Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
ShadeGrenade
There have not been many children's shows featuring a dead man as the hero, but 1967's 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons' has to be the top contender for the title. It was Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's first 'Supermarionation' series since their phenomenally successful 'Thunderbirds', and repeated many of the same ingredients - a top secret organisation, futuristic hardware, exciting action scenes, dramatic Barry Gray music, and sinister villains, but there was a new element - violent death. Characters either got shot, blown up or electrocuted.In 2068 A.D., an expedition from Earth touches down on Mars. As the M.E.V. ( Martian Expeditionary Vehicle ) crawls across the craggy surface, a city twinkles in the distance. Convinced they are about to be attacked, Captain Black of the security force SPECTRUM opens fire. But, minutes later, the 'dead' city reappears intact. The inhabitants of Mars - the Mysterons - have the ability to reconstruct dead matter ( a process they call 'retro metabolism' ). They were a peace-loving race, but now they are mad, vowing to destroy Mankind. Soon after the expedition's return to Earth, Black disappears. The World President's life is threatened, so SPECTRUM - whose agents are named after colours, their leader is Colonel White - dispatches Captains Scarlet and Brown to protect him. En route, their car crashes. Brown is reconstructed as a Mysteron agent. In one of the most chilling scenes ever on children's television, Brown tries to kill the World President by becoming a human bomb. The attempt fails, so that only leaves Captain Scarlet, also Mysteronised, to complete the mission. Needless to say, it also fails, but Scarlet is soon free of Mysteron control. Being indestructible, he becomes SPECTRUM's top agent in the ongoing war of nerves against the Mysterons.Each week, the doom-laden voice of the Mysterons would issue its latest sabotage threat, and Captain Black would be duly dispatched to carry out his orders. Compared to the cosy family viewing that was 'Stingray' and 'Thunderbirds', this was nightmarish stuff indeed. Ordinary people died horribly so they could be reborn as Mysterons. One episode had a mechanic in an inspection pit being crushed when Black activated the hydraulic mechanism holding the car he was working on. 'Crater 101' saw Scarlet, Blue and Lieutenant Green heading for the Moon where the Mysterons have built a base. The scenes where they wander round the alien complex are incredibly eerie even now. 'Dangerous Rendezvous' had the Mysterons ostensibly offering to negotiate peace terms with SPECTRUM, but of course it all turned out to be a trap.The puppetry had noticeably improved since 'Thunderbirds', and there were no comedy characters such as 'Brains'. SPECTRUM's headquarters was Cloudbase, which was a sort of airborne aircraft carrier. The show's other major stars were the Angels - the beautiful all-girl pilots who flew sleek aircraft equipped with rockets, and had names like 'Melody', 'Symphony' and 'Rhapsody'. We never saw the Mysterons though - whenever they used their powers a pair of white rings would be visible. In a comic strip in 'T.V. Tornado' published shortly before the show's debut, they were depicted as hexagonal spheres, sporting a single eye which could spit death rays. In a 1967 'C.A.' annual, however, it was said the Mysterons had abandoned Mars, and it was their computers that were waging war on Mankind. To me they were scarier than the Daleks because they seemed to have the entire world under surveillance. I often wondered why they gave up so easily. Surely when Scarlet killed one of their agents, all they had to do was reconstruct him again. They preferred to cook up an entirely new scheme instead. Perhaps 'the war of nerves' was really nothing more than an elaborate game of cat and mouse played by the aliens for reasons we can only guess at.Like Anderson's other shows, 'C.A.' was heavily marketed ( I used to own a SPECTRUM wallet, complete with S.P.V. driving licence! ). The dinky toy of the S.P.V. ( Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle ) was for years the top selling toy of its kind. Kellogg's breakfast cereal 'Sugar Smacks' gave away badges to coincide with the original run, and the 'T.V. 21' comic featured beautifully drawn strips. The catchy pop song over the end credits was performed by 'The Spectrum'. So popular was 'C.A.' that 'The Golden Shot' ( hosted by the late Bob Monkhouse ) did a tie-in edition with the hostesses dressed as Angels! British audiences had to wait a few years to see the show in colour, but when they did it was worth it. Repeats have been plentiful over the years; the B.B.C. brought it to a new generation in 1993 ( Trevor Phillips of the Commission for Racial Equality incredibly denounced the show as racist on account of the villain being called 'Captain Black'. When it was pointed out to him that 'Lieutenant Green' was also black, he calmed down ).In 2005, the show was reincarnated as 'New Captain Scarlet' with stop motion C.G.I. replacing the Supermarionation puppets. I like both shows enormously, but the original holds a special place in my heart. Like its hero, it has proved to be indestructible. SPECTRUM Is Green!
Paulo R. C. Barros
"Captain Scarlet" (1967 - 32 episodes), is a brilliant production of the English couple Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, of "Thunderbirds", responsible for the Supermarionation technique that used plastic marionettes operated by fine threads of nylon. The plot starts in 2068 when the Spectrum organization - responsible for the world-wide peace - was making research in the Mars planet and, without thinking, attacks the base of the Mysterons. The attitude causes a great misunderstanding since the aliens were pacific. Hurt, they swear to destroy the human civilization for judging us maleficent and dangerous. After being dominated by the Mysterons, Captain Scarlet - the one direct responsible for Mars exploration - managed to revert the process and becomes immortal. The humanity had sufficient evolved to elect a world-wide president and Captain Scarlet was charged to protect him of the terrible attacks of the Mysterons. Main agent of the Spectrum, he will use his powers to fight against the powerful extraterrestrial race that has the power to invade and to take control of the body of the human beings.
critic-29
Filmed in "Supermarionation", Captain Scarlet is visually one of the most interesting shows that I have ever seen. It is easy to forget that the characters are puppets. I watched the show as a young child (I was born the same year as the show - 1966) and did not hear of or see it again until 1998.I was very surprised at how well it holds up over time. The use of sound is dramatic like in many products of the 60s. The characters have an "I Spy" cool. The clothing and industrial design of the aircraft, spacecraft, land vehicles as well as the architectural styles are fantastic 60's visions of the future.Captain Scarlet is a member of an elite military group called "Spectrum". Each male "Captain" has an associated color and the female members are jet-flying "Angels" (Harmony Angel, Melody Angel etc.) The Mysterons are aliens whose main weapon is the ability to replace people and things with their own reproductions.In the first episode, Captain Scarlet is replaced in a Mysteron plot to assassinate the President. The replacement is killed by a great fall, but then mysteriously returns to life and, get this, is apparently both freed of Mysteron control AND now indestructible. Gotta love it. CAN we now trust Captain Scarlet? What will the Mysterons do next in their campaign of revenge against the Earth?The voices are superb and the writing is very good. If you get a chance to see Captain Scarlet, take it. You will be glad you did.
