I fantastici 3 $upermen

THREE FANTASTIC SUPERMEN is the first in a long-running series of cheesy Italian superhero adventure films which borrow bits from BATMAN, the Bond series, and plenty more besides. They were part of a mini wave of films starring masked superheroes that came out around this time; other movies include THE FANTASTIC ARGOMAN and DANGER: DIABOLIK. I'd previously watched some of the sequels, but only now have got around to watching the first in the series.

And it's a lot of fun; one of those films that's difficult not to enjoy. THREE FANTASTIC SUPERMEN is a bright and breezy affair in which the hulking Brad Harris plays an FBI agent who meets two wacky caped crime fighters and decides to join up with them. Before long the trio are going after a mad scientist who is using his cloning machine to flood the market with fake currency. Harris is a hoot here, while Kendall is suave and frequently acrobatic; the mute Nick Jordan was a real-life gangster who was supposedly released from prison just to appear in this!

The film has an action packed narrative that never lets up. There are car chases, shoot outs, and lots of goofy fist fights clearly modelled on TV's BATMAN. The special effects are primitive but fun regardless, and I'll never get tired of that 'walking on the ceiling' gag. The bad guys are over the top and suitably imposing. The dubbing is poor and the lowbrow jokes frequently aimed at kids, but nonetheless THREE FANTASTIC SUPERMEN is a hoot.