***SPOILERS***
My title is an actual quote from Mr. Sellers.
I'll start with this. My opinion of the film overall .... not of Peter Sellers himself. I saw this movie in theaters at age 12 in 1980. I honestly didn't enjoy it then and I wish I could have. Naturally, I had expected a 'Pink Panther' level of production, maybe many others did as well.
Worst part, this was my first time (and only) going to see a Peter Sellers film.
Fast forward : I bought from Ebay in early 2021 a DVD of this. Yes, over 40 years later, as I hadn't excpected to see it again, until I found this copy. It was only $5 & tax, so I couldn't resist. It was almosst like a challenge.)
...and truthfully ladies and gentlemen, time had not made any difference. It was exactly as I remembered it. At 53 now, my rating is a 2 for the film as a whole. 1 for the closing scene and the other just for Peter Sellers himself.
It will always be a reminder though, of his loss. It's true, had he let his last film be, "Being There" , Peter could have closed out his career on a high note. I heard about his loss 'after' I saw the movie, it was a shock to the very young me.
Peter Sellers, despite warnings by his doctor, went ahead with this project. He had a heart ailment, which is putting it lightly, Starting in the 1960's and through the 1970's, Sellers had several heart attacks.
Given his incredible ability at physical comedy, one would never have known it (unless knowing Sellers personally.)
He plays two of the major roles in the movie, the ancient Fu Manchu and the unflappable (?) Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard. He also turns up in a variety of other disguises, as a Chinese chef, a foppish antique dealer and the Young Fu. (Maybe others)
Just to mention, yes, this was (I beleive) one of the last times a caucasion actor would play a stereotyped Asian role. Not only Sellers here but , in April 1980, Jerry Lewis doing a buck toothed Japanese chef bit in "Hardly Working".
Sellers as Fu Manchu : He's a 168-year-old man who starts, um...'slowly deteriorating' ... after a clumsy assistant spills the vial containing a youth potion.
Manchu has to track down the secret ingredients, including a precious jewel (not sure how the jewel helped) and so he stages an international crime wave. But his life force is slowly depleting.
Scenes where his assistants feed him jolts of electricity to keep him going are hard to laugh at, even today, for those who know of Sellers fate. I didn't even find it funny at the time.
Despite the talent that was put into the rest of the cast, their characters ar just not that funny or even very interesting and the pace of the film, despite just being over 90 minutes, makes it almost not worth it, once it would get to something that should have been funny.
The dialog between all of the male characters here borders on the tedious and almost to a level of dull. I'm not trying to exagggerate, what they talk about is relevant to the plot but they don't make it engaging to listen too. (The racial insult uttered by Sid Caeser was not worthy of him.)
Peter Sellers made good comedies, so likely, he thought this would be a winner too. When he was good we laughed greatly and when he was less so, not so much but he at least always made the effort.
* The Spoiler > The film's closing moment , is Fu Manchu has essentially won as he gets his serum and , returns on screen as a young man. Dressed in Elvis 1970's wear, his new plan is to conquer the worls with a new weapon, Rock and Roll music.
Singing (with back up singers) a catchy number called, "Rock A Fu". (I admit, I liked the song and Sellers actually did his own vocal on it. )
That scene mostly, along with snippets of others, was the main one used in advertising trailers. Unusal that a studio would use a film's closing scene to try and emphasize the comedy, but the others used, were very quick. Likely a bad sign of the film's fate and maybe the studio's faith in it.
Fu's revelation is much to the horror of Nayland, whom Fu has shared some of the serum with. So, Nayland and he can continue the chase for decades to come.
------------------------ The other players in the film
Steve Franken as Williams.
Simon Williams as Townsend
Burt Kwouk as Fu Manchu's Servant
Sid Caesar as Joe Capone- Sid has a humorus moment or 2, otherswise his great talent was not used to a really great level.
A very young Helen Mirren as Alice Rage - A good early role for her. A bit odd that she was sent to undermine Fu Manchu but falls in love with him.
David Tomlinson as Sir Roger Avery. Tomlinson (Best known as George Banks in 1964's Mary Poppins) quit making movies after this film's failure.
After two days in a London hospital, Sellers died on the night of July 24th, 1980. 15 days before the film's release on August 8th, 1980.
Peter Sellers loss then was devastating ...his wonderful conbtributions to film though, will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace.
