Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

RyothChatty ridiculous rating

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Scott LeBrun "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze" adapts the fiction of Kenneth Robeson for the screen with engaging results. It's a harmless, gloriously goofy throwback to 1930s era pulp nonsense. Clearly it's NOT meant to be taken all that seriously, even though most of the cast do a fine job of maintaining poker faces (which is usually the right way to play this sort of material). It's spirited, lively stuff, played to perfection by the talented actors and crew.Ron Ely, star of the 1966-68 'Tarzan' TV series, makes for an appealing hero as Doc Savage, a jack of all trades who goes on various globe trotting adventures with his team The Fabulous Five: Paul Gleason as Long Tom, William Lucking as Renny, Michael Miller as Monk, Eldon Quick as Johnny, and Darrell Zwerling as Ham. Each man has his own area of expertise, and they're always ready to help out their friend Doc. Doc receives word that his father has died and left a precious natural resource to him, but also comes to believe that the old man may have been murdered. Our merry band of protagonists are soon doing battle with greedy, nefarious Captain Seas (Paul Wexler) and his minions.Fans of the literature excoriate this movie as an adaptation, but it's great fun if one doesn't have that previous association. It's often quite amusing, and is suitable for family audiences, if not particularly politically correct. The oddest but funniest touch: one of the villains, the sniveling Don Rubio Gorro (Bob Corso), sleeps in a constantly rocking crib, tucked into a fetal position! The Sousa march based music score is absolutely priceless, and it's hard not to sing along with that theme.Some of the principal creative talent are old pros at this sort of thing: George Pal ("The War of the Worlds" '53, "The Time Machine" '60) is producer and co-writer, and Michael Anderson ("Around the World in 80 Days", "Logan's Run") is director. And the look for the picture is just right. It would have fit in just fine during the days of old time movie serials.The acting is generally agreeable. Wexler is a delicious if not very threatening villain. Miller provides the most blatant comedy relief as the chemist who dotes on a pet piglet. Pamela Hensley ("Rollerball", 'Matt Houston'), Robyn Hilton ("Blazing Saddles"), and Janice Heiden provide appreciable eye candy. Appearing in bits are Michael Berryman (in his film debut) as a coroner and Robert Tessier as a henchman. And an unbilled Paul Frees is the narrator.At the end there's an advertisement for a sequel, although no sequel ever got made.One of my favorite touches? Doc and Captain Seas implementing various fighting methods during their climactic showdown, with accompanying text on screen.Eight out of 10.

mhfca I was fortunate enough to meet George Pal (and still have my DS:TMOB poster autographed by him) at a convention shortly after the release, and asked him why he chose to do the film "camp". Before he could answer, two studio flacks intercepted and lectured me on how the studio "knew best" and how "no one will take such a film seriously". I had been reading the Bantam reprints for a couple of years thanks to a friend (ComiCon attendees of the 1970s will recall Blackhawk and his band? I was in a couple of years of that with him), and had higher hopes than what we got.The flacks insisted that no high adventure would ever be done seriously, and so doing 'camp' was the only way. Several other fans jumped in on my side, with Pal listening as best he could. At the end of the little event, Pal came up to us and apologized, wishing he could have done more and better.STAR WARS put the lie to the flacks, and a year after Pal's death, Spielberg and Lucas proved that Doc Savage could have easily been the next major movie franchise...if it hadn't been for the flacks.Tear out the memory or history of Doc, and the film would have been worth a 6/10 rating as nothing more than a mindless popcorn seller.But destroying the legacy like that was no less an abomination than killing a baby in the crib.Doc Savage can still come to the screen, and survive the inevitable comparisons by the ill-informed to Indiana Jones, but it would have to be done in all seriousness and earnest to reclaim the glory that we should expect from the First American Superhero.SIDENOTES: Yes, there was a second script for ARCHENEMY OF EVIL, and it's a lot more serious. Yes, there was simultaneous footage shot, but mostly establishing shots and very little with actors. And, yes, there _is_ a one-sheet of Ron Ely leaping over a brick wall and blasting at something over his shoulder with a specially built bronze pistol. Ely's wearing a duster over a button down white shirt with a bronze tie, and the words "DOC SAVAGE: ARCHENEMY OF EVIL...Coming Next Summer!" POSTSCRIPT: If anyone knows who the studio flacks were that accompanied George Pal in 1975 to San Diego for the convention, smack the idiots up the side of the head and call them the idiots that they are. At the time, they were doing dorkknobs and Fu Manchu in stripes and baggy canvas pants, and carrying Paramount portfolios.

skallisjr Having read many Doc Savage adventures before first seeing the film, I found the film a disappointment. The basic story is akin to the original adventure, but George Pal decided to camp up the film. I read where he was disappointed by the reaction of Doc Savage fans, who indicated that they didn't like its treatment.That aside, Ron Ely was an excellent choice for Doc. He had a credible look for The Man of Bronze, and didn't overplay the role.IMHO, the choice of Sousa marches detracted from the film. Like the opening scenes with Doc's invention of a fishing rocket, and the labeling of the fighting styles near the end of the film, the music pushed the envelope.At one point, Doc leaps to the running board of a car driven by Long Tom, and cries out, "Do a Barney Oldfield, Long Tom." Now Barney Oldfield was a racecar driver of the period, but Long Tom drives the car at no more than 35 miles per hour! Couldn't they have at least undercranked the camera? However, it is the only film ever done on Doc Savage. Among the current crop of actors, can't think of one who would make as good a Doc as Ron Ely, but wouldn't it have been nice to have gotten a Ridley Scott or John Woo style treatment instead of a George Pal production?

jk90 I saw this movie when I was 15 and fell in love with it. Sure, it was campy but so much fun. I was so enthralled by the concept and the characters that I went out and read every one of the novels by Lester Dent (Kenneth Roberson). I am also still upset that they never made a sequel.Now it's time for a new Doc Savage film! But, anyone who makes it needs to consider the following: 1. The 70s film -- while I enjoyed it very much -- was a spoof like the 60s Batman TV show. A new film should ignore it totally and start from scratch. It needs to be fun and excited -- NOT a cartoon like the original.2. Keep it in the same 30's time period of the books like they did with the recent King Kong film. A modern version would be a disgrace.3. MOST IMPORTANT: Do not -- I repeat, do NOT hire a muscle bound, pump freak like the Rock, as some people have suggested, to play Doc. A few years ago Arnold Schwarzenegger was up or the part of Doc Savage and thank God they dropped the project! His participation would have been a joke and an insult to the character -- and us. Remember that the Doc character was NEVER a pumped up balloon like Ah-nold and the Rock. Like Batman (in the comics, not the films), he was in excellent shape, but NOT pumped up. Doc was also a genius, and in no way, shape, or form, would ANYONE accept Arnold, the Rock or any other WWF reject or athletic pseudo-celeb as a genius. Take a look at Ron Ely in the 70's film. He was perfect for the role at that time and an actor today needs to have the same physical look he had -- AND look intelligent.Otherwise don't waste your time -- or ours.JK