Mr. Moto, at least for me, is a surprise. The Hollywood caricatures of other races -- the foot- shuffling and eye-rolling of black males, the "Ah-so'ing,' "honorable son" and awful pseudo- Confucianism of Charlie Chan -- is not much present with Kentaro Moto (Peter Lorre), executive director of an import-export firm "with a hobby for magic." Sure, this being Hollywood Lorre wears glasses but they're not thick. He uses a dental appliance with slightly protuberant and poorly spaced choppers, but it's only a slight exaggeration. There's some overly polite dialogue for Lorre, but Lorre's distinctive Hungarian accent makes it more piquant that demeaning.
Mr. Moto also is an expert at hand-to-hand combat, an occasional detective and good at disguises. He's smart and clever. It also helps at times that Mr. Moto is ruthless, and seems more amused than anything else when he causes the death of a bad guy. He doesn't seem perturbed in the slightest when one night he tosses a man off the side of a passenger liner in the middle of the Pacific. The next morning he even inquires about the missing man's health. Peter Lorre, short and innocent looking, with the hint of something that might be disturbing just below the surface, is excellent.
Think Fast, Mr. Moto is the first of the Moto series. For a low-budget movie supervised by a Twentieth Century Fox B-movie producer and directed by a man with little experience, the movie is fast-paced, well constructed and a lot of fun. It's no more than what it is, and what it is was put together in a craftsman-like way.
The story has to do with the smuggling of gems and drugs between Shanghai and the States. A passenger line is being used in this dangerous game, and most of the movie takes place either on the high seas or in Shanghai. There are a lot of people about either in evening dress or pulling rickshaws. Among the well-groomed are the young, handsome scion of the cruise ship firm and the beautiful and mysterious young woman who won't discuss her past. We'll also meet her White Russian protector who is based in Shanghai and is almost as good at cards as Mr. Moto. And, of course, there's Mr. Moto, himself, who smiles a lot, asks innocent questions and can deal decisively with a man holding a switchblade. The movie is so fast- paced that in the first six minutes of this hour-and-three-minute film we will encounter a Chinese New Year's dragon parade in San Francisco, a wondrous jewel, clever bargaining, gunplay, oriental treasures and curios, a man in disguise, a corpse in a basket, most of the main characters...and a letter to Wilkie. The letter proves to be as important as the jewels. It's no spoiler to say that Mr. Moto solves the case and traps the villains. We expect that the young couple will enjoy a happy and wealthy relationship. I watched the movie with a smile.
Mr. Moto also is an expert at hand-to-hand combat, an occasional detective and good at disguises. He's smart and clever. It also helps at times that Mr. Moto is ruthless, and seems more amused than anything else when he causes the death of a bad guy. He doesn't seem perturbed in the slightest when one night he tosses a man off the side of a passenger liner in the middle of the Pacific. The next morning he even inquires about the missing man's health. Peter Lorre, short and innocent looking, with the hint of something that might be disturbing just below the surface, is excellent.
Think Fast, Mr. Moto is the first of the Moto series. For a low-budget movie supervised by a Twentieth Century Fox B-movie producer and directed by a man with little experience, the movie is fast-paced, well constructed and a lot of fun. It's no more than what it is, and what it is was put together in a craftsman-like way.
The story has to do with the smuggling of gems and drugs between Shanghai and the States. A passenger line is being used in this dangerous game, and most of the movie takes place either on the high seas or in Shanghai. There are a lot of people about either in evening dress or pulling rickshaws. Among the well-groomed are the young, handsome scion of the cruise ship firm and the beautiful and mysterious young woman who won't discuss her past. We'll also meet her White Russian protector who is based in Shanghai and is almost as good at cards as Mr. Moto. And, of course, there's Mr. Moto, himself, who smiles a lot, asks innocent questions and can deal decisively with a man holding a switchblade. The movie is so fast- paced that in the first six minutes of this hour-and-three-minute film we will encounter a Chinese New Year's dragon parade in San Francisco, a wondrous jewel, clever bargaining, gunplay, oriental treasures and curios, a man in disguise, a corpse in a basket, most of the main characters...and a letter to Wilkie. The letter proves to be as important as the jewels. It's no spoiler to say that Mr. Moto solves the case and traps the villains. We expect that the young couple will enjoy a happy and wealthy relationship. I watched the movie with a smile.