Der Stärkste unter der Sonne

The use of Little People (or "midgets" in hammerhead speak) in these Italian Peplum films always puzzles me. I am sure the diminutive actors were delighted to have the opportunity to work and it looks like most of them enjoyed their experiences. The purpose appears to be comic relief: Watch the little guy run between the legs of the two Pizza-Pizza guards with their plumed helmets, they bend down to grab him, their heads konk together & the mini hero turns, issues a poorly lip synced wise crack, and later ends up reclining on a couch surrounded by fawning harem girls who think he's so cute ... Watch the midget bonk a guy over the head with a club to save the muscle bound hero, Ho Ho Ho. I'll grant that the Midget Role is an important part of the Peplum film formula, but the hyperactive, wise-cracking ball of energy in this one is SO obnoxiously used that it detracts from what otherwise would have been a 10/10 effort. Times have changed over the course of the 43 years (!!) since this film was made and I don't find midgets to be inherently funny. So pardon my raining on the parade here a bit.

All that aside this is a *WAY* superior action/adventure film populated & made by the best from the Italian cult genre school of film-making: Director Michele Lupo, composer Francesco De Masi, and performers Mark Forest, genre legend Giuliano Gemma, José Greci, José Canalejas, Piero Lulli, and the great Paul Muller. The scope of the film is also on a much grander scale than the usual throwaway Peplum shenanigans of Pizza-Pizza guards chasing a Son of Hercules & his damsel in distress over the familiar looking countrysides of Morocco, Spain, France or Italy that would later be featured in the Spaghetti Western craze which came after the Peplum Fad died out: It's like SPARTACUS meets BEN HUR meets HERCULES meets THE SEVEN GLADIATORS -- A group of super noble Adonis types battles an evil tyrant king to free their people from the yoke of oppression, namely a yearly tribute of "The 30 most lovely virgins" as sacrifices to the gods. The whole idea of depleting a people of their most sexually attractive women just to sacrifice them is of course appalling but ultimately counter-productive. Who in their right mind would want to selectively exterminate all of the good lookin' babes??

Again, with all that aside, this movie totally rocks: There is an extended, violent chariot race, duels to the death a-plenty, scenes where the Herculean heroes take on entire squadrons of Pizza-Pizza guards & make them look like buffoons, prisoners being thrown to the lions for kicks, and an eye-popping battle between two full-sized war galleons that were made just for use in the film that is amongst the most spectacular battle scenes from these potboilers that I've ever witnessed. A surprisingly large sum of money & talent was sunk into this project (1963 was perhaps the zenith year for the Peplum Fad) and it shows. Even non-fans of the genre will be impressed & entertained by the film, with gorgeous women, expansive detailed set construction, some genuinely creative camera work, a cast of thousands and a body count to match, dialog that actually sounds like stuff out of classical Roman history, nefarious court intrigue that holds the fates of entire peoples in the balance, and truly committed performances by the leads ... even the midget throws himself into the role with a certain amount of gusto that's admirable if ultimately annoying to the point of detracting from how seriously one can really regard the film during his scenes.

No offense meant mind you, I just don't understand why someone would go through so much effort to create a really superior, epic scale entertainment & then shoot themselves in the foot with extraneous craparoni. But to quote the late Dr. Carl Sagan yet again, "The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with mere human ambition", and if getting to enjoy such a splendid film requires couple dozen stupid midget humor scenes then that is a price I will be happy to pay. This movie RULEZ!

9/10: Leave the midget at home next time guys, they aren't funny anymore, and serve only to demonstrate the insensitivity of the times in which the movie was made. So be it.

Here Goliath or Maciste , (the bouncing Mark Forest who , nowadays , he currently teaches opera in the Los Angeles area) , along with Xandros , Giuliano Gemma , and Aceas , Mimmo Palmara battle for the freedom of the Babylonian people . They are the three invincible who join forces with a band of rebels led by Evandro , Livio Lorenzon . Then , Maciste participates a chariot race winning over the Princess of Babylonian , José Greci , though by terms the competition she must marry the winner , but Goliath renounces to be aware she is in love for his colleague Xandros . Later on , they unite wills against two tyrants : Morakeg , Erno Crisa , and King Rukus , Paul Muller . Meanwhile , they attempt to save virginal girls to be sacrificed.

