The Flying Serpent sees the great George Zucco descending in to homicidal madness at his fiendish best, in a script well ahead of it's time. Not only does the story anticipate the theory of birds having been evolved from dinosaurs (which at this time were still thought to be lizards) but gives the tragic antagonist complex psychological, guilt driven motivation and a tragic final demise.
WARNING *SPOILERS*
The Zucco character on discovering the tomb and treasure chamber of Montezuma finds the still living guardian of the tomb, a "missing link" between birds and reptiles, once worshipped by the Aztecs as a living god creature. Presumably some ancient follower of the the old ways has been breeding and keeping alive the creature to guard the treasure for some three hundred years as a sacred duty, perhaps the same person who entrusted this same duty to Zucco. Golem like Zucco becomes obsessed with the treasure and though, having no interest in it monetarily, keeps it hidden simply for the joy of possessing it, whilst trying to decipher the ancient Aztec language. Unfortunately his presenting one of the creatures feathers to his wife as a gift, leads her to be killed by the monster. This drives the poor professor out of what is left of his tiny mind and sets him on a path of murder to protect his "precious" treasure at all costs. When ultimately faced with discovery and the realisation that he was about to kill his only beloved step daughter, he flees the tomb, refusing to (perhaps subconsciously) to let go of the feather that will mark him for death, a final act of self destructive punishment for his wrong doings.
End of *SPOILERS*
The usual PRC goof-ball, stooges appear too, though less prominently than in other PRC films, for comic relief and the model of the monster is kept in shadow or at a distance for most of the time to give it a surprising believability. Several others here have complained of visible strings and poor flying effects, well I can tell you, there are NO visible strings,( I've looked frame by frame) and the creature is far better animated than many that appeared anything up to twenty five years latter in other similar horrors(Don't believe me compare it to Mystery on Monster Island (1981), The land that time forgot (1975) or At the Earth's core (1976))
Very enjoyable way to spend an hour and a bit having fun.
WARNING *SPOILERS*
The Zucco character on discovering the tomb and treasure chamber of Montezuma finds the still living guardian of the tomb, a "missing link" between birds and reptiles, once worshipped by the Aztecs as a living god creature. Presumably some ancient follower of the the old ways has been breeding and keeping alive the creature to guard the treasure for some three hundred years as a sacred duty, perhaps the same person who entrusted this same duty to Zucco. Golem like Zucco becomes obsessed with the treasure and though, having no interest in it monetarily, keeps it hidden simply for the joy of possessing it, whilst trying to decipher the ancient Aztec language. Unfortunately his presenting one of the creatures feathers to his wife as a gift, leads her to be killed by the monster. This drives the poor professor out of what is left of his tiny mind and sets him on a path of murder to protect his "precious" treasure at all costs. When ultimately faced with discovery and the realisation that he was about to kill his only beloved step daughter, he flees the tomb, refusing to (perhaps subconsciously) to let go of the feather that will mark him for death, a final act of self destructive punishment for his wrong doings.
End of *SPOILERS*
The usual PRC goof-ball, stooges appear too, though less prominently than in other PRC films, for comic relief and the model of the monster is kept in shadow or at a distance for most of the time to give it a surprising believability. Several others here have complained of visible strings and poor flying effects, well I can tell you, there are NO visible strings,( I've looked frame by frame) and the creature is far better animated than many that appeared anything up to twenty five years latter in other similar horrors(Don't believe me compare it to Mystery on Monster Island (1981), The land that time forgot (1975) or At the Earth's core (1976))
Very enjoyable way to spend an hour and a bit having fun.
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