There are those who know me well who insist that – if I were to take the time and read some novels – I’d be smitten with the wide, wide world of Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu.
Essentially, I think this opinion stems from the fact that I’m an admitted fan of the era of American pulp novels and have read quite a few. Starting in the 1920’s and running through the early 1960’s (though many insist that true pulp ended in the 1950’s), the pulp sensation was fueled by a plethora of authors penning some of the most entertaining “literature” to hit bookshelves by way of inexpensive magazines focused on Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime, and Horror. Because these venues were printed on cheap paper (i.e. pulp), they earned the moniker of ‘pulp fiction,’ the kind of yarns meant almost exclusively to escape the doldrums of a hum drum life by getting wrapped up in stories taking place elsewhere. For the most part, author Rohmer detailed his adventures of Fu Manchu in this era; and those who’ve both read them and know me assure that they’re the kind of thing that’d get me ‘hot and bothered’ … well, so far as reading goes anyway.
Honestly, the only reason I haven’t quite dipped into the books at this point is because I keep my shelves amply filled with titles I’m hoping to get to in this lifetime. Yet, I do keep my eyes peeled for the various screen incarnations which – thanks to my relationships with various distributors and media outlets – I’m occasionally able to get my hands on. It’s for this reason that earlier in 2025 I was excited to learn that 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu and its follow-up The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) were getting undated releases from Blue Underground, one of my favorite distributors of obscure and often overlooked or forgotten flicks. I kept my fingers crossed that I’d make the cut in getting review copies; and – lo and behold – the movie gods have smiled upon me.
Well, I just finished Castle – along with its several extras – and I definitely have something to say about it. In short, it’s a vastly, vastly inferior flick to Blood – so much so that I was disappointed with most of it – but as usual I’ll try to dissect the particulars so that watchers know exactly what to expect if daring to take this one under the wing.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Fu Manchu plans to freeze the world's oceans. Denis Nayland Smith and Dr Petrie of Scotland Yard are the only ones capable of stopping him.”
Essentially, I think this opinion stems from the fact that I’m an admitted fan of the era of American pulp novels and have read quite a few. Starting in the 1920’s and running through the early 1960’s (though many insist that true pulp ended in the 1950’s), the pulp sensation was fueled by a plethora of authors penning some of the most entertaining “literature” to hit bookshelves by way of inexpensive magazines focused on Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime, and Horror. Because these venues were printed on cheap paper (i.e. pulp), they earned the moniker of ‘pulp fiction,’ the kind of yarns meant almost exclusively to escape the doldrums of a hum drum life by getting wrapped up in stories taking place elsewhere. For the most part, author Rohmer detailed his adventures of Fu Manchu in this era; and those who’ve both read them and know me assure that they’re the kind of thing that’d get me ‘hot and bothered’ … well, so far as reading goes anyway.
Honestly, the only reason I haven’t quite dipped into the books at this point is because I keep my shelves amply filled with titles I’m hoping to get to in this lifetime. Yet, I do keep my eyes peeled for the various screen incarnations which – thanks to my relationships with various distributors and media outlets – I’m occasionally able to get my hands on. It’s for this reason that earlier in 2025 I was excited to learn that 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu and its follow-up The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) were getting undated releases from Blue Underground, one of my favorite distributors of obscure and often overlooked or forgotten flicks. I kept my fingers crossed that I’d make the cut in getting review copies; and – lo and behold – the movie gods have smiled upon me.
Well, I just finished Castle – along with its several extras – and I definitely have something to say about it. In short, it’s a vastly, vastly inferior flick to Blood – so much so that I was disappointed with most of it – but as usual I’ll try to dissect the particulars so that watchers know exactly what to expect if daring to take this one under the wing.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Fu Manchu plans to freeze the world's oceans. Denis Nayland Smith and Dr Petrie of Scotland Yard are the only ones capable of stopping him.”
The central problem with Castle – so far as I see it – is that the film really has no plot.
