The Mechanical Monsters (1941)
The Mechanical Monsters Review
The Mechanical Monsters is a 1941 animated short film from Fleischer Studios. It is the second entry in the series.
Superman has to defeat a mad scientist who commands a small army of robots. First and foremost, this is no ‘Superman’ the original. It’s much weaker in terms of plot as it relies too much on just the robotics so it seemed rather slim overall. But nonetheless, the movie is still pretty good as the action is stupendously executed throughout with some particularly memorable set pieces.
Superman showcases a couple of awesome powers with the X-ray vision scene being particularly striking. The mad scientist is great of course and Lois is also pretty good. But what continues to be the standout is the animation. Wow, I continue to be floored by the Fleischer Studios’ evident care and attention to detail. The jewels in particular look stunning, the movie looks so modern and cool and the interiors and settings and robots are brought to life beautifully. Stunning to look at, the movie also sounds superb.
The Mechanical Monsters is thinly plotted, but so well scored, memorable in imagery and artistically inclined.
