Puma Man/YMMV
< Puma Man
- Applicability: Some viewers have suggested that the movie is in fact a clever parody of the superhero genre, claiming that there's no way it could be this bad by accident. Mystery Science Theater 3000 writer Paul Chaplin is in this camp, but says that "everyone else believes they were dead serious from the get-go."
- Non Sequitur Scene/Deus Ex Machina: The entire scene with Martin comes completely out of the blue. How does Martin know his name? Why does Puma Man need a "position locator"? Sandwich Man?! What's going on?!
- Well, he needs a "position indicator" to track someone back to Kobras' lair, since he doesn't have any Puma tracking powers, so I'll give them that. The rest of the scene, though...
- Actually, in the full cut of the film, Martin is shown as a friend of Tony's early on, making him more of an incredibly lame Chekhov's Gun. Mystery Science Theater 3000 often had to use television cuts, or they would have to cut for time; scenes like that are casualties of such cuts, since they're not completely plot-relevant.
- Crowning Moment of Awesome: When Vadinho punches Tony hard enough to knock him out.
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Tom: Yes! The Aztec speaks for all of us! |
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- Crowning Moment of Funny: Puma Man in flight. AKA: How to make flying look completely undignified. Will almost always cause you to chuckle.
- Designated Hero: Tony whines, gripes, runs away, plays dead, and generally leaves anything difficult, like asskicking, to his "sidekick/mentor" figure, Vadinho.
- Ear Worm: My, but that "Puma Man" theme is catchy. Seriously. It will get stuck in your head and never EVER leave (Mystery Science Theater 3000 quips or not).
- Ensemble Darkhorse - Vadinho is the real hero in this story.
- Fashion Victim Villain: Poor Donald Pleasence. I mean, he played Blofeld, for cryin' out loud.
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Crow: "My name is Pleasence and I am funky." |
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- Narm: "I get this way when I sense danger." To the actor's credit, he managed to say it with a straight face in a ridiculous setting. Kobras isn't much better:
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Kobras: Because you are made of earth... ...and to earth you shall return! |
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- Older Than They Think: Believe it or not, this film was released BEFORE The Greatest American Hero.
- Romantic Plot Tumor: With some of the worst innuendo ever:
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Jane: So dinosaurs became extinct because they no longer knew how to love each other. Is that right? |
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- Special Effect Failure: Puma Man in flight. Then again, pumas aren't really known for their flying.
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Crow: The Gods are dragging him around by the elastic waistband in his BVDs. |
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- There's also the scene where he captures a villain to get him to speak about his boss. When he refuses, Pumaman drops him and the guy falls normally while the camera is angled!
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Mike: Help! I'm falling at a sixty degree angle breaking all laws of physiiiiiiics! |
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- The flying scenes make use of green-screen-type effects. Fair enough, but it's extremely obvious and cheap.
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Mike: He the power to rear-project major cities! |
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- Vindicated by Cable: This film would have faded into obscurity were it not for some puppets from Minnesota.
- Wangst. As Mike mutters, "Are pumas also known for their whining?"
- What Measure Is a Non-Badass?: Super strength, teleportation, sort-of-flying...the potential is there for a mighty hero. Unfortunately, said hero is Tony Farms.
- WTH Costuming Department: Seriously, one of the worst superhero costumes ever. "Dah, I gave him the Captain Dork costume by mistake."