Gunan il guerriero

"Gunan Il Guerriero" is typical picture you see in your video store and think "well, what the hell could be that?" Italy is very known for copying sucessful ideas and well-known films and making awful and stupid sub-products like this but, at last "Gunan" is the kind of film you can laugh and laugh with their actors(?, actresses (?!) and FX (!!): Gunan and his brother (called Gunan, too) are two stone-faces, Gunan´s girlfriend character is only for be nude everytime and fights are... are... well, you must see it for understanding. I have no words.

I think somebody bought a video camera and decided to make a barbarian movie. Some of the "swords" look like tin foil cut into a sword shapes. The acting is, well, let's not discuss that . . . The fights are ridiculous, they don't even pretend that the swords are really cutting people. However, this movie's heart is in the right place. Whoever made it set out to make a movie about a big guy avenging his people (I think that's what was going on) and they did. No pretense, no self-importance, no pretending that this is anything special. It was made and, I bet, the people who made it were proud of themselves for the effort they put forth. Watch for the guy who looks exactly like Adam Carolla.

I have to concur with silqui69 on this one. The Invincible Barbarian is a film of epic proportions. When The main barbarian , writer, cinematographer boldly and states " And there must be another worm of the Zulpher nesting there". I almost dropped my happy smoke in pure jubilation. I mean really is no one here noticing the high quality of construction - barbarian work boot that was specially modified and designed by the costume - catering department? The placement of the faux fur on those boots just screams " I work hard and play hard, and by god I swing a mean weapon as well". Don't take me lightly my friend. I may have detected a 10 penny nail in one of the boots but that in no way detracts from the quality and craftsmanship of the costume designer. I have never been so thoroughly entertained and shutter to think there will be another movie of this entertainment value gracing the big screen again Kudos invincible barbarian kudos!!!

If you have watched such a movie as "Ator, the invincible" directed by Joe Damato and you think that was bad(and it was)just wait to watch this. I can assure you that this was twice worse than that. The pace of the movie is always slow as a turtle and the battles are all filmed using slow camera, even when the guy is running sometimes they use the same slow camera, What´s the reason for that? Apart from this, special effects are very cheap and the funniest thing about this disaster is that the plot tries to show Gunan as a kind of Christ antecedent and they even say that his word was later used by a very brave king in Camelot(King Arthur, as you can suppose) so Excalibur was a long time ago the sword of a guy called Gunan, what an interesting revelation... But I prefer not to comment anything more about this turkey, in Spain i think it is impossible to find and if you live in other place and you see it at the video store, just avoid it. I give it a 1, and because I laughed sometimes.

When twins survive the Ungat horde raid on Solmen and are brought up the Kuniats, as adults they compete to become Zukahn, an invincible warrior prophesied to free the land from Ungats. However, when things go awry Gunan takes on the formidable enemy himself.

The Invincible Barbarian or Gunan il guerriero is one of the first Italian Conan the Barbarian cash-ins. Director Francesco Prosper's outing suffers from all the shortfalls that many of the Italian low budget film at the time, ungainly sound design, camera work, editing and staging. Prosper's overuse of slow motion and other speeds really hampers the film further, along with the countless long and medium shots. That said, there is a handful of memorable visuals, including a beach filled with a tribe of Amazon women and a spacious fire lit cave.

Written by Piero Regnoli there plenty of slashing and sword action, however, it's plodding Roberto Pregadio's heavy handed music does inject energy into the picture. The real locations offer atmosphere and grit. The craftsmanship on the production, from the sets to weapons and costumes are well produced.

Lead Pietro Torrisi looks the part as Zukahn / Gunan, in fact uncannily he looks just like He-Man if he walked out of a frame of drawn celluloid. Top billed Malisa Longo's Marga who gets more dialogue than you can shake a stick at. Emilio Messina's Nuriak is menacing enough. Sabrina Siani as Lenni who steals the third act. Siani is undressed as the script dictates but she has screen presence. Uncomfortable rape scene aside, Siani injects some much needed life into the proceedings but is sadly underused with no real action scenes, aside from a torture device escape.

Ultimately, it not as watchable as Ator, the Fighting Eagle is a (1982), both Torrisi and Siani presence isn't enough to cement this a must see (but don't fret they both get another stab at the swords and sandals sub-genre in The Throne of Fire, Il trono di fuoco (1983)).