sanzar

This film is rarely listed in reference books or Movie guides, but is an excellent example of the sword and sandal genre & an interesting entry in Scott's filmography.

Even the IMDb does not list this title in an English version, but a dubbed and anglicized version is in circulation, if you hunt around long enough.

For those of you who are interested in seeing this film, a copy is available @ Movieflix.com (membership required), although the print available (listed on the site as "Son of the Sheik", with no mention of Gordon Scott as its star) is smeary, with poor sound and super-imposed foreign subtitles.

Its availability on MOVIEFLIX is a