Sea Raiders (1941)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Powerful

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Only two of the generally accepted Kids gang are in this one. This is such a hokie serial even for 1941. Foreign agents, with the help of traitorous Americans, have been sinking outbound ships laden with aide for Europe and are after the plans and/or the real midget torpedo boat that is being developed for the U.S. Navy. They succeed in getting the plans and the boat but it is taken back by the Kids. They end up on, of all things, a square rigged whaling ship (in 1941 no less!!??) and as landlubbers are used as crew on a whaling boat. So far so stupid. Then there is the scene where one of the Kids is attacked by an octopus. Now this is off the California coast and there are no giant octopus. The whole gang kids and adults end up on the enemy island off the coast. Through some very lame fisticuffs they manage to get some guns, get loose and of course all ends well for the good guys but this serial is not good.

It's exciting!I had been watching serials of the 1930's. The code back then was, you could have music in the intro, but not during the story unless it was in the setting, like a restaurant with a band or something. But that changed later. This was the first serial I had watched in awhile from the early 40's. There is a music soundtrack through out and it makes it much more exciting for the action scenes as well as the non action sequences.Maybe a bit of a spoiler coming....but IT IS EXCITING! Car chases, boat chases, fights, explosions, tough talk, jokes, fights, a panther, attacks from the air, octopus and sharks, submarines, fights, and music to go with it all! Moves right along, and for what it is, it is very well made. Wow! I was excited. A very entertaining serial. I think I must have seen this as a kid.

Second of three serials made by a variation of the Dead End Kids, East Side Kids, Little Tough Guys and Bowery Boys is a step up from the previous Junior G-Men. Here the boys are once more fighting bad guys but this time in and around the docks, so instead of being land locked and stuck in and around the city we have water based dangers and adventures. To be certain the thrills are purely by the numbers but the waterside setting adds a point or two to the interest factor. As with the first serial the effects are less then special with many shot clearly using mattes, rear screen or models (one need only watch the opening credits to see model work). Made with slightly more care than the first serial its still clear that there is a certain amount of disinterest on the part of the cast and crew who seem to be going through the motions. Certainly watchable, this is something that I'd suggest for a slow undemanding afternoon when your other viewing choices are limited.

Some good action sequences in this otherwise routine Universal serial. Fans of the "Dead End Kids" will get a kick out of it, especially all the ad-libbing. The Rossini classical music tracks heard periodically are wildly inappropriate.