ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

piratecannon Black Dragons was released in 1942 and was apparently designed to capitalize on the hysteria surrounding World War II. This, in and of itself, is interesting enough, as it affords modern audiences a glimpse into the collective mindset of Americans during the post-Pearl Harbor era. There are certainly parallels that can be drawn between some of the psychological implications embedded in Black Dragons with what contemporary U.S. citizens are struggling with in a society still recovering from the unexpected brutality of 9/11, but that's where anything remotely interesting contained in the film stops.What you really get with this Bela Lugosi vehicle is a dry, sleep- inducing murder mystery that's almost exclusively set in a large house. The story is as muddled as they come. It centers on people who are found dead with Japanese daggers clutched in one hand, and this (it seems) is the stimulus for some sort of massive Eastern conspiracy centered around mind control.Or something like that.It's incredibly difficult to make sense of anything that happens, and this isn't just the product of boring writing. The sound of the film ranges from acceptably clear to indeterminably static-filled. At points it sounds like someone is moon-walking across a twenty yard sheet of cellophane. With a film this old, I wouldn't usually linger on something as expected as lackluster sound, but here it really does detract from the overall understanding/appreciation of what's taking place. And that's a bad thing.Making it to the end of Black Dragons is akin to struggling through a school-assigned documentary: you're watching it because you don't have a choice. In that regard, the most terrifying thing about the film is how much effort it takes to stay awake for the duration of its 64-minute run-time.

JoeKarlosi A very strange poverty row production from the period where horror star Bela Lugosi was resigned to taking whatever roles he could get. However, this entry in what we might safely call Bela's "Monogram Nine Series" is really far-out! He plays a strange visitor who first arrives at a reputed doctor's home in the guise of a patient, and then starts to take over the place, holding the doctor prisoner in his own house, and also killing a group of other important men who are associated with him. Lugosi has an old score to settle with these well-to-do types, and it involves his former association with the Nazis and the Japanese. By the time the 61 minutes are over, all will be explained (sort of!). If you're expecting too much sense out of a crazy movie like this, you can forget about watching it. This is not a horror film (though the ending may qualify) but it's a strange one and a rather offbeat curiosity for Bela Lugosi fans. He's also got a few really absurd lines which are a lot of fun. ** out of ****

randman0515 When i first heard about the movie, i figured Bela Lugosi, must be another horror, monster movie. I was greatly surprised about what i saw and i enjoyed the film very much. It supplied great drama and suspense and it kept me watching although the movie hardly lasted more than an hour. I think the story line was a good idea considering the time period and i think it also emphasized the ideas and feelings that Americans were having during that time. And of course Bela Lugosi is a great actor who keeps his audience watching and waiting for his next "strike". I didn't recognize the other actors that were in the movie, but they did very good and believable acting. This movie is a must see and should stand the test of time, although the movies i say that about don't.

mlraymond This priceless movie is one of the most entertaining pieces of wartime hokum ever put on film. I can't say much about the storyline without risking giving away the whole movie. Let's just say that a very mysterious foreigner comes to stay at the house of a doctor in Washington, during the Second World War, and arouses great curiosity among everyone he meets. A group of supposedly respectable businessmen are actually involved in Fifth Column sabotage of the American war effort, and the cryptic Monsieur Colomb is bumping them off, one by one, for reasons of his own. This movie is an absolute gas, with a lot of deliberate humor. Lugosi has many great sinisterly funny lines, and it's truly one of his best roles in Forties B pictures. He seems to be having great fun throughout the movie, and revels in his villainy so much that the viewer can't help but cheer him on. There's even a surprising hint of sexuality that's very rare for an old movie, just lightly suggested, but nonetheless there. The pretty young niece of the doctor is intrigued by Lugosi and flirts with him in one scene, where he seems tempted to have a brief romance with her. The stalwart FBI man played by Clayton Moore ( later television's Lone Ranger) is interested in the girl and a bit jealous of her attraction to Lugosi. This film is just so much fun, every lover of old serials and Forties wartime morale-boosting movies should see it. For Lugosi fans, this is one of his most enjoyable performances. Check it out!