"Tries to wring some more mileage out of the bizarre but shopworn Mexican device of casting monsters and wrestlers as sparring partners." — Monthly Film Bulletin

"Its stately pace, the endless expressions of paternal devotion, and the script's risible attempts to offer medical explanation..." — Monthly Film Bulletin

"Enhanced by Cardona's habit of highlighting dramatic moments by dropping in the odd expressionistically-tinged shot." — Monthly Film Bulletin

"A gross, unbelievably inept offering." — TV Guide

"As a curio it is worth seeing, but only for its regular incidents of ridiculousness." — Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

"One of the best-known Mexican horror films of the era." — Ian Jane, DVD Talk

"A completely bizarre mish-mash of wrestling, gore, bad monster make-up and mad scientist fun." — Ian Jane, DVD Talk

"The effects are shoddy... but that's all part of the film's low-budget charm." — Ian Jane, DVD Talk

"Even the tolerant Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film deems this 'totally tasteless and amateurish'." — Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

 

The DVD of this film had been languishing unseen in my collection for decades before I finally summoned the courage to give it a spin. The title was irresistible, the lurid cover artwork even more so, and there is nobody I know who relishes a diabolical slice of mad-scientist horror more than I do. Brain switched firmly to the "off" position, and I settled down in eager anticipation. Mad doctors, experiments gone disastrously wrong, killer apes, generous helpings of blood and gore, and even a sprinkling of classic Mexican masked wrestling—surely this couldn't miss. Mexican horror has produced some genuine gems over the years. The Curse of the Doll People remains a delight, while The Brainiac is one of the genre's true classics. Expectations, therefore, were cautiously optimistic.

The film opens with a wrestling bout, which is a reasonably promising start, before introducing the main storyline. The head surgeon at the Central Hospital, assisted by his distinctly Renfield-like companion, is desperately trying to save his cancer-stricken son, who has only weeks left to live. Determined to cheat death, the good doctor embarks upon an experimental operation unlike anything modern medicine—or common sense—would recommend.

The procedure involves acquiring an unfortunate gorilla from the local zoo and utilising parts of the poor beast in an attempt to compensate for the boy's failing body chemistry. Along the way we are treated to several inserts of authentic surgical footage, presumably intended to lend the proceedings an extra dash of gruesome realism. The operation appears to be an astonishing success.

At first.

When the young man awakens, his body may have survived, but his head has assumed distinctly simian proportions. Before long, he is rampaging through the city as an ape-headed, sex-crazed maniac, raping, murdering and generally causing widespread mayhem wherever he goes.

Needless to say, the doctor now has rather more on his hands than he bargained for. His paternal love clouds his judgment, and his determination to save his son steadily erodes what little morality he has left.

Meanwhile, the wrestling—which initially seemed destined to play a major role—is quietly shuffled into the background while the homicidal ape takes centre stage and the increasingly desperate police attempt to bring the carnage to an end.

On paper, it all sounds gloriously entertaining. Unfortunately, the reality is rather less exciting.

The film plods along at an alarmingly sluggish pace, the ape attacks generate little suspense, and neither the horror nor the absurdity is exploited to any worthwhile effect. I found myself nodding off more than once as the story meandered aimlessly from one uninspired sequence to another.

The greatest disappointment is that the film never embraces its own outrageous premise. There are no standout set-pieces, no memorable performances, virtually no atmosphere and precious little tension. Even the inevitable camp value one expects from a film of this nature is surprisingly absent. Had it been outrageously bad, one could at least have enjoyed it ironically.

Instead, it commits the cardinal sin for a monster movie.

It is simply... tedious.

A great shame, because the ingredients promised something infinitely more enjoyable than the rather lifeless concoction ultimately served up.