look ethnically South East Asian, either.

The change of scene makes things fresh, though. We're back to the tomb, Lang;a lens is found, the natives are working for the Scorpion and his cool bird of prey that he uses as a messager pigeon.

We also have an exploding volcano about to engulf the tomb while the gang are mostly inside. It's a busy episode and I can't believe there's just one left. The episode feels, perhaps, a little too reminiscent of the first, but that was a while ago. This movie serial has been excellent, and it's about to end...

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Doom Ship

 "She's going down!"

...And in the tenth episode, with two to go. everything changes. I'm continually amazed at how plot progression, or at least the illusion of plot progression, is maintained throughout this movie serial. It's not just a never-ending series of action set pieces, unlike some serials I could mention.

Yes, the cliffanger resolution is a typical cheat. But that's ok, because we learn two incredible things from the contents of the safe. The late Dr Lang couldn't spell the word "lens"! And, no less excitingly, the safe contains a map showing the location of the lens, not the lens itself. The lens is still there, in situ, in Thailand or Afghanistan or whatever vaguely eastern country the tomb is in.

So it's the next steamer to Bangkok for the whole expedition- interesting that, in 1941, travelling that distance by plane would not have been a thing. And here we get, after a reminder that the Scorpion must of course also be on board, a complete change of genre to disaster movie, as the scene switches to tje stormy seas of the Indian Ocan and a terrifying typhoon. Catain Marvel saves the ship by using something called a "breeches buoy", but Betty was still in her cabin! Can Billy save her as the ship sinks, possibly by saying "Shazam"?

This serial was pretty exciting anyway, but this change of scene has added to the excitement. Superb stuff.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Dead Man's Trap

 "You're the Scorpion!"

For a ninth episode of a movie serial, and therefore doomed to tread water by default, this episode is extraordinarily good. It treads said water with real aplomb.

It would be quite extraordinary to claim that any ninth episode in a twelve part story advances the plot in any meaningful way. This is the point where we're just filling in time with set pieces until we get to the finale. And yet, between the opening and closing cliffhangers, this episode does a superb job ofv maintaining the illusion of plot advancement.

It does this by means of the two simple drivers of the Scorpion's quest for the two remaining lenses and the ongoing mystery as to which expediation member is the Scorpion. Dramatically, Lang sees an unmasked Scorpion before he's shot, and the number of suspects is decreasing. Could it be Malcolm himself?

All this intrigue, plus the ever-present peril and action, means I'm no less entertained in spite of being at the part of the serial where one would expect things to drag. And the cliffhanger- Billy and Betty menaced by two booby trap guns emerging from a dumb waiter- is as splendid as ever.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Boomerang

"It's Dr. Lang!"

Inevitably, the resolution to a splendid cliffhanger is a bit rubbish, as Billy's gag comes loose and he says "Shazam!" in time for Captain Marvel to save Betty and himself. But the rest of this episode manages, in spite of the continual captures, escapes and set pieces, manages to avoid the curse of being a late episode but still not too close to the end by developing further the intrigue of the Scorpion's identity.

I had to raise an eyebrow at Billy's suggestion that Betty quit her job because of the danger; you can tell that first wave feminism hasn't happened yet. I also raised my second one at the suggestion it might be normal for Billy to "borrow" Lang's car without asking.

But all the intrigue over the Scorpion, and which one of the academics will have an injured right hand, is clever: I suspect, by the rule of drama, that it isn't Dr Lang in spite of his sinister butler. But all this inrigue is much better done than one might expect from a movie serial, and I have confidence that the narrative isn't cheating. This is good stuff.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Human Targets

“A smart trick!”

I won’t linger on the plot for this episode which, as the serial has just passed its mid point, consists of Fisher being dead and the Scorpion having both the lenses he was after last episode. Otherwise it’s just a case of captures.escapes and peril, although I like how Betty is far too resourceful to be a mere peril monkey. She’s bordering on co-star material. She even shoots the Scorpion.

