Watching the Detectives: Peter Lorre is Kentaro Moto in Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Moto is more spy than detective this time out, working to stop an uprising against the French government in Cambodia. He’s aided by two American filmmakers and a beautiful female pilot whose plane crashes close to where Moto is posing as an archaeologist.
As with the other films in the series the budget is limited, the acting variable and the direction uninspired. In fact there’s only one reason for watching these - Peter Lorre. If you’re a fan (as I am) this will be a fun sixty minutes, as Lorre again shows us the contrasting sides to the Japanese detective - charming around friends but a cold blooded killer when required. He’s like a mini Asian James Bond with the added talent of being a master of disguise.
This is the fourth film in the series and by far the most light-hearted of the three I’ve seen. I actually watched it out of sequence by mistake, Mr. Moto’s Gamble should have been next, but as there’s no character development through the series, and no recurring characters other than Moto, I doubt it matters.
