The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Director: Charles Brabin
Starring: Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley

Synopsis:
Nayland Smith and his allies are in a race against time to find the relics of Genghis Khan before they can fall into the hands of Fu Manchu.

Impressions:
If you're cringing at the thought of Boris Karloff in yellowface, you may want to hop off this train before it leaves the station because that's one of the least of this movie's problems. If you want a prime example of the Yellow Peril panic honed to a razor edge, look no further. I mean, seriously, one of Fu Manchu's rallying cries to stir up his followers is "Kill the white man! And take his women!" Jeesh. Admittedly, our protagonists desecrating Genghis Khan's tomb is rather unpleasant to watch as well. Karloff has fun with the character of Fu Manchu and his performance is the main highlight of the film. Myrna Loy is also pretty good as Fah Lo See, though I would've liked to see her character have more development. Lewis Stone isn't bad as Nayland Smith, but I would've much rather seen more of just him battling Fu Manchu and gotten rid of side characters like Terry and Sheila. There's some cool if mostly pointless showing off with a plasma ball and electricity arcing off Fu's fingers like he's Emperor Palpatine. It's a mixed bag on its own merits and anathema to the PC-minded. Weigh your options before decided whether or not to see it.

Rating:
50/50