November 24, 2023

Though I always found them exasperating as a child when watching the serialisation, this edited feature (from the last half dozen episodes of the 1940 "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" series) really does miss the episodic ending "cliffhanger" scenes that helped generate a sense of peril. That said this is still quite a fun sci-fi adventure with Buster Crabbe's "Flash" out to thwart the evil "Emperor Ming" (Charles Middleton) from using his ev… read the rest.

Though I always found them exasperating as a child when watching the serialisation, this edited feature (from the last half dozen episodes of the 1940 "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" series) really does miss the episodic ending "cliffhanger" scenes that helped generate a sense of peril. That said this is still quite a fun sci-fi adventure with Buster Crabbe's "Flash" out to thwart the evil "Emperor Ming" (Charles Middleton) from using his evil death ray and his even more deadly purple death dust to take over the universe. Luckily he has the doughty "Dale" (Carol Hughes) and "Prof. Zarkov" (Frank Shannon) to help him on his life or death quest. It's end-to-end stuff, with plenty of action and derring-do, and I just loved those spaceships powered by Halloween sparklers. This is the stuff of childhood nostalgia and for me I very much enjoyed it. Certainly the production is basic, the dialogue cheesy and no, I don't suppose their is much jeopardy despite me always wanting "Ming" to win...

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