Contemporary critics preferred Fantômas over Les Vampires, and I can see why. Fantômas adapted a very popular series of books, and every episode had amazing stuntwork. The bell tower scene was a real highlight. The writing, however, was too zany and a bit all over the place for my taste. Les Vampires doesn't have that problem and is an improvement upon Fantômas in every possible way.
The first half of this movie serial doesn't rely on jaw-dropping set pieces the way Fantômas was. Instead, it's more plot-driven. It takes it's time building the relationships between the characters, so when the insane moments in the second half happen, it's all the more exciting.
As a result, Les Vampires has real standout characters. Mazamette is a fan favorite for a reason. He is a very funny character who occasionally breaks the fourth wall, and has a nice arc throughout the story.
The villains are also an improvement since the series kept changing them up and they all had unique quirks. Satanas was really great because his large statue and mean face were quite intimidating.
My absolute favorite is Irma Vep, played by Musidora. She is the cutest person who has ever walked this planet. I loved every minute of her performance and I can't wait to see more of her in Judex.
