Santo: Infraterrestre

Santo's son has to fight a secret group of aliens who have lived beneath Earth's surface for some time after he figures out that his friend, The Blue Panther, is being mind controlled by them somehow. While the actions of the son doesn't tarnish the memories of old Santos movies, this movie was still pretty band and can't really hold a candle to the movies that the original Santo appeared in. Also the special effects are extremely lackluster and are relied on a bit too heavily.

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes; Outtakes; Premiere footage; Special effects of; Director Interview; 'the Best of El Santo'; and a Santo Vs. Blue Demon wrestling bout (all in Mexican with NO sub-titles); Also trailers for various crappy Rise Above reality fare

My Grade: D-

Santo was a beloved legendary figure who made an indelible mark upon the landscape of pop culture cinema and in the hearts of his many fans. Santo was a true classic cinematic hero. When he passed away the world of pop culture was never quite the same. I've missed Santo and all that he represented in his films. It just wasn't the same without him. Then I learned that The Son of Santo was carrying on the legacy of his legendary father in this DVD adventure INFRATERRESTRE. I picked it up, put it on, and settled back. And I smiled. As a long time Santo fan I was extremely pleased. The Son of Santo is now called Santo and he is indeed a worthy successor to his late father's legacy. Santo Jr. has done his father proud. He has also made this Santo fan very happy. INFRATERRESTRE is a fine addition to my DVD library.

(Contains very minor spoilers about Santo's gadgets). This poorly scripted and directed attempt to update Santo feels like it was made at least 2 decades before it was thanks to the primitive (but somewhat charming) video effects. Despite El Hijo's very good efforts at maintaining the integrity of his father's character, the film never really takes off. Santo is as likable as always, polite and friendly to everyone around him and a true role model for young kids. He even buckles up when he slips into his requisite convertible sports car (which also has the ability to fly this time around). In addition to his flying car, Santo has a satellite-linked computer in his wristwatch and a voice-activated computer in his secret lair that he uses to analyze a recent bout in the ring with Blue Panther. The final match between Santo and his rival Blue Panther ends in a disappointingly abrupt manner, and Santo gets too little screen time in general. On the plus side there's an exhibition match between El Santo and Blue Demon in the DVD's bonus section.