The original "Mabuse" films were a silent film from 1922 and an early sound film. All were from Fritz Lang and concerned a criminal genius--sort of like a Blofeld-type character. Well, in this film, many decades have passed and a new series of brilliant crimes are being perpetrated and they have all the earmarks of the work of Mabuse. But could he be alive after all these years? With the help of a psychic (who looks really cool and creepy) and some seemingly irrelevant subplots (they do come together later), detective Gert Fröbe ("Goldfinger") and his team unravel the mystery and end the film with a dandy climax. Interestingly enough, Fröbe strongly resembles Inspector Lohmann from the 1933 Mabuse film.
I must admit that I had a lot of trouble staying awake during the first half of the film--there were just so many weird and confusing characters that I found my attention wandering. However, I was thrilled that after a while, all the machinations and confusing plot elements actually paid off with a dandy ending that made the film worth while. However, for fans of director Fritz Lang, this film isn't among his better films but it is pretty good entertainment.
I must admit that I had a lot of trouble staying awake during the first half of the film--there were just so many weird and confusing characters that I found my attention wandering. However, I was thrilled that after a while, all the machinations and confusing plot elements actually paid off with a dandy ending that made the film worth while. However, for fans of director Fritz Lang, this film isn't among his better films but it is pretty good entertainment.