Monarch Of The Moon

[Foxbat]

Starring Blane Wheatley, Monica Himmelheber, Kimberley Page, Brent Moss and Will MaMillan
Directed by Richard Lowry
Region 1 DVD

Yellow Jacket – All-American super spy and downright thoroughly decent chap - is battling to help the allies win WWII. Ranged against him is a horde of Nazi thugs and his Japanese nemesis – Dragon Fly and her menacing Jap-Bots. With his ability to talk to insects (yes, you’ve guessed it…yellow jackets) his flying pack, atomic submarine, rocket-plane and his loyal band of helpers, our hero sets out to save the world in six thrill-packed episodes. But this time it’s different because the Axis powers are being helped by the mysterious Monarch of the Moon who, as a prelude to invasion, wishes to see America destroyed. As each episode culminates in a heart-stopping cliffhanger, we ask ourselves: could this be the end of civilisation as we know it? Or will Yellow Jacket save the world in the nick of time once again?

Stay tuned folks for next week’s seismic instalment of….Monarch of the Moon…………………………………………………………….

Brought to us by Dark Horse Indie Films, this is a spoof, a poke at the old serials that spanned the 30s and 40s and it’s a good ‘un. It is plainly obvious that the makers of this serial knew their stuff when it came to the oldies. Populated with the usual mix of characters common to most old serials, we have the hero, his scientific sidekick, the attractive young female who screams a lot and mends torn shirt sleeves, the comedic henchman and even the really irritating up-and-at-em kid that everybody loved to hate. If you don’t know what I mean, think Scrappy Doo and how much you hate him and you’ll get the picture. The humour can be enjoyed by anybody not familiar with serials but, to get the best out of this, you really should take the time to watch a few oldies because it is the familiarity with the set-up that really gives the comedy the edge here.

The disc gives the choice of either black and white or colour and it really doesn’t matter which one you watch as both are very good imitations of old film that has seen better days. Considering this was a low budget independent job, I thought the actors carried the day superbly and the photography helped increase that believability factor – it really felt like watching a real old serial from yesteryear.

I should add at this point that, for your cash, you get a bonus feature (Destination Mars) so it’s two for the price of one.

I am a fan of old serials and have to say that I enjoyed this effort immensely. Okay, it’s not going to win any Oscars but it put a smile on my face and left me with the knowledge that I would definitely consider other offerings from Dark Horse Indie.


The website is here: Monarch of the Moon