Return of Dr. Mabuse

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Audience Member As I generally greatly detest sequels, reboots and the like, especially of great filmic franchises created and led by outstanding filmmakers (ie., the Mabuse character and Fritz Lang) I initially had quite guarded reservations about seeing Reinl's version here. But it had significant strengths that made me quickly realize my fears were undeserved and that I, in fact, was in for a treat. The pace is whipcrack, the plot is intense and in Commissioner Lohmann, the villainous 'Goldfinger' (an excellent Gert Fröbe) pulls off a gritty cross between an Ed Asner and a Popeye Doyle-era Gene Hackman. I love how one of the ways Mabuse resorts to do away with pests pays homage to Lang's 'The Testament of Dr. Mabuse' from three decades prior. It certainly made me wary of churches, one-legged men and even laundry workers, for crying out loud, and part of the fear the film brings across is because in the back of our minds, we know this is precisely how the Nazis operated, studying fluoride as a mind-control agent. If there is any negative I got from the film, the Berlin police department (good ol' Lohmann notwithstanding) seemed the most unintelligent and incompetent sleuthing force this side of Inspector Clouseau. Definitely recommended for fans of thrillers and spy films. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Not bad for it's time. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Although lacking the visual flare of Fritz Lang Mabuse movies, this isn't bad. There are a few cool explosions and other wild stunts. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Not bad for it's time. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member What a stupid and ultra cheap movie. lame in every respect, poorly acted and directed. A waste of time. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The Return of Doctor Mabuse Starring: Gert Frobe, Daliah Lavi, and Lex Barker Director: Harald Reinl Chief Inspector Lohmann (Frobe) finds his vacation plans interrupted when he is called in to investigate a bizarre murder. When he himself is targeted for death, he finds the case getting stranger and stranger, with clues pointing to a conspiracy that reaches from the quiet halls of a local church, to a nearby prison, to mobsters from faraway Chicago… and perhaps even to the involvement of the megalomaniacal criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse. “The Return of Dr. Mabuse” is a light-weight crime thriller with Saturday matinee cliffhanger and James Bondian overtones, including a villain with a plot to conquer the world through the application of weird chemicals, science, and brainwashing. It’s an entertaining film, if a bit predictable, and one that is probably enjoyed more by kids and those “young and heart” than by jaded viewers who find kicks in picking films apart. (Although I think even jaded viewers will be entertained by the Delivery Truck of Doom, and will enjoy guessing at what character is Dr. Mabuse in disguise.) One major downside to this film is that the acting seems a bit wooden, but I’m not sure how much of this is the fault of inferior actors used for the English dubbing. Frobe is certainly a better actor than one gets the sense of here, and I recall his previous outing as Inspector Lohmann as being even better than his turn as the Bond villain, Goldfinger. (Barely related note: This film is a a direct sequel to “The 1,000 Eyes of Doctor Mabuse”, which I saw years ago, in the original German language, and which I recollect as being a great thriller that saw Inspector Lohmann square off against Mabuse for the first time, in a hotel loaded with hidden surveillence, and I remember the film as being better than this sequel, both acting- and cinematography-wise. That might be because Mabuse-creator Fritz Lang directed that film, or it could be that it’s one of those films I am recalling through the rose-colored glasses of youth.) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Return of Dr. Mabuse

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