Rocket of Vengeance is all filler. It opens with Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill trying to find Lyle Talbot’s base. Talbot’s trying to stop the intruding cops and reporters–though he never attacks the (off-screen) coppers–with his various bits of technological terror. One such terror hits Alyn and Neill’s airplane….
After the resolution, which is just a reveal of an opportune fainting spell, Alyn and Neill go back to the Daily Planet. There, Talbot broadcasts threats over the police band. He causes an earthquake, which causes no significant damage, but Alyn–changing from spectacles to tights–isn’t strong enough to counteract the tremors completely so the cops acquiesce to Talbot’s demands.
All he wants is for them to stop looking for him. It’s not like he’s not going to destroy the Earth, it’s just not going to be as soon. Everyone knows Luthor’s the bad guy at this point, with Pierre Watkin never having to acknowledge his bad judging of character. Though at one point Watkin has to turn on his radio himself, which usually everyone waits for Tommy Bond to do.
There’s some more superhero stuff for Alyn–Neill and Bond go back to look for the base again, getting in trouble and needing saving.
Talbot’s eventually has enough of the tomfoolery and launches a giant rocket to destroy Metropolis.
The effects shots of Alyn intercepting the rocket are wanting. It’d have helped a lot if Atom Man vs. Superman had better ideas for integrating the animated flying. They had that one good sequence, then everything else has been blah. Though the animator does get Alyn’s body language right, for when it cuts from Alyn preparing for take-off and the cartoon Superman actually taking off.
One more to go.
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