Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

shakspryn This is an outstanding Charlie Chan adventure, which succeeds on every level. Sidney Toler gives a first-class performance--his Chan is wise, humorous and compassionate. All the supporting players are good. The plot background is one of a magic show and a creepy psychic in 1939 at the Treasure Island locale around San Francisco.The sets are excellent! The weird-looking psychic lives in a mysterious mansion, of the type which the studios could show so well. The plot is tight and well done. This is absolutely one of the very best of the Toler-Fox Chan films. Toler is totally assured and in control here--you believe he IS Charlie Chan. He owns the part here in a way that really carries the viewer along, for a very enjoyable and adventurous ride!As often with the Chan films, we see some familiar faces among the cast, and they all do well.

JoeKarlosi Maybe the best of the first three Sidney Toler Chans. Here, Chan investigates the killing of an author who was writing a mystery novel that exposed a fake psychic. Taking place at the San Francisco World's Fair at Treasure Island in 1939, Charlie and son Jimmy become assisted by a show magician named Rhadini (Cesar Romero), who himself has been trying put the finger on phony psychics, and who has been attempting to get a suspected Dr. Zodiac on his stage to try and unmask him. This effort benefits from the usual strong pairing of Toler and Yung, but also an added element of spookiness and the macabre through the séance and mind reading sequences featuring Dr. Zodiac. The wrap-up at the end is particularly well-realized and the killer's reveal is one of the most satisfactory surprises of the series. *** out of ****

bensonmum2 While in route to San Francisco, Chan's friend Paul Essex dies of an apparent suicide. The only clue is a threatening note from someone calling himself the Zodiac. Chan soon discovers that the Zodiac is a successful mystic. Together with a would-be psychic-buster and magician named Rhadini (Cesar Romero), Chan sets out to discover the source of the Zodiac's mysticism and unmask a killer.I thought I had seen the best of the Charlie Chan series. Man, was I ever wrong. After a first viewing, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island has become one of my very favorite Chan films. It's not just one of Toler's best, it's one of the three or four best entries in the entire series. It's got everything a fan could ask for – an interesting plot, a larger than life villain, solid acting, compelling characters, real suspense, comic relief that's actually funny, and some of the best writing I've seen in a Chan movie. The final reveal is also one of the best in the series. It's not the usual drawing room gathering of the suspects (which I usually prefer), but a drawn out, tension filled scene in a theater full of people. And speaking of tension, Chan's first meeting with the Zodiac is amazing, if not a bit frightening. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island also benefits from a strong supporting cast. Cesar Romero, Douglas Fowley, Pauline Moore, and, personal favorite, Douglass Dumbrille add considerably to the film. Overall, this is one Charlie Chan film that I'm very much look forward to revisiting – and soon.

sabinalion48 Before history gets rewritten (incorrectly) on more of these comments, this movie was set at the Golden Gate International Exposition (sometimes erroneously known as the San Francisco World's Fair) which was held in San Francisco on what was known as Treasure Island in 1939 and 1940. (There is still a small museum of Expo artifacts in the horseshoe-shaped Administration Building.) It was not the "Century of Progress Exhibition" as some people have thought. That was the 1933 Fair held in Chicago! The real footage of this Exposition is terrific, especially the aerial views. I think the writers used the backdrop of the Expo to their advantage. The magic show was very entertaining and the clairvoyant was eerie. All in all, this is one of the best of the Chan series.