THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN INVINCIBLE
Australia, 1982, 91 minutes, Colour.
Alan Arkin, Christopher Lee, Kate Fitzpatrick, Bill Hunter, Michael Pate, John Bluthal, Arthur Dignam, Hayes Gordon, Chris Haywood, Max Cullen, Graham Kennedy, Gus Mercurio, Noel Ferrier.
Directed by Philippe Mora.
The Return of Captain Invincible was grandiose in design - but had an almost disastrous history.
The film was produced by Seven Keys distributor and entrepreneur. Andrew Gaty (who co-wrote the script). Direction was by Philippe Mora, Brother Can you Spare a Dime, Swastika, Mad Dog Morgan, The Beast Within (in the U.S.). The film was produced in Sydney with a big budget, special effects and a star Australian cast with Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee in the leads. The film was shown at the A.F.I. Awards in 1982 as an Australian production. The film was subsequently
re-cut by Gaty for American distribution. There were court cases about the re-cut film's status as an Australian production. Eventually an 86-minute version (from a version of over 100 minutes) was distributed very briefly in Melbourne in 1983, with great fanfare in Sydney in the middle of 1983, even with Christopher Lee coming to Australia for Sydney's Captain Invincible Day. However, the film was not widely seen.
There are many excellent technical aspects of the film including the colour photography, the use of Blue Mountains and Sydney locations, lavish sets. There are songs by the Rocky Horror team of Richard Hartley and Richard O'Brien - and choreography reminiscent of Rocky Horror and Shock Treatment. Much of it is humorous and ironic and very much tongue-in-cheek. There are a lot of special effects with Captain Invincible as a poor man's Superman.
The film presents, with some documentary collage - a speciality of Philippe Mora's documentaries - the state of western society in the '30s and '40s and the heroics of Captain Invincible. He is much like many of the heroes of the serials. He is then found to be an alcoholic, down and out in the Blue Mountains. He wanders the streets of Sydney and is requested to come back to action. He is assisted by a policewoman, played strongly by Kate Fitzpatrick. Alan Arkin seems to enjoy himself in the central role, especially when confronting the arch villain Mr. Midnight, played with his suave Dracula style by Christopher Lee. There is a range of oddball characters played by a strong Australian cast. There are also satiric touches on American and Australian politics with Graham Kennedy, Michael Pate, Max Phipps, Noel Ferrier and others leading the songs and dances.
The film aims to be in the same vein as Superman, though the parody and spoof is more in evidence. There are the mythical comic strip heroics, the critical state of society, the confrontation of good and evil. The film works sufficiently entertainingly at a matinee level - but it seemed to intend more than this.