Oh, lighten up, haters: yes, I’m aware that ‘the great Fu Manchu’ (played by the returning Christopher Lee) is on course to destroy life as some know it yet again, but there’s a great deal more required to make all of this work as the grand, theatrical chess game it needed to be in order to work for entertainment’s sake, and that just doesn’t happen. Nayland Smith eventually gets dispatched to bring down his mortal adversary – as if regulars didn’t know that was going to happen – but there are a handful of side stories that are only mildly interesting and don’t quite serve as conscripting other characters into this yarn for ‘the great Fu Manchu’ to torture and buy time in this 90+-minute mess. Had any of them been authentic heroes in any measure then I wouldn’t complain; and yet as is Castle feels mostly empty if not occasionally directionless.
The script is once more attributed to Peter Welbeck (a pseudonym for producer Harry Alan Towers); and – where he showed a bit of a flair for recapturing the days of high adventure in 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu (reviewed here) – this outing relies solely on establishing an evil foundation and kinda/sorta seeing what he could do with it. Basically, ‘the great Fu Manchu’ has figured out a means with which to create massive blocks of ice within oceans; and – as best as I can guess his endgame here – he intends to bring maritime commerce entirely under his control, threatening to freeze whole bodies of water if the world’s leaders refuse to capitulate to his … well, I’m not sure Fu even says, honestly. I’m no supervillain (the wife might disagree), but I’d still think that global extortion would come with some massive price-tag. Otherwise, why bother? If it’s even mentioned in here – I watched it twice, dear Lord – then I must’ve missed it; and this demonstrates the level of confusion I had in deciphering what in the Holy Hades was going out most of the time.
Naturally, where you find ‘the great Fu Manchu,’ the equally talented Nayland Smith (the returning Richard Greene) isn’t far behind. He’s pulled in by Scotland Yard once the British Government learns of the plot to fill the oceans with ice (snicker snicker); and he’s once more joined by his man-at-arms Dr. Petrie (the also-returning Howard Marion-Crawford). Together, they deduce Fu’s whereabouts and set out to earn a few allies whose assistance will be necessary to both infiltrate a country as well as the massive compound their enemy has seized for an all-new base of operations. Arguably, Fu’s updated his digs and invested in some machinery this time around – Blood had him basically relying on the use of secret potions for much of his nefarious merriment. His daughter Lin Tang (the also-returning Tsai Chin) still serves as his executive officer carrying out a great degree of the evil wishes – an egomaniacal mastermind has to keep his time free for scheming, you know – so, thankfully, a good portion of this feels like a familiar affair even though all parties will be at one another’s throats by the big finish.
Oh, lighten up, haters: yes, I’m aware that ‘the great Fu Manchu’ (played by the returning Christopher Lee) is on course to destroy life as some know it yet again, but there’s a great deal more required to make all of this work as the grand, theatrical chess game it needed to be in order to work for entertainment’s sake, and that just doesn’t happen. Nayland Smith eventually gets dispatched to bring down his mortal adversary – as if regulars didn’t know that was going to happen – but there are a handful of side stories that are only mildly interesting and don’t quite serve as conscripting other characters into this yarn for ‘the great Fu Manchu’ to torture and buy time in this 90+-minute mess. Had any of them been authentic heroes in any measure then I wouldn’t complain; and yet as is Castle feels mostly empty if not occasionally directionless.
The script is once more attributed to Peter Welbeck (a pseudonym for producer Harry Alan Towers); and – where he showed a bit of a flair for recapturing the days of high adventure in 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu (reviewed here) – this outing relies solely on establishing an evil foundation and kinda/sorta seeing what he could do with it. Basically, ‘the great Fu Manchu’ has figured out a means with which to create massive blocks of ice within oceans; and – as best as I can guess his endgame here – he intends to bring maritime commerce entirely under his control, threatening to freeze whole bodies of water if the world’s leaders refuse to capitulate to his … well, I’m not sure Fu even says, honestly. I’m no supervillain (the wife might disagree), but I’d still think that global extortion would come with some massive price-tag. Otherwise, why bother? If it’s even mentioned in here – I watched it twice, dear Lord – then I must’ve missed it; and this demonstrates the level of confusion I had in deciphering what in the Holy Hades was going out most of the time.
