Highly Overrated But Still Good

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

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

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Doomed to Die (1940) ** (out of 4)A shipping tycoon has just lost a ship with four hundred people on it but he's more worried about the ship other than the people. Soon the jerk turns into a bigger jerk when his daughter's boyfriend comes to visit and ask for her hand in marriage. He refuses and moments later he's shot dead with the boyfriend being the only person in the room. Captain Street (Grant Withers) thinks he has an open and shut case but Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) thinks there's something more going on.DOOMED TO DIE would turn out to be the fifth and final film where Karloff would play the Mr. Wong character. Monogram would continue the series for one more picture but Karloff wouldn't be in that one. As far as this film goes, it's pretty much a routine mystery picture with a couple decent performances but there's no question that there's nothing here that makes this stand out from the countless other detective movies out there.As I said with the previous four films, the cast are pretty good for the most part with Karloff once again doing fine in the role of Mr. Wong. I always liked the laid-back nature he brought to the character but, again, there's no doubt he didn't really try to make the character Asian. Withers is good in his role as the detective and Marjorie Reynolds brings some needed energy to the picture.The "B" nature is obvious throughout the film and it really appears as if Monogram cut the budget down even more. The first four movies were cheaply produced but this here seems like it had even less of a budget to work with. The story itself is just too routine and lacks any real drama to make the film better than it is.

"Doomed to Die" is a fun Karloff 'Mr. Wong' detective mystery-thriller. It's got a fair amount of suspense and a couple of twists that will keep you guessing who the murderer is.There is a comical duo in this movie that quite hilarious at times; they are Roberta 'Bobbie' Logan and Capt. William "Bill" Street. These two really help bring some light into an otherwise dark film.The Boris Karloff 'Mr. Wong' film series are worth watching if you are into crime mystery-thrillers similar to Sherlock Holmes. And "Doomed to Die" is definitely a good movie.A little fun trivia fact: According to the US Inflation Calculator, those two martini's in the film costing $4.00 total would cost you $67.60 for both today (2015) - that is $33.80 for each martini or $2.00 each in 1940.8.5/10

If you've seen even one "Mr. Wong" film before, you pretty much know what to expect. Unfortunately, "Doomed To Die" gives you the talky, often dull parts, WITHOUT the ingenious final twist that would make it all worth sitting through. There is nothing particularly clever about the way the murder is executed, and although the identity of the killer may (or may not) be a surprise, it doesn't seem to matter much because the motive is murky at best (and I've seen the film twice). Even Boris Karloff seems rather disinterested in the whole project. Of all the "Mr. Wong" films I remember seeing, this one is probably the worst. At least there is a funny closing gag. ** out of 4.

Cyrus P. Wentworth(Melvin Lang)is logically despondent after his flagship The Wentworth Castle tragically catches fire causing numerous deaths. The tycoon is also hiding the fact the ship was smuggling a group of Chinese and their small fortune. Following an argument with his daughter's fiancé, Wentworth is murdered in his office. Miss Wentworth(Catherine Craig)calls on the renown Oriental sleuth Mr. Wong(Boris Karloff)to investigate and take suspicion off of her boyfriend(William Sterling). Police Captain Street(Grant Withers) isn't really happy taking a backseat to Mr. Wong, but knows he needs the help. A cub reporter(Marjorie Reynolds)is a thorn in Street's side and provides the film some light comical banter. Mr. Wong is no Charlie Chan, but makes for an interesting crime drama. Other players: Kenneth Harlan, Guy Usher and Wilbur Mack.