Peter Sellers' career is enigmatic. At times, he was brilliant...one of the most talented men alive. His portrayals of Dr. Strangelove and Chance the gardener are amazing and Sellers was a master at playing a wide variety of characters. That being said, he also was a HORRIBLE judge of material. Often, after making an exceptional film, he made exceptionally bad films. For example, after being Oscar nominated for "Being There" he then made this film! How could a man have so many great performances as well as terrible ones?! Nevertheless, because I admire much of his work, I decided to watch this final Sellers movie...even though I heard horrible things about it.
Not surprisingly, Sellers plays the title character (as well as a few other characters). In fact, the various Fu Manchu movies featured white guys playing the Asian master criminal. Politically correct? Perhaps not...and this film is one of the later ones with non-Asians playing Asians.
The plot finds Dr. Fu Manchu out to steal a valuable yellow diamond. Why? Because his bumbling assistant broke the bottle of elixir that has kept the Doctor alive for 168 years...and part of the formula includes yellow diamond. When a famous Russian diamond is stolen as it toured the United States, the FBI sends some idiotic agents to meet with Scotland Yard to bring Fu Manchu to justice.
The biggest problem with this film is that the seemed to mistake WEIRD with FUNNY....and they aren't necessarily the same thing. So, you see things such as a guy mowing his office, a fat guy eating like a pig, the head FBI agent called 'Capone' and a guy being squirted in the crotch with a hose. All are strange...but in themselves not the least bit funny. One of the most unfunny things about the film is Capone, as Sid Caesar is pretty bad here and adds nothing positive to the picture.
Overall, a weird film...but one that is amazingly slow and bereft of real laughs. Sadly, Sellers died around the time this film was completed and it's sad that his career had to end on such a sour note. Perhaps he was just tired because of his bad heart and this might account for how flat the film is.
Not surprisingly, Sellers plays the title character (as well as a few other characters). In fact, the various Fu Manchu movies featured white guys playing the Asian master criminal. Politically correct? Perhaps not...and this film is one of the later ones with non-Asians playing Asians.
The plot finds Dr. Fu Manchu out to steal a valuable yellow diamond. Why? Because his bumbling assistant broke the bottle of elixir that has kept the Doctor alive for 168 years...and part of the formula includes yellow diamond. When a famous Russian diamond is stolen as it toured the United States, the FBI sends some idiotic agents to meet with Scotland Yard to bring Fu Manchu to justice.
The biggest problem with this film is that the seemed to mistake WEIRD with FUNNY....and they aren't necessarily the same thing. So, you see things such as a guy mowing his office, a fat guy eating like a pig, the head FBI agent called 'Capone' and a guy being squirted in the crotch with a hose. All are strange...but in themselves not the least bit funny. One of the most unfunny things about the film is Capone, as Sid Caesar is pretty bad here and adds nothing positive to the picture.
Overall, a weird film...but one that is amazingly slow and bereft of real laughs. Sadly, Sellers died around the time this film was completed and it's sad that his career had to end on such a sour note. Perhaps he was just tired because of his bad heart and this might account for how flat the film is.