Naturally, where you find ‘the great Fu Manchu,’ the equally talented Nayland Smith (the returning Richard Greene) isn’t far behind. He’s pulled in by Scotland Yard once the British Government learns of the plot to fill the oceans with ice (snicker snicker); and he’s once more joined by his man-at-arms Dr. Petrie (the also-returning Howard Marion-Crawford). Together, they deduce Fu’s whereabouts and set out to earn a few allies whose assistance will be necessary to both infiltrate a country as well as the massive compound their enemy has seized for an all-new base of operations. Arguably, Fu’s updated his digs and invested in some machinery this time around – Blood had him basically relying on the use of secret potions for much of his nefarious merriment. His daughter Lin Tang (the also-returning Tsai Chin) still serves as his executive officer carrying out a great degree of the evil wishes – an egomaniacal mastermind has to keep his time free for scheming, you know – so, thankfully, a good portion of this feels like a familiar affair even though all parties will be at one another’s throats by the big finish.
To his credit, Lee continues to utilize his skills to deliver a workable level of screen menace, a task the actor may’ve found difficult to do given that – as I said – there’s very little for him to do in this story. Far too much of the time, he’s delegated the good stuff to Lin Tang; and one – like me – begins to wonder whether or not he may’ve pushed back on director Jess Franco (also returning), suggesting that perhaps Fu as a player might need to get his hands dirty once in a while. How much nefariousness can truly be communicated in those stylized steely glances, after all? Hell, I ask that even fully aware that Lee was arguably one of the best purveyors of such villainy: at what point does it get … well … just plain tiring? Just too routine? If the actor was upset, then he still pulls it off here, never looking like he’s phoning it in, albeit I’ve read his Manchu make-up didn’t allowed for a great deal of expression.
Furthermore, Castle does try to add a few faces to the FUniverse (I literally just made that up) that are deserving of mention.
The film opens with a vignette wherein Fu’s technological wizardry kinda/sorta gets the best of him: while he’s successful in bringing down an ocean liner in an obvious act of terrorism, something goes horrifically wrong with the mechanized system. Our evil ruler is forced to sacrifice this new compound and seek out an all-new location with which to set up shop in Istanbul, seizing a rather exquisite castle right out from under the control of the national governor. (This short skinny on this is that opium figures heavily into his machine’s fuel – don’t ask me how – and there allegedly was plenty on hand in the ports of Anatolia. In order to accomplish this, Fu has to double-cross the local crime lord – Omar Pasha (Jose Manuel Martin) – and tosses Omar’s lieutenant Lisa (the perfectly fetching Rosalba Neri) into the dungeons as a consequence.
Additionally, the script insists that ailing scientist Heracles (Gustavo Re) – desperately in need of a heart transplant – is needed to keep Fu’s machinery in perfect working order; but unfortunately, none of this is ever substantiated except via exposition. The audience is merely told of his needed participation and is expected to accept it at face value in spite of the fact that the man does nothing but lie on a hospital cot for 90% of the film. To my knowledge, he never touches anything, nor does he move about until tasked with escaping. His ailment does require the kidnap of Dr. Curt Kessler (Günther Stoll) and Ingrid Koch (Maria Perschy) to perform the life-saving surgery; but, again, all of this really only works on the level of being put into the script. There’s never any sequence in the film that justifies the inclusion of these extra players; and they’re very quickly reduced to little more than scenery before the final reel explosions take place.
Furthermore, Castle does try to add a few faces to the FUniverse (I literally just made that up) that are deserving of mention.
The film opens with a vignette wherein Fu’s technological wizardry kinda/sorta gets the best of him: while he’s successful in bringing down an ocean liner in an obvious act of terrorism, something goes horrifically wrong with the mechanized system. Our evil ruler is forced to sacrifice this new compound and seek out an all-new location with which to set up shop in Istanbul, seizing a rather exquisite castle right out from under the control of the national governor. (This short skinny on this is that opium figures heavily into his machine’s fuel – don’t ask me how – and there allegedly was plenty on hand in the ports of Anatolia. In order to accomplish this, Fu has to double-cross the local crime lord – Omar Pasha (Jose Manuel Martin) – and tosses Omar’s lieutenant Lisa (the perfectly fetching Rosalba Neri) into the dungeons as a consequence.
