Curse Of The Aztec Mummy (Mexico 1957)

Rating: **
Review Date: 7/30/22

The unscrupulous Dr. Krupp (aka "The Bat") is broken out of prison by his gang, and immediately puts a plan in motion to recover the Aztec treasure that he tried to get his hands on in the original "Aztec Mummy" film. He uses the same trick that Dr. Almeda used, which is to force Almeda's fiancée to reveal the location of Xochitl's tomb through hypnosis. What Dr. Krupp doesn't account for is the mummy Popoca getting in the way and spoiling his plans. There's also a masked vigilante wrestler called The Angel who tries to help out where he can, but he isn't overly successful.

It's a good looking and well-made film, but the acting and visual effects are laughably awful. Dr. Krupp hams up his role with villainous glee, while the female lead deadpans through the entire film. It's funny that hypnotism was such a popular plot device back in the 40's and 50's. The Angel is an interesting character who clearly served as the template for the El Santo films that would soon follow. His action scenes are entertaining, although his cape is a constant hindrance. The other action scenes are hilariously bad, as characters literally shake fake guns at each other. The film moves at a steady pace and fortunately doesn't overstay its welcome. It's one of the better Mexican horror films that I've seen and it takes itself quite seriously, unlike other lucha libre films that are inherently goofy.