My title is an actual quote from Mr. Sellers.
I'll start with this. My opinion of the film overall .... not of Peter Sellers himself. I saw this movie in theaters at age 12 in 1980. I honestly didn't enjoy it then and I wish I could have. Naturally, I had expected a 'Pink Panther' level of production, maybe many others did as well.
Worst part, this was my first time (and only) going to see a Peter Sellers film.
Fast forward : I bought from Ebay in early 2021 a DVD of this. Yes, over 40 years later, as I hadn't excpected to see it again, until I found this copy. It was only $5 & tax, so I couldn't resist. It was almosst like a challenge.)
...and truthfully ladies and gentlemen, time had not made any difference. It was exactly as I remembered it. At 53 now, my rating is a 2 for the film as a whole. 1 for the closing scene and the other just for Peter Sellers himself.
It will always be a reminder though, of his loss. It's true, had he let his last film be, "Being There" , Peter could have closed out his career on a high note. I heard about his loss 'after' I saw the movie, it was a shock to the very young me.
Peter Sellers, despite warnings by his doctor, went ahead with this project. He had a heart ailment, which is putting it lightly, Starting in the 1960's and through the 1970's, Sellers had several heart attacks.
Given his incredible ability at physical comedy, one would never have known it (unless knowing Sellers personally.)
He plays two of the major roles in the movie, the ancient Fu Manchu and the unflappable (?) Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard. He also turns up in a variety of other disguises, as a Chinese chef, a foppish antique dealer and the Young Fu. (Maybe others)
Just to mention, yes, this was (I beleive) one of the last times a caucasion actor would play a stereotyped Asian role. Not only Sellers here but , in April 1980, Jerry Lewis doing a buck toothed Japanese chef bit in "Hardly Working".
Sellers as Fu Manchu : He's a 168-year-old man who starts, um...'slowly deteriorating' ... after a clumsy assistant spills the vial containing a youth potion.
Manchu has to track down the secret ingredients, including a precious jewel (not sure how the jewel helped) and so he stages an international crime wave. But his life force is slowly depleting.
Scenes where his assistants feed him jolts of electricity to keep him going are hard to laugh at, even today, for those who know of Sellers fate. I didn't even find it funny at the time.
Despite the talent that was put into the rest of the cast, their characters ar just not that funny or even very interesting and the pace of the film, despite just being over 90 minutes, makes it almost not worth it, once it would get to something that should have been funny.
The dialog between all of the male characters here borders on the tedious and almost to a level of dull. I'm not trying to exagggerate, what they talk about is relevant to the plot but they don't make it engaging to listen too. (The racial insult uttered by Sid Caeser was not worthy of him.)
Peter Sellers made good comedies, so likely, he thought this would be a winner too. When he was good we laughed greatly and when he was less so, not so much but he at least always made the effort.
* The Spoiler > The film's closing moment , is Fu Manchu has essentially won as he gets his serum and , returns on screen as a young man. Dressed in Elvis 1970's wear, his new plan is to conquer the worls with a new weapon, Rock and Roll music.
Singing (with back up singers) a catchy number called, "Rock A Fu". (I admit, I liked the song and Sellers actually did his own vocal on it. )
That scene mostly, along with snippets of others, was the main one used in advertising trailers. Unusal that a studio would use a film's closing scene to try and emphasize the comedy, but the others used, were very quick. Likely a bad sign of the film's fate and maybe the studio's faith in it.
Fu's revelation is much to the horror of Nayland, whom Fu has shared some of the serum with. So, Nayland and he can continue the chase for decades to come.
------------------------ The other players in the film
Steve Franken as Williams.
Simon Williams as Townsend
Burt Kwouk as Fu Manchu's Servant
Sid Caesar as Joe Capone- Sid has a humorus moment or 2, otherswise his great talent was not used to a really great level.
A very young Helen Mirren as Alice Rage - A good early role for her. A bit odd that she was sent to undermine Fu Manchu but falls in love with him.
David Tomlinson as Sir Roger Avery. Tomlinson (Best known as George Banks in 1964's Mary Poppins) quit making movies after this film's failure.
After two days in a London hospital, Sellers died on the night of July 24th, 1980. 15 days before the film's release on August 8th, 1980.
Peter Sellers loss then was devastating ...his wonderful conbtributions to film though, will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace.