Santo y Blue Demon vs Drácula y el Hombre Lobo

I am no expert on the Mexican luchador films. I know they made more than 50 El Santo films as well as quite a few Blue Demon and Mil Máscaras pictures (many with El Santo). I've only seen about a half dozen so far and recently bought a few more (which I'll be reviewing soon)--so as I said, I have hardly an expert on the movies. But, at least I know that "Santo y Blue Demon vs Drácula y el Hombre Lobo" is better than the others I've seen so far. However, given that ALL of these films are bad, it's not saying much!!

In this installment, the two masked heroes are out to battle Dracula and the Wolfman in this hilariously silly movie. Why is it so funny? Well, because these two guys go EVERYWHERE and do EVERYTHING in character-- with their wrestling masks on when they go on dates, fight evil...whatever. However, it's still a lot better than in "Mystery in the Bermuda Triangel" where El Santo even showers in his mask!! Also, while it is a bad film, it did have a few rather slow portions-- something I haven't noticed in other films of the genre.

Among the many wonderful things you'll see in the film are some decent wrestling matches in front of fake crowds, a pit filled with stakes in Dracula's lair(????--this is like Superman keeping Kryptonite in his Fortress of Solitude!), a wrestler named Renato the Hippie and a wolfman whose hands are SOMETIMES hairy when he transforms and sometimes not (due to bad editing). It's all very funny in a kitschy way--and a lot of fun despite being awful. Also, while the films are mostly ridiculous and stupid, the wrestling scenes are still pretty incredible to watch considering that El Santo was in his 50s when he was performing!

Mexico's masked wrestling superhero, El Santo, is back in action - this time fighting Count Dracula and the Wolf Man! At his side is the legendary Blue Demon, another great wrestler/crimefighter. They make a mucho grande team. The film's a cheesy delight in part, marred by some slow moments. Still plenty of two-fisted action and loud '70s fashions, though. Highlights: the warehouse brawl, Santo and Blue enjoying a dinner date with their girlfriends at a restaurant, dressed in suits and wearing their masks. (Yep, they never take 'em off.)

Santo and The Blue Demon etc... is a surprisingly inventive movie from 1973. While you laugh there are a few chills as the story unfolds. It looks vaguely like a Hammer Studios Dracula film, with some nice color, and the two girls whom Dracula would like to make a part of his army of darkness dressed in each scene in cute miniskirts as they walk off into the night to heed his call. There's enough tension and character development to get the viewer at least a little interested in the sorry fate that awaits them if Dracula succeeds. No matter though, because the ending fought over a pit of sharp stakes is one of the best parts of the movie, which though isn't full of great parts, has more than anyone would have any right to expect.

Well, folks, I just witnessed the ultimate showdown between luchadores and classic movie monsters, and let me tell you, it's as bizarre as it sounds. Santo and Blue Demon put on their tights and masks to take on Dracula and the Wolf Man in the squared circle. This film is like a fever dream concocted by someone with a passion for both wrestling and Universal horror. The result? It's... okay.

First off, let's talk about the positives. The wrestling scenes are strangely entertaining. Seeing Santo and Blue Demon grapple with the supernatural is a sight to behold. The film's commitment to its absurd premise is commendable, and there are moments where you can't help but chuckle at the sheer lunacy of it all. It's a unique crossover, to say the least.

However, "Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man" struggles in the storytelling department. The plot is thin, and the pacing is all over the place. It's like they threw a bunch of wacky ideas into a blender and hit the "mix" button. Also, the special effects are, well, charmingly low-budget, but they won't be winning any awards. So, if you're in the mood for a cinematic oddity that's just okay and have a soft spot for masked wrestlers taking on monsters, this one might be worth a watch. Otherwise, you might want to pass on this curious collision of genres.

The only version of this movie I could find was neither dubbed, nor subtitled. This means that, as a white girl who was born and raised in California, I understand about 25% of what the characters are saying. No matter, I still love this film! The good and noble El Santo, professional wrestler and crimefighter, teams up with his best buddy, the Blue Demon, to battle the newly risen Dracula and his gold disco-shirted sidekick, Rufus Rex the Werewolf! There's some great, cheesy, fun stuff here: underground laboratories, a rubber bat that flaps its wings spastically (in a scene that made me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair) before turning into the suave Dracula, a little girl with the worlds worst mullet and, last but not least, a pit lined with sharpened stakes, over which our heroes must walk on a narrow plank. Darn those pesky werewolves, they keep shaking the plank and the tension is insufferable!!! El Santo battles through it all to save his lovely girlfriend and his buddy Blue Demon, and there's time enough for a few games of chess and cards and, of course, a couple of wrestling matches before it's all over and the good guys live happily ever after.

If you like corny Dracula films and honest-to-goodness wrestling matches, then do NOT miss this one! It's a lot of fun. All of the Santo films are.