Good Peplum with noisy action , thrills , fights , comical touches and resulting to be pretty entertaining . It's an adventure film with all the ingredients as sword-play , action , brawls , comedy , amusement and typical confrontation between good guys and bad guys . The film displays some impressive scenes about ship battles as well as horse races in Ben Hur style . The picture allows for periods of humor , -as the comic relief is frequently provided by the likable midget- and calm in which to establish characters punctuated by viscerally exciting bursts of action . Stars Mark Forest considered to be one of the best Peplum actors along with Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott . He-man Forest was a hunk who made great number of roman epic films also called ¨Musclemen movies¨ . He was one of a number of bodybuilder and physique model types who followed muscleman Steve Reeves out to Italy in the early 60s and won campy notice playing Herculean characters in those campy Italian sand-and-spear epics . Ursus, Maciste , Goliath , Samson , Hércules , Atlas , Rocha ..., those Italian Muscle man producers must have had a hard time figuring out what to call the musclebound actors who played all these legendary muscleman heroes . Being other second-class Muscle men players the followings : Dan Vadis , Rock Stevens , Gordon Mitchell , Brad Harris , Samson Burke , Reg Park , Ed Fury , Richard Harrison , Kirk Morris , Alan Steel or Sergio Ciani and subsequently Lou Ferrigno . Nobody, nevertheless , topped Steve Reeves in popularity , though Gordon Scott and Mark Forest made him an important competence . Third generation Italian American Forest was the second American actor bodybuilder , after Steve Reeves , to be recruited by Italian producers to star in sword and sandal films . As Mark Forest played a lot of Péplum , such as : Maciste Il invincible , Hercules against the sons of the sun , Leon Di Tebas , Goliath and the Dragón , Maciste Contra I Mongoles , Vengeance of Hercules , among others . As Mark used the money he made making gladiator movies in Italy to study Opera , residing in L.A. where he teaches singing and usually works as a personal trainer . Costars the sympathetic Giuliano Gemma whose first star film was a Peplum : Los Titanes , following several Spaghettis as Ringo , the return of Ringo , Adios gringo , Arizona Colt , California , Day of wrath , Wanted , and Tex .

This film also known as Los Three Invencibles or Goliath and the sins of Babylon or Maciste the World greatest hero contains great production design , brilliant photography , enjoyable soundtrack and a cast of thousands . And evocative and atmospheric musical score by Francesco De Massi . Besides , a colorful and shining cinematography by Mancori . The motion picture was well directed by Michele Lupo who directed all kinds of genres . As Lupo made Peplum as Seven rebel gladiators , The Strongest slaves , La vendetta Di Spartacus ; Westerns as Fistful of knuckles , California , Arizona Colt and Bud Spencer movies as The sheriff and the little extraterrestrial , Bombardero and Buddy goes West

I don't know how all these Maciste, Hercules and all those big tough (oiled up) guy movies could be made. A friend of mine told me, some of them with repressed homosexuality included. Might be true and I would not be surprised men who like men, enjoying these movies. Good for them and don't take this as a negative.

All that aside, this is one more of those. It is what it is - while this has a negative connotation right now, I hope this will change and just get back to what it literally means, without us having to get all upset. On the other hand, some may get upset on multiple things the movie depicts. Take this for what it is, either relish in it or stop watching ... or you'll be more tortured than our central character here ... well he actually isn't tortured at all. Even with the explanation why that is ... ah well who cares right? It's all fun and games

(1963) Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero/ Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo/ Goliath And the Sins of Babylon DUBBED MYTHICAL HISTORICAL FICTION

Saw this movie as the alternative title "Goliath And the Sins of Babylon" that has Mark Forest as Goliath joining rebels against a tyrant king King Rukus (Paul Muller) and his right hand man Morakeg (Erno Crisa) kidnapping young women (supposedly virgins) to be used as pawns.

I don't quite remember why I liked this movie for it has been awhile since I last saw this. All I know is that it was better than the average Italian/ Spanish co production sword and sandals movie. It was on one of those cheapo sword and sandals DVD sets cramming so many movies onto a single disc with no bonus features.

Goliath returns to a kingdom (Nefer?) on the Persian Gulf which has fallen under the cruel domination of Babylon. Each year a number of the kingdom's most beautiful virgins must be sent off to serve the evil Babylonian king. Goliath unites with some local rebels to end this domination, destroying by fire the city of Babylon in the process.

This "peplum" comes with a lot of action: the usual fights, a chariot race, a sea battle, and a climactic conflagration. There's also a touch of romance, (though not involving Goliath), and for comic-relief we're offered one of those midget sidekicks so dear to the hearts of Italian audiences. As usual our hero is subjected to a torture or test-of-strength. In this case he's spreadeagled face-up on a sloping table while spears drop toward him from holes in the ceiling. Some of these spears crash into the table just to one side of the hero's flesh while other spears are halted in their downward plunge mere inches above various parts of the hero's body. (The spear that hurtles toward Goliath's groin is a real attention getter!)

Fans of such goings-on will probably find this an adequate way to pass 80 or so minutes, but there's little to distinguish these goings-on from numerous similar movies. Had Steve Reeves played the lead, the situation might have improved, but here we have Mark Forest (born Lou Degni), a bodybuilder who has the necessary pecs but is short on charisma. Something about the way the skin crinkles around his eyes whenever he smiles makes him look a bit "wimpy."