As "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" begins, Flash (Buster Crabbe) Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) and Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) are returning from the planet Mongo where they have defeated Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) in his efforts to destroy the earth. Somehow on the way, the comely Miss Arden has managed to get a makeover including a new hair color and style.On returning to earth, Flash learns that there is a mysterious ray emanating from the planet Mars which is drawing nitrogen from the earth's atmosphere. Flash, Dale and Professor Zarkoff takeoff for Mars immediately. Stowing away on board is bumbling reporter Happy (Donald Kerr) who is along to provide the comedy relief this time around.Arriving on Mars, Flash and his team discover that Mars is a land of matte paintings and miniatures ruled over by Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts) who can appear and disappear at will. Much to Flash's surprise he discovers that his old nemesis Ming has turned up on Mars and has allied himself with Queen Azura.Over the course of 15 chapters, Flash has encounters with the Clay People and the Tree People as well as Azura and Ming's many followers in life threatening death defying situations. Prince Barin (Richard Alexander) drops in from Mongo to lend Flash a hand.Buster Crabbe complete with blonde hair makes a believable serial hero. He even gets to swing on a vine in the land of the Tree People as he had as Tarzan a few years earlier. Jean Rogers has little to do but look beautiful in her floor length gown while being concerned for Flash's safety. Charles Middleton makes an evil sinister double-crossing no good villain.Others in the cast are Montague Shaw as the Leader of the Clay People, Wheeler Oakman as Ming's assistant and Kane Richmond, Kenne Duncan, Warner Richmond and Jack Mulhall in other roles.Will Flash save the world yet again? Tune in again to see Flash's continuing battle with the forces of evil..... at this theater next week.

Some of my reactions to Flash Gordon serials (such as this one) are similar to my feelings about the original Star Trek series. I revel in the swashbuckling fun and the intensity of the experience. I marvel at the ingenious and original sci-fi elements, while chuckling at some of the increasingly dated technology and special effects. I roll my eyes at some of the overacting while secretly cherishing it. I question the plausibility of some of the plot elements, and wince at some of the social commentary that hasn't aged particularly well.In Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, many of the actors from the first serial return in their memorable roles. In particular, Buster Crabbe (Flash) and Charles Middleton (Ming) portray their characters with a great deal of flair. Jean Rogers (Dale Arden) seems more subdued and less memorable than in her previous outing. (This may reflect my disapproval of her transformation from a blonde to a short-haired brunette and her censor-demanded, conservative garb!) The new comic-relief journalist character (not present in the original comic strip), "Happy" Hapgood, seems to be a bit of a miscalculation, but his role falls far short of "Jar-Jar" level distraction.The storyline is interesting, although things do drag a bit during the second half of the serial. The plot is primarily action-driven; the romantic story angles that percolated through the first series are virtually absent here. Although the world of Mars is not as diverse as Mongo's (Lionmen, Sharkmen, Hawkmen), the Clay People are a sad and interesting race. The acting and special effects both seem somewhat more polished than in the first serial. Although in one sense this is an improvement, it also removes some of the quirky fun. Overall, this is an enjoyable and memorable serial that fans of old sci-fi will want to seek out.

This sequel to the first serial is overlong; it's got a twelve chapter story stretched to fifteen, and Mars lacks the cultural diversity of Mongo, so you don't have Lionmen in one chapter, Sharkmen in the next, etc. However, I think Buster Crabbe's hairdo is more appropriate and he also avoids the knickers for a costume more faithful to Alex Raymond's comic strip art. Those clay people are memorable; so is the lightray bridge and the Martian wings used for parachuting from rockets. One wishes that Universal had spent more money and brought in the kind of monsters they had created in the first Flash Gordon. One can go on wishing for other changes as well, but if you liked the first one and like serials, you'll like this one.

The Clay People! Who can forget that sequence in Chapter 2 when they first appear. And all to that great Waxman music. Still a good serial to watch, even in these days. Good photography, OK acting, polished script but somehow the original 1936 serial was superior. And kudos again to that great tracked musical score.