Someone wearing a Blue Demon mask sneaks into a swanky hotel, kills the house detective, and makes off with some valuable jewels. More murders occur, and the real Blue Demon quickly becomes the prime suspect. While attempting to clear his name, Blue Demon uncovers a vast conspiracy whose goal is to discredit and ultimately kill him.
Directed by Rene Cardona, The Night of Murder is one of the weakest Blue Demon movies I have seen. I’m not saying every luchador flick I watch has to be in the horror or sci-fi genre, but without any fantastic elements, this one feels more like a boring Made for TV whodunit instead of the bonkers Lucha Libre cinema we’ve come to expect from Mexico. The plot is boring, the pacing is sluggish, and the characters are unmemorable.
Blue Demon himself is given very little to do for much of the movie as the cops spend the first act of the movie looking for the killer. Things don’t exactly pick up once Blue Demon takes center stage. The first big wrestling sequence is very ordinary too, and Blue Demon’s battles outside the squared circle with a variety of well-dressed henchmen are equally lackluster. The weak femme fatale villainess doesn’t do it any favors either. The finale where Blue Demon squares off against his evil imposter is decent, although it’s too little, too late.
I know all these things can’t be winners, but I guess my expectations are set a bit higher when it comes to Blue Demon’s movies, especially one with Cardona at the helm. Maybe the problem is that it is just a little too competent for its own good. I mean, had there been cheesy effects, shots that randomly cut back and forth between night and day, and a silly plot, it might’ve been easier to handle. As it is, The Night of Murder is more like a night of slumber.
AKA: Night of Death. AKA: Death Night.
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