JohnHowardReid This legendary Republic serial is certainly vigorously staged: - chariot races, atom guns, a whizzy armored car, a night-time siege on a walled city, an exploding mountain, a disintegrator ray, flying torpedoes, crazy planes, a mad scientist, an "I'll rule the world or destroy it!" despot, weird robots, a gladiatorial combat. Yes, this movie has everything: pulp plotting, risibly incredible situations, laughable dialogue, quasi-science, pasteboard characters, ham acting, side-splitting costumes and lots of ingeniously primitive special effects. But it's all mighty enjoyable entertainment, both for run of the mill audiences and the ultra-sophisticated. The former will become pleasurably involved in the movie, the latter will find it a real hoot. It's hard to believe that all this action with all these costumed extras milling around, plus all the special effects gadgetry, were realized on such a minuscule budget. The negative cost for the entire serial was only $99,222. It took less than a month (from 3 March to 28 March 1936 inclusive) to shoot.A lot of the technical work is highly professional too (photography, film editing - despite some ill-matching ancient stock footage in the opening episode), though the music score is one of the most entertainingly pedestrian we've ever heard. It tones in delightfully with the corny efforts of the players (though it must be admitted that Crash is certainly an athletic enough hero, and Miss Wilde, if dowdily costumed, makes a pretty enough heroine).

ccmiller1492 "Undersea Kingdom" is fast-moving and exciting, better than most serials...with the added fun of seeing how the cliffhangers are impossibly resolved. One of my favorite superheroes who's never been filmed is Namor, the Submariner and this serial comes closest to rendering him on film. It's amazing how a very ordinary looking guy (Ray Corrigan) with an admittedly great physique can be transformed into a thrilling superhero just by donning a costume. This is the best example of the transformation by costume...Corrigan doesn't look anywhere near as imposing without that great sort of Aztec-looking helmet, the best flowing cape (far better than Superman's) and those nifty fish-scale briefs that turn transparent when the lighting hits them just right. Fortunately, our hero wears this impressive outfit throughout most of the series, and you will notice how much his presence is diminished just by removing the helmet from time to time. Despite the robots that look like lumbering water heaters and a sardine-can tank that announces its presence with an ambulance siren, this is a classic serial adventure that should surely please most action-hero and serial fans. It's a very ambitious and largely successful product for its times, with the added bonus of little of the tediously long previous chapter replays of later efforts in the genre. Highly recommended!

StuOz Despite being born in 1966, I have actually seen about 20 old time movie serials in my time, the ones made in the 1940s and 1950s actually stand the test of time rather well, but this one, dating back to 1936, is just a bit too old for me.From the first frames, it has 1930s written all over it, from the clothing to the acting to general look of the production.Being a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea nutcase, I was actually looking forward to seeing some Voyage/Sea-ish submarine miniature effects from the Lydeckers (Howard Lydecker created effects for Voyage/Sea) but The Undersea Kingdom submarine looks ugly.Then again, one later chapter features a fancy aircraft, flying in daylight, that resembles much later effects that Howard would do for Irwin Allen TV.Sorry folks, this serial just does not cut it for me, in fact, I destroyed the video tape. Maybe I am just too young for it?

Peter Krometsek I love this Serial , it is original Idea and the adventure is exciting.In Brazil we have many difficulties to find this type of film and expensive the $. I have interest in write with other Partners these kinds films in Brazil. I am collector of Serials Films and Film Music I am Librarian in Universidade Federal Paraiba at Biblioteca Central João Pessoa City I have interest in change informations about Serial Films and Film Music Soundtracks. My Favorite Kinds Genre Films:MUSICAL;SCIENCEFICTION;THRILLER;ADVENTURE;CLASSICAL;DOCUMENTARY and HISTORICAL . Music Composers : JOHN WILLIAMS , JAMES HONER , JERRY GOLDSMITH ,JAMES NEWTON HOWARD and HANS ZIMMER