Das boshafte Spiel des Dr. Fu Man Chu

OK! Maybe it is not the best film making but it is fun, and is the last hurrah for one of the great comic actors of all time. A gentle spoof of all of those Fu Manchu films over the years,(and frankly better than many of them) It contained many of the hallmarks of Sellers films such as playing multiple roles (Fu Manchu and nemesis Nayland Smith) Using comic actors of similar stripe (Sid Caesar) re-uniting with Bert Kwouk (his man-servant in many of the Pink Panther movies.) This was also the farewell film of actor David Tomlinson and John Le Messeur both of whom retired from films after this. The movie is a fun romp with a mix of the absurd slapstick and the witty dialog of the characters. One of my favorite lines happens after a line of dacoit assassins appear in front of Fu Manchu and he says "you can't fool me with a cheap cinematic trick." This was very fitting farewell to a great comic genius.

Well, it's not a masterpiece, of course, but it's far from the worst film ever made, as some of the more OTT reviewers claim. For those of us for whom Sellers is forever the arch-Goon, there is much to delight here, and the spirit of Spike Milligan hovers over the script, whether or not he had anything to do with it. Accusations of racism are quite absurd. If you really want to see a gold plated 100% cringeworthy stinker, I suggest you look no further than The Spy Who Shagged Me, beside which Fu Manchu is a real work of genius.

Like a couple of other reviewers here, I'm baffled as to why this movie is so lambasted. It is not the gut-busting laugh getter, but then it's not supposed to be. I found it to be rather tongue in cheek fun, not unlike a silly James Bond film (when Connery was doing it still) and entertaining for the detective movie buff like myself. I remember seeing it with my wife. And the ending is silly and funny I thought. Sure it's not a great film like "Being There" but it is not a horrible film to go out on as some professional reviewers have said. I really liked the exaggerated Chinese accent Sellers gives his Fu Manchu (Which I would imitate for my wife's amusement often) and the funny bit about the aging and somewhat out there Nayland Smith pushing a lawnmower over the carpet in the "home" that helped him think. And so to you Nay(land) sayers out there, I say FU! I had a good time with this addition to detective fiction satire.

While "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu" is by no means the best of Peter Sellers' work, for those who are fans and appreciate his whole output, the movie is enjoyable. Multiple characters for Sellers, "Goon Show"-type humor, a measure of unreality and strong supporting performances all contribute to it. The movie manages to mix only a few out-and-out laughs with some more subtle comedy, some farce, and even a few moments to ponder. The fact that it was Sellers' last performance might add to its attachment for fans, but I'll argue that it is a good and under-appreciated comedy. I'll hang onto my VHS copy and hope that a DVD version is produced.

If you enjoyed the Pink Panther movies, try this one. I keep hearing about how this was a bad end to Peter Sellers' career, but I liked it. Perhaps these people are influenced by what they've heard. Hear me say it's funny, and go watch it yourself.

It's a cute satire/parody of the books, and, actually, reading one will add a little spice to the movie. Sellers also makes several little nudges to the audience when his dialog speaks about the movie. Sure, there are several dumb bits, but I think that the good parts greatly outweigh them. The movie, while with some Panther feeling, seems to be stretching a little toward Python and away from Stooges (slapstick). There's something else I recently picked upon, and that's its early 70s feeling (or late 60s), although it was made in 1980.

If you're looking for something a little dumb and silly, but that a person with a little extra brain would pick out the extra bits in, this is a pretty good movie.