Watch Manhunt of Mystery Island For Free

That was an excellent one.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

*Spoiler/plot- 1945, A breakthrough scientific device will revolutionize the world's energy usage if the kidnapped inventor can be found. To rescue her father, Claire Forrest enlists the help of ace sleuth Lance Reardon. Clues lead them to a Pacific isle, where the two confront sinister and astonishing forces. The descendants of a long-dead pirate, Mephisto are holding the scientist for their own nefarious gain. And one of the heirs has a 'transformation chair' that changes him into the molecular duplicate of Captain Mephisto. By the time Claire and Lance learn the truth about the pirate's plot, it maybe too late. *Special Stars- Richard Bailey, Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft. Dir: Yakima Canutt, Spencer Gordon Bennet*Theme- Greed and crime go hand in hand.*Based on- Comic book themes of the time period.*Trivia/location/goofs- The ocean chase and beach scenes are shot in Southern California. Nice to see stuntman and stunt arranger, Yakima Canutt, get some screen credit.*Emotion- A somewhat forgettable Republic post WW2 serial with only one gimmick, the 'Transformation Chair'. Those transformation scenes become tedious and several repetitive flashback scenes near the last episode is confusing to the viewer. Suspense and excitement might build as the lead actors are lowered toward a watery doom nearly squashed like grapes, dropped off a bridge, and much more in this amazing 15 chapters theatrical serial. The pirate costume is something to be seen and only laughed at while on screen.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed this serial so much is because Linda Stirling seemed to rescue our hero almost as many times as he rescues her! This made her role a little ahead of its time, I think. She was more a team player than just a damsel in distress. Really fun stuff and Linda plays her part to the fullest. It must have been a drag having to wear the same outfit for 15 episodes, but,in true serial fashion, none of the guys lost their hats during the numerous fight scenes. I tend to watch for that - it's kind of a trademark of serials. I thought it was fun to try and figure out which one of the cast was the real Captain Mephisto! This is great "Rainy Day" fare - and relatively family-friendly! I recommend it.

Roy Barcroft as one of the overseers of Mystery Island ,can transform himself into Captain Mephisto by the use of a transformation machine.Barcroft only appears as Mephisto,his alter ego is played by another actor.The viewer is left to guess which of the overseers is the villian.Linda Sterling,along with Richard Bailey,is looking for her missing father,who is being forced to work on the machine.Great cast,and production values make this an exciting serial.

As far as Linda Stirling's cliffhangers go, this is the best of the bunch. Stirling stars along with Republic staple Roy Barcroft and Richard Bailey in the search for an evil pirate from the past. Lance (Bailey) and Claire (Stirling) head to Mystery Island to search for Claire's father, a scientist being held by the evil Captain Mephisto. Mephisto is a pirate from 200 years earlier, who is transformed into a business man who owns part of the island. The mystery lies in which one of the four owners actually is Mephisto.Claire is a spitfire of a damsel, able to hold her own against Mephisto and his henchmen. This serial is partially directed by legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt, so the chases, the fights and the explosions are all top notch. Of course, there is a level of kitsch that comes with the territory of chapterplays, but this one has its own charm, and is a example of what a cliffhanger should be.