Captain Marvel is pretty ruthless here, again doing a spot of harsh interrogation, and disdaining to save a hood from a likely fatal fall when he could probably have done so. He also lifts a bloke up by the crotch to throw him. Well then. I’m also beginning to notice that the Scorpion has scorpion logos where his nipples should be. Not sure what to make of that.

It’s also interesting that the whodunit plot needs some variation of its to last until the end. Will Billy come under suspicion? But we get a splendid cliffhanger, with Betty and a gagged Billy about to be bombed by a plain. Even the filler episodes in the middle of this serial are very well done, with the water being trodden with aplomb.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Lens of Death

"It's a trick!"

Halfway through and, while it's starting to become slghtly apparent that al this dancing around the Scorpion getting hold of all the lenses is just a form of padding, we don’t mind as we’re being entertained by the set pieces and there’s simultaneously a whodunit as we’re left wondering who the Scorpion is- despite a little light misdirection in this episode, he’s clearly a member of the expedition.

I like the cliffhanger resolution here, as Captain Marvel being overwhelmed by lava is the biggest so far and there is, diegetically at least, potential for doubt over whether he survives, and the Scorpion and co certainly believe him to be dead. Cleverly, a few minutes pass before the appearance of Billy shows us that he isn’t.

The Wizard’s pan here is clever- claiming to have all lenses but one in order to smoke out the locations of two expedition members’ lenses, and the two attempted robberies make good set pieces. It’s interesting to note, though- this is the halfway point. Where is the story going to go now? Are there six more episodes, albeit entertaining, of hunt the lenses?

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: The Scorpion Strikes

"What about Captain Marvel? He seems to appear every time Batson's in trouble."

Another splendid instalment here even if, again, the reprise is a little long and the resolution- Captain Marvel swoops down and saves Betty from being unconscious at the wheel- is again obvious. It doesn't matter; the cliffhanger is just a set piece, a bit of excitement, and it's on with the story- and again the set pieces are not just random ways to pass the time as per certain other movie serials; the plot actually progresses.

We have a fun little set piece in which Captain Marvel goes after the goons who had Betty and ctches one by pulling down the lift by its cables with said goon still inside. He then takes said goon to meet the rest of the group of archaeologists and see if he can identify the Scorpion by his voice- he can't, but it's always fun to see so many red herrings acting suspiciously. I'll say it: I suspect Malcolm himself, on the grounds that he isn't behaving suspiciously at all.

So it's on to the final set piece, as Captain Marvel is lured into a molten rock trap, in which sock footage of running lava is mixed with some rather good effects. Five episodes in and I'm still enthralled.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Death Takes the Wheel

"Talk fast, or I'll..."

Four episodes in and the first ever appearance of a comic book superhero continues to impress. The mystery of the Scorpion's identity continues to enthral as possible clues appear. And, while this is pure pulp with a cliffhanger every seven minutes, it's done so. And, impressively, behind the set pieces it feels, with the conceit of the device and three lenses for the Scorpion to recover, as though there's a real plot beneath the set pieces.

And the set pieces are exciting, although the re-edited cliffhanger (Billy realises about the bomb, says a quick "Shazam" and flies away before the plane explodes. Surely he's only supposed to do this for the cause of right, not pure self-preservation...?) is a blatant cheat. We have Billy and Betty (our two intrepid investigators) both lured into a trap and both imperilled in delightfully entertaining ways.

Interesting, too, that Captain Marvel is not too much of a goody two shoes, threatening dire consequences to the minion he asks about Betty’s whereabouts. We’ll see how such things develop. For now, though, I’m enjoying this in ways I never expected I would.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Time Bomb

"I don't think the police will hear about this..."

This third episode, while being absolutely a straight-up movie serial with all the tropes and limitations thereof, not least in stopping every seventeen minutes or so for a moment of peril, continues to show that The Adventures of Captain Marvel gets the superhero movie serial just right.

