Customer Reviews

The Robot Vs. The Aztec Mummy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you are in the mood for a pretty good B movie with a little Mexican twist on the Frankenstein-Dracula- Werewolf theme than check this movie out. Actually it is pretty funny; I'm not exactly sure if it was intended to be funny(they can't be serious) but it is almost campy. Three of these Aztec Mummy movies were made in the fifties around the same time some real B classics were making their cinema debut in the United States. The movie has elements of the aforementioned movie scary guys but what makes this so different is the bit of Mexican history and folklore thrown in. The opening narration is too funnny; after giving a brief history lesson to the visuals of the pyramids of Tenochitlan the voice informs us that "the following movie is a combination of fact and fiction", uhh, I think the emphasis is on fiction. By todays standards of horror this movie is like Cinderella. The story is basic, a mad scientist, the evil Dr. Krupp, who happens to bare an uncanny resemblance to Orson Wells, is making mischief again by getting Popoca out of his crypt so he can steal the elusive treasure. His latest invention is part man and part machine, he's a goofy looking robot whose head appears to be a 5 gallon water jug sprayed silver and cut to reveal the human head; it's some scary stuff! Building to a climax after an hour the Aztec Mummy and the nameless Robot collide for one of the funniest duels in b movie history. It is some pretty corny stuff but you just gotta love the set designs and a script that is actually pretty good. The innocence of the old horror movies are worth the price of admission. The black and white movie is colorized on the package but not the movie itself. This version is dubbed and although I am not a fan of dubbed movies, this one is done well with hardly any distractive moving lips out of sync. I believe there was extra narration included because several times a dialogue is going on but we just hear the voice over. In any event it is a pretty good classic "scary movie" of the B variety. Recommended for B movie buffs and kids who want to laugh at the type of stuff people used to consider horror movies.

"Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy" is a terrible black and white Mexican horror film featuring some of the worst acting, worst plot development, and lamest monsters in film history. The plot combines elements of Mexican history loosely interspersed with typical horror movie plot devices like reincarnation, virgin sacrifices, evil scientists, an ancient mummy, and one of the stupidest robots ever. The sets are awful, the plot holes are enormous, everything is so dark that it's virtually unwatchable, and the climactic fight between the robot and mummy is among the worst choreographed (and slowest paced) I have seen.

Some people may be able to view this as a "so bad it's good" movie, but I mostly found it tedious and boring, with insufficient camp value to redeem it. If you think it might be worth a look as a bad-cinephile, go ahead and have a go, but I recommend trying the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version to make it (a bit) more palatable.

Dr. Krupp (Luis Aceves Castanda) is your typical mad scientist who is hellbent on taking over the world as he steals forbidden treasure from an Aztec temple unleashing an ancient mummy of a king named Popaca (Angel Di Stafani) who goes on the rampage trying tom get his treasure back. In the mean time, the authorities are searching for him and Krupp invents a robot to destroy the mummy.

A totally ridiculous and out of place 1957 Mexican Sci-fi horror clunker with terrible acting, a stupid as hell plot, bad special effects including a laughable robot and of course a character who looks like an early Freddy Krueger. I'm so glad MST3K chose this movie cause it was perfect because this dull and unexciting b-movie is what they needed to riff.

This movie truly epitomizes the genre of the Mexican B-picture. This movie is truly awful, in that slightly enjoyable way which leads to a following.
-See "scientists" behaving badly!
-Gasp and recoil with fear as you encounter enumerous plot holes and amateur writing!
-You'll laugh so hard when you see the creatures that you will shame the people who made this film from miles away!

Really not as good as other cult classics but still enjoyable. If you wind up liking this movie you might also check out another Mex B-pic called "Night of the Bloody Apes"; it's a rung above this pic.

The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy is, in my opinion, one of the most under-appreciated gems in b-horror cinema, and with a decidedly eccentric character rarely achieved in Hollywood productions. Shot in black and white in 1957, this is a low budget affair that looks much more expensive, and would have been perfect for a slot on late night televisoin back in the 60s: you have a robot possessing a human brain, a mad scientist, and a mummy that is this grotesque, fleshy looking thing--not at all like Universal's ace bandaged menace--which would have given me nightmares had I seen it as a kid!

This movie is FUN, and anybody who takes it more serious than that will no doubt criticize The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy for its wooden acting and ludicrous plot line (of creating a robot to steal treasure guarded by one bad Aztec mummy!). This is ENTERTAINMENT, folks! Take the time to sit down and actually watch this film uninterrupted and with an open mind, and you will be charmed and delighted with this film. It has some truly special special effects, and the climactic battle between the hideous Aztec mummy and the highly nuanced performance of an intriguing looking robot are not to be missed!

A true classic and a MUST HAVE for escapist b-movie afficianados!

You might think that with a title like "Robot Vs the Aztec Mummy" this would be a terrible film.
You would be correct.