Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules sees the genre dip its feet in the realm of science fiction (it would plunge into that pond in other films like Conquerors of Atlantis and Giants of Metropolis) as Mark Forest squares off against an underground race, which, all things considered, was at least more capable than the ancient underground race in the film The Mole People.

In this rousing adventure, Maciste (Mark Forest) must battle a race of underground dwellers who like to kidnap surface dwellers and make them turn a big birdcage round and round. It's one of those wheel of pain type deals, but unlike others, where they all turn the wheel very slowly, this one requires you to haul ass at top speed.
Maciste, being the fine fellow he is, agrees to seek out these underground hooligans and dish out some prime ass whuppin' like only Maciste, Hercules, Atlas, Colossus, and Goliath can. Along the way he befriends a massive young African played by Paul Wynter. This right here sets this film apart from the rest of the sword and sandal genre in a couple ways.

First of all, Paul Wynter is huge. The norm in peplum films was to hook the star up with a scrawny sidekick who would make the hero look even bigger than he already was. Pairing the hero with a guy every bit his equal was unheard of. Second is the obvious fact that Paul Wynter is black -- and in a film in which he and Maciste must fight extremely white people, though I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Black heroes in film were rare in 1961, extremely rare if you agree not to count Sidney Poitier. Black heroes in peplum were almost unheard of. Sure, every now and then, some "Nubian" would show up, flex, and get his ass beat by the hero, but Wynter was one of the only true heroes of the genre. His character in Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules is a bit of a goof, but he's still a grade-A ass kicker. Mark Forest would also star in Colossus of the Arena, featuring another black co-star, who although a good guy, was as weenie as every other peplum sidekick to come before and after him. Not that anyone is trumpeting this movie, or any peplum movie, as a bright light in the civil rights struggle.

Mole Men is more interested in giving us countless scenes of Maciste kicking some lily white ass. Hey, wait a second! Maybe it is a triumph for the darker races, or at least for people with tans over people who live under the ground and adorn themselves with ridiculous headgear. Whether fighting the oppression of other races or simply fighting oppression in general, Maciste serves up more than enough action in this blend of muscleman fantasy, gladiator action, and weird science fiction. He gets to wrestle a monster, too!

By this point, Forest was quite comfortable in the role of Maciste (or whoever he was playing). Like Reeves and Reg Park before him, Mark Forest was able to expand the character of Hercules...err, I mean Maciste, and make his portrayal something unique from that of the other stars. Forest's Maciste is kind of goofy, laid back, and relaxed. Even when he's throwing rocks at pasty Mole Men, he seems to be on the verge of laughing. He's having a good time, and as a result, so am I.

Labels: Set: Warriors