In episode five of Mystery Island (1977), titled “Valley of Fire,” the robot P.O.P.S. (voiced by Frank Welker) is a captive of the island’s indigenous mud-people. They believe him to be a deity.
Soon,
however, P.O.P.S. is rescued by a Lava Man. The Lava Man is returning a favor
since he was saved by P.O.P.S. and his friends in a previous episode.
Meanwhile,
Dr. Strange’s (Michael Kermoyan) lead minion, Krieg, attempts to steal the
much-sought after robot for his master…
Mystery
Island -- a segment
of The
Skatebrids (1977 – 1978) -- plays best (meaning least painfully....) if
you consider it a kind of campy 1930s pulp serial, only filmed in color.
The
focus of each fifteen-minute segment is action and some lame humor, but there
is no depth whatsoever in terms of the storytelling or the characterization. Instead, it's all just a run-around with captures, rescues, captures, and rescues.
Dr.
Strange, from his “Cave of Science,” is always trying to capture P.O.P.S. and
the robot -- who notes here that it is “hard
being a God” -- is always getting through one scrape after another with his
trio of human friends.
Here, a kind act (the rescue of the Lava Man) is rewarded, and the beat goes on.
Here, a kind act (the rescue of the Lava Man) is rewarded, and the beat goes on.
Frankly,
there’s not a whole lot more to say about “Valley of Fire,” beyond noting that
it is pure, pulpy phantasmagoria.
If the next few episodes don’t get better -- or at least more interesting -- I think I’m going to move on to the next 1970s Saturday morning series I’ve been wanting to re-visit (or at least the few episodes available on YouTube: Run, Joe Run).
If the next few episodes don’t get better -- or at least more interesting -- I think I’m going to move on to the next 1970s Saturday morning series I’ve been wanting to re-visit (or at least the few episodes available on YouTube: Run, Joe Run).
Next
week on Mystery Island, episode #6: “Sentinels of Time.”
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