Tony (Walter George Alton) is a paleontologist - but he's also the Puma Man, a superhero title handed down from generastion to generation amongst the Aztecs after it was bestowed to them by some aliens traveling space in a globe. Thing is, Tony doesn't know he's Puma Man, so an indio, Vadinho (Miguel Ángel Fuentes) has to throw him out of a third floor window to prove to him he can survive this like a puma. He later also forces Tony to wear some belt that gives him special powers including super strength, flight, and to phase through any solid material. And it's high time earth has its new Puma Man as baddie Kobras (Donald Pleasence) is using an Aztec gold mask to mindcontrol people, and he wants to use it on the world leaders to rule the world. He also mind-controls lovely Jane (Sydne Rome) who is to charm Tony as Kobras suspects him to be Puma Man - especially since all other men his goons have thrown out of windoes have died. Of course, Tony walks into the trap but manages to escape, then develops his full potential as Puma Man. And of course he has fallen in love with Jane, and she with him, so he has to destroy the gold mask to break Kobras' spell over her. But at first try, he gets under Kobras' control himself, and would have killed himself if it wasn't for Vadinho who teaches him to play dead long enough for Kobras' goons to believe he has actually committed suicide. Thing is, now Tony's powers are gone, so Vadinho decides to destroy Kobras' headquarters in Puma Man's place, blowing himself up with it. He doesn't succeed and almost gets mind-controlled by Kobras himself, but then Jane manages to break Kobras' control over Tony - by destroying a fake head of him - and Tony becomes Puma Man as well and lays waste to Kobras' place. Kobra escapes per helicopter, but since Puma Man can fly, this is not much of an issue, and ultimately Kobras' helicopter crashes into the ground and the villain perishes in a big explosion ...

Now this is by no means the first Italian superhero film - they've actually been churning them out since at least the 1960s -, but this one was clearly made to cash in on the success of the original Superman and its then upcoming sequel, as despite a totally diffferent origins story, there are more similarities than differences, including a similar set of powers, a campy bald villaim and the like. Thing is, Puma Man had only a fraction of Superman's budget, and it shows - especially Puma Man's flying scenes look rather horrrendous, which somehow spoils the mid-air finale. Also, the choice of music leaves something to be desired, with most of the fistfights accompanied by rather upbeat almost comedic tunes. Other than that, there isn't really all that much to say about Puma Man, it's a colourful but forgettable romp populated by bland characters having by-the-number adventures. Sure, it's slightly amusing nostalgia, but little beyond that. And it's objectively bad, but unfortunately not bad enough to be good again.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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