I like that the baddie is credited just as “the Scorpion”. I like the recap stills at the start of the episode that imprint in our memories the characters and the plot. Little things like this tend to be done right. But so far the plot has a nice, simple, but engrossing structure in that the Scorpion is after the lenses and, moreover, we know the Scorpion is one of the expedition. I like that there are several ostensibly sinister individuals amongst the group, and not just the obvious foreign red herring Tal Chotali.

And the cliffhangers, so far, are done with suspense- the time bomb on Billy’s plane is no exception, as the tension bounds and builds until the plane (a biplane with a propeller!) falls apart in the air.

This may not be big or clever, but it’s done very well indeed.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: The Guillotine

"Whoever controls this device will have power such as men have dreamed of since the beginning of time!”

It's fascinating to compare this second episode with that of the rubbish Batman and Robin: the difference in quality is all the clearer from the similarities in format. Again, after a longer first episode, we’re now into a much shorter length. The music is very similar. There’s a hooded and masked baddie with a loaf of very ‘40s behatted hoods working for him. There are fights. It all points towards a cliffhanger every seventeen minutes. And, after the cliffhanger, the action shifts from vaguely oriental lands to the USA, a similar setting to Batman and Robin, and the racism (although everyone seems to be white!) is no longer so apparent.

And yet it’s all so much better done. The direction and acting remain clearly superior. This is still a movie serial, and not exactly great art, but it all looks perfectly competent. Captain Marvel in action- flying, being impervious to bullets although one can’t help wondering why he never gets shot in the face- looks bloody good. The dialogue is functional, but does its job well.

But it’s also at plot level that this is obviously superior. The guillotine is used as the cliffhanger at the end, but it’s introduced earlier in a nice little Chekhov’s Gun moment. And it’s established that the Scorpion is really one of the archaeologists, so we have a nice little whodunit going on.

I’m enjoying this, and relieved to be.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel: Curse of the Scorpion

"Shazam!"

You may recall that I blogged, not many months ago, 1949's execrable Batman and Robin, a movie serial so cheap, so badly written, so "that'll do", that it threatened to put me off movie serials for life- especially as my only previous experience, as a twelve(ish) year old boy watching 1943's somewhat racist and very similar Batman on the telly in 1990(ish). I'm only watching this one because a) I need something with short episodes to blog because life is very hectic and exhausting indeed right now and b) I'm assured that this is actually good.

The name "Captain Marvel" is, it's fair to say, reasonanly popular amongst superheroes. Marvel have a current character of that name (Carol Danvers, the former Ms. Marvel) and within the pages of the House of Ideas we have also seen Mar-Vell the Kree superhero and Monica Rambeau, my own generation's Captain Marvel.

But this is 1941, and the first Captain Marvel. And it's not Marvel Comics who own the character- and not is it DC at this point: it's Fawcett Comics, although DC would later buy the company and integrate its characters into their own universe- with the rather pleasing result that Captain Marvel, something of a Superman rip-off, will end up interacting with Kal-El himself. But it's only 1941. That's all ages away.

So is this first episode any good? Well, yes. It is, of course, an origin story based on the familiar trope of a tomb that must not be disturbed for fear of annoying the vaguely superstitious and randomly violent natives. And, well, it's 1941. You didn't think there'd be no racism at all, did you? It's set in "Siam", yet the natives are all beturbaned, suspiciously Caucasian and look very much like the common perception of Afghan tribesmen to me. It very much gives the impression that we're supposed to think that all these vaguely Eastern places are pretty much the same. Edward Said would have a field day with this. But, well, it's 1941. Empires are still a thing. The past is indeed a foreign country. And why would a Thai legend imbue Captain Marvel with attributes from Greek gods?

Despite this, though, the production values, acting and special effects are all good, and it's already clear that this has been made with a lot more care than Batman and Robin. The story is well told and it looks good. So far, so good.