Steve Reeves trades in his tunic and Hercules sandals to play the swashbuckling captain of a band of Indian or Malaysian pirates who battle the dastardly Brits in the South Seas. The presence of Reeves and an Italian crew means that this movie often gets classified as a peplum or sword and sandal film, but it isn't. Italy (and the rest of Europe) produced a huge number of cheap historical adventure films during the 1960s, mostly about pirates and cavaliers and assorted knights. While all part of the larger "spectacle" trend that seized Italy and of which peplum was a part, these aren't peplum films themselves. Sandokan definitely fits the mode of swashbuckler film, with lots of raiding parties and talk of cannons as Sandokan tries to rescue and protect an Indian princess from British forces. It's no Sea Hawk, but it's a lot of fun. Reeves looks great in his sequined jacket and turban, and there's plenty of action and grappling hooks.

The brisk pace and solid plotting comes to us courtesy of Umberto Lenzi, who would go on to direct a number of great crime films in the 70s, as well as giallo and splattery cannibal films. He's in pretty good form here, despite the fact that this is one of his four first films (all made in 1963, so I'm sure which one was actually first), delivering plenty of action and a likable lead in Steve Reeves.

Labels: Set: Warriors