It’s not easy being Neutron, let me tell you. American wrestlers, they get off light. All they have to do is wrestle. Mexican wrestlers, on the hand, are called upon by their society to act as masked peacekeepers against the forces of evil. Such is the life of Neutron, who is the hero of our film, a mediocre entry in the Mexican wrestler genre.
An important scientist is working on a brand new type of bomb, confusingly called a neutron bomb (No, it doesn’t have any connection to Neutron the wrestler). He’s killed by a duplicitous lab assistant and the police later discover the formula for the bomb is actually broken into several small pieces which must be recovered to protect the world from the evil Doctor Curante (Julio Alemán). Luckily for the free world, the scientist’s son is best buddies with Neutron, so he starts to investigate the case. We’re also fortunate that the police seem content to have a son of a murdered man and his wrestler friend assisting in the investigation.
The only treat this movie has to offer is the character of Doctor Curante, an inspiringly silly villain. Wearing a white shirt and pants combo, white gloves and a bandage mask similar to Darkman’s, he strikes an uncomfortable image, especially when the script calls for him to trudge down long hallways barking orders to his midget sidekick. It’s unclear exactly what he’s a doctor of; he does little to suggest any medical knowledge, though he’s especially good at insulting his minions and denigrating the heroes. He acts more like a bad guidance counselor than a doctor. Foolishly, the filmmakers banish Curante to limited scene time and focus on the less interesting supporting cast.
There’s little else to recommend in Neutron and the Black Mask, including the title; Neutron IS the guy wearing the Black Mask, so it’s redundant. The fight scenes aren’t as exciting as some of the Santos movies, and while the production values aren’t bad, they are squandered on a meandering plot and weak characters. I told you it’s tough being a Mexican wrestler; even your movies stink!
