El gladiador invencible

When the Roman Empire falls under the rule of a tyrannical nobleman with a god complex, 10-year-old Prince Darius plans to remove him from power with the help of the great warrior Rezio (who was a king's son before he was enslaved).

Richard Harrison plays a Horace-quoting gladiator who at first serves the Regent, but changes sides and joins the rebels when he realizes that the Regent is in fact The Bad Guy. Along the way, the gladiator and the princess fall in love. Predictably, they ultimately prevail. The plot can be rather confusing, but the action is exciting( the gladiator fights were well done and gritty - you can feel the sweat and grime in such a small theatre and there's a lively chariot race) and there's some interesting glimpses into the backstage life of these warrior entertainers and their philosophizing on death and honour as well as looking battle-weary and at times reluctant to fight each other as they had befriended each other. I was expecting a routine peplum but was surprised to find this is a lively and engaging romp with some nice plot twists and good acting.

This is a very typical peplum, one of countless efforts dealing with the Roman Empire and which involve slaves fighting it out in the arena; I have at least three other such films lined up for the current Easter marathon (apart from one I had watched prior to it). Being English- dubbed, panned-and-scanned (the copy I watched was culled from "You Tube"), the debut of director De Martino (albeit in collaboration and who would eventually specialize in horror movies) and star Richard Harrison's first European venture, I was not counting on it being very good; however, it turned out an above-average outing with standard plot and excitements, to be sure, but certainly not a total waste of 91 minutes.

Unusually, we start off with Harrison already awaiting to see one-on-one combat duty for the entertainment of the jaded masses; the gladiatorial instructor (Livio Lorenzon) gives his men a long-winded talk about the honour of their 'profession' (while suggesting they will not be allowed to die as the sovereign would then have to pay him for the lost members of his team!), while Harrison's military background allows him to speak out for the necessity of self-preservation over comradeship to a fellow slave (since, following each individual duel, the eventual winner has to match himself against his peers all over again)! Presiding over the carnage is villainous Regent Leo Anchoriz (in a surprisingly dignified and two-dimensional characterization), flanked by the boy heir to the throne and his elder sister Isabelle Corey; the latter, who secretly leads a group of brigands that look more like cave-men(!), displays an unwarranted coldness towards the hero when he accepts to serve Anchoriz by hunting down the rebels. Amusingly, the Regent takes the protagonist into his employ after a javelin he had defiantly thrown in his direction happened to hit instead an assassin approaching from behind him! Apart from Corey, the opposition here is very weak and this makes Harrison join her cause and, at one point, saves the child from certain death after his chariot has been maliciously tampered with!

The climax sees the star take on a Mongol warrior (whose face seemed familiar from others of its ilk) in the arena, after the latter had defeated his sidekick – with the bizarre aid of rampaging bloodthirsty dwarfs! In the meantime, Lorenzon leads a gladiatorial revolt underground but takes his sweet time to reach the surface and join our hero…even if he still manages to be the one to execute Anchoriz (after the latter has engaged in a staff duel a' la Robin Hood – at which he had professed to be unbeatable – with Harrison)! An odd touch here concerns the score which, at certain moments, builds to a crescendo and sustains it far longer than necessary…which might explain the fact that the film's official length is given as 105 minutes on IMDb!

Above average peplum with Richard Harrison showing some real acting talent, as well as muscle, in this, his first Italian adventure feature. The fight scenes are very well done and Harrison is given a real chance to show his athletic abilities and coordination, and the budget is obviously a cut above what was normally shelled out for this type of picture.

Probably the best of the 'gladiator' sword-n-sandal films of the 1960s, or at least that I have seen. The plot has plenty of twists, but never gets so convoluted that it can't be followed with interest. The fight scenes are pretty well done, especially the final revolt at the end. The acting is above par, even from sword-n-sandal regular players - Harrison is surprisingly effective.

There was a pretty amusing moment towards the end, when one of our heroes is attacked by an angry gang of midgets. Well, I guess you can't get through one of these films without some toss off goof.

On the whole, one of the more entertaining 'muscle' films of its era.

Early in the third century AD, the city of Acastus and its surrounding territory formed an independent kingdom on the Eastern border of the Roman Empire. The king of Acastus has recently died, leaving a daughter, Sira : Isabelle Corey, and a 12-year-old son, Darius. Until the young King is of age, the Prime Minister Rabirius :Leo Anchoriz, is to rule as Regent of Acastus. While celebrating a Gladiator Combat our hero : Richard Harrison saves life of the regent Rabirius, and the latter assigns him the commanding some troopers. As he takes command of two hundred men to defeat a brigand of rebels. As the brave gladiator along with his colleague : Jose Marco set out in pursuit the rebels who find themselves hidden in the mountains.

An acceptable peplum with usual ingredients to be loved by genre's hardcore enthusiasts . Stars Richard Harrison as the heroic gladiator who leads a revolt against the nasty regent. The American Richard Harrison was one of the several US actors who emigrated towards Italy to star mythological figures such as Rock Stevens, Mark Forest, Kirk Morris, Ed Fury, Brad Harris, Reg Park, but none of them topped in popularity to Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott. This "The Invincible Gladiator" results to be a passable Sword and Sandal with thrills, emotion, romance, charot chases an battles. The picture contains some violent and breathtaking combats in arena on a small circus. Being a Spanish and Italian Co-production here appears various Spanish actors as Leo Anchoriz, Jose Marco, Jorge Martin, Antonio Molino Rojo, Barta Barri, Tomas Blanco and Italian ones as the beautiful Isabelle Carey and the bald Livio Lorenzon as a Lanista

It contains an evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Eloy Mella. Filmed on Spanish locations in La Pedriza, Manzanares Real and Colmenar Viejo, a bit later on, these places to be used to shot Spaghetti and Paella Westerns. It displays a moving and rousing musical score by Carlo Franci. The motion picture was professionally directed by Antonio Momplet and Alberto de Martino .The Spanish director Antonio Momplet was a craftsman who wrote and made some popular films as Julia y el Celacanto, Cafe Cantante, Vertigo, Bel Ami, La hija del mar, Las de Cain, Amok, A media luz, Jandro, El Corsario Negro and Terrible Sheriff . While the most known Alberto Martino was a professional writer and director who made pictures of all kinds of genres and exploitation movies such as Terror : Antichrist, Holocaust 2000, 7 Hyden Park, The Killer is on the phone, Wartime : Dalle Ardenne all Inferno, Thrillers : Roma vs Chicago, The man of the ice eyes, The Consellour, The Puma Man, Upperseven , Operation Lady Chaplin, The insatiables, Spaghetti Westerns : Django Shoots first, Seventh Cavalry, One hundred thousand dollars for Ringo and Peplum : Seven Spartans, Invincibles, La Rivolta dei Sette, Medusa against the son of Hercules and The Invincible Gladiator. Rating : 6/10. A decent Sword and Sandal movie for ordinary aficionados.