DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Mystery Squadron remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s cliffhangers, you might get a kick out of this. Otherwise, prepare to be bored by the repetitive nature of it all. People who love historical oddities will find plenty to chew on here. People who need modern pacing will probably turn it off in ten minutes.
There is something inherently funny about a villain who calls himself The Black Ace. He wears a mask, obviously, because that is how you know he means business. The whole thing feels like a collection of dusty film canisters found in a basement.
The flying sequences are... well, they are something. You can tell they were really trying to make those old planes look like a constant threat. But half the time, it just looks like they are cruising for a Sunday afternoon snack.
There is this one moment where a character just stands there while an explosion happens in the background. It goes on for like three seconds too long. It is just a guy, standing, looking worried, while cardboard falls from the ceiling. It is pure magic in the worst way.
I feel like the writers just finished The Nickel Nurser and thought, 'Let’s just do that again but with more propellers.' It works, sort of. But the seams are showing everywhere.
Bob Steele is doing his best, I guess. He looks like he’s constantly squinting at a script he’s never seen before. Sometimes that works for a movie. Here, it just makes me want to go make a sandwich.
Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. It is a weird, messy, noisy piece of history. And honestly, that is kind of why I finished it. You don't watch this for the plot. You watch it to see how they faked a plane crash in 1933. It is janky. It is loud. I didn't hate it.