Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars

This is perhaps the best of the three Flash Gordon serials due to the fact that it not only was action packed, but that it also included some humorous moments provided by the character of "Happy" Hapgood. The first one was exciting, but really wasn't as action packed as this one. The third serial was good, but they had different characters playing the characters of Dale, Barin and Aura (give me Jean Rogers as Dale anytime). Also, this is the first one in which Dale takes part in the action, especially in the scene where she bombs the Forest People's temple. If you want thrills, just look at this serial.

This direct sequel to the now classic "Flash Gordon" is quite good. Polished look helps. Acting is better. But it does drag a bit once you get to Chapter 9. The tracked musical score is great. Charles Middleton made a great Ming the Merciless. All in all, fun film but not as good as the first serial. Many believe this one to be the best.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Ford Beebe and Robert Hill; Produced by Barney Sarecky, for Universal Pictures. Screenplay by Norman Hall, Ray Trampe, Wyndham Gittens and Herbert Dalmas; Photography by Jerry Ash; Edited by Joseph Gluck, Louis Sackin, Saul Goodkind and Alvin Todd. Starring: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Frank Shannon, Beatrice Roberts, Donald Kerr, C. Montague Shaw and RIchard Alexander.

Entertaining sci-fi serial, as crude as its predecessor, but distinguished by the cute flying city and the fine clay-people special effects.

This sequel to the first serial is overlong; it's got a twelve chapter story stretched to fifteen, and Mars lacks the cultural diversity of Mongo, so you don't have Lionmen in one chapter, Sharkmen in the next, etc. However, I think Buster Crabbe's hairdo is more appropriate and he also avoids the knickers for a costume more faithful to Alex Raymond's comic strip art. Those clay people are memorable; so is the lightray bridge and the Martian wings used for parachuting from rockets. One wishes that Universal had spent more money and brought in the kind of monsters they had created in the first Flash Gordon. One can go on wishing for other changes as well, but if you liked the first one and like serials, you'll like this one.

First saw this serial as a child.....remembered it when I saw it as an adult......even remembered the music......how about that!