Additionally, the script insists that ailing scientist Heracles (Gustavo Re) – desperately in need of a heart transplant – is needed to keep Fu’s machinery in perfect working order; but unfortunately, none of this is ever substantiated except via exposition. The audience is merely told of his needed participation and is expected to accept it at face value in spite of the fact that the man does nothing but lie on a hospital cot for 90% of the film. To my knowledge, he never touches anything, nor does he move about until tasked with escaping. His ailment does require the kidnap of Dr. Curt Kessler (Günther Stoll) and Ingrid Koch (Maria Perschy) to perform the life-saving surgery; but, again, all of this really only works on the level of being put into the script. There’s never any sequence in the film that justifies the inclusion of these extra players; and they’re very quickly reduced to little more than scenery before the final reel explosions take place.
Any amount of reading I’ve done into the whole FUniverse clarifies that Castle is – by far – not a celebrated outing for the signature character. Setting the script weaknesses aside, one might even conclude that there’s really no substantial reason for the picture to exist as it brings nothing – no glamor, no development, no stakes – to its bare bones narrative; and I can’t help but wonder if all of those involved would rather have this one forgotten. Despite watching it twice (along with the audio commentary), I can assure you that I’ll probably not remember this one in a few days; and that’s rarely something I even care to mention as I make it my trademark to find some small nugget to celebrate in the good, bad, and ugly. The problem is that Castle isn’t awful enough to be the kind of feature you put on just for giggles, and that is really all I can say about it.
A complete and total misfire. They happen. Rarely do they occur in franchise properties, so maybe that’s Castle’s only saving grace.
The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) was produced by Towers Of London Productions, Balcázar Producciones Cinematográficas, Italian International Film, Terra-Filmkunst, and Tilma Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Blue Underground. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the provided sights and sounds are still of pretty exceptional quality: there was a sequence or two when the audio dipped noticeably, and I’m left wondering if that was some probably with the source material or whether or not the players were insufficiently miked. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The two-disc set is loaded with some nice extras, including a few shorts exploring Franco’s career (and time with in the FUniverse), an audio commentary (meh), and the RiffTrax edition delivering some much-needed laughs to the completed film.
Alas … this one is Hard To Recommend. Purists of the Fu Manchu legacy should definitely check it out; but it’s very hard to give it a thumbs up beyond that limited cult audience.
It’s rare for yours truly to feel completely detached from a flick – especially something that is most definitely genre-related – but far too much of The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) just kinda/sorta bumbles along. It’s one of those rare experiences wherein nothing justifies its existence – not its good cast, not its honest intentions, and certainly not its completed product – and that’s why I’m at a loss to say anything even politely glowing about it. As big a fan I am of Christopher Lee, I will say it doesn’t look like he’s phoning it in – Tsai Chin didn’t seem as interested as she did previously – and maybe that’s the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise turgid 90-minutes.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Blue Underground provided me with a complimentary 4K UltraHD Blu-ray of The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
A complete and total misfire. They happen. Rarely do they occur in franchise properties, so maybe that’s Castle’s only saving grace.
The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) was produced by Towers Of London Productions, Balcázar Producciones Cinematográficas, Italian International Film, Terra-Filmkunst, and Tilma Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Blue Underground. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the provided sights and sounds are still of pretty exceptional quality: there was a sequence or two when the audio dipped noticeably, and I’m left wondering if that was some probably with the source material or whether or not the players were insufficiently miked. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The two-disc set is loaded with some nice extras, including a few shorts exploring Franco’s career (and time with in the FUniverse), an audio commentary (meh), and the RiffTrax edition delivering some much-needed laughs to the completed film.
Alas … this one is Hard To Recommend. Purists of the Fu Manchu legacy should definitely check it out; but it’s very hard to give it a thumbs up beyond that limited cult audience.
It’s rare for yours truly to feel completely detached from a flick – especially something that is most definitely genre-related – but far too much of The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) just kinda/sorta bumbles along. It’s one of those rare experiences wherein nothing justifies its existence – not its good cast, not its honest intentions, and certainly not its completed product – and that’s why I’m at a loss to say anything even politely glowing about it. As big a fan I am of Christopher Lee, I will say it doesn’t look like he’s phoning it in – Tsai Chin didn’t seem as interested as she did previously – and maybe that’s the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise turgid 90-minutes.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Blue Underground provided me with a complimentary 4K UltraHD Blu-ray of The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
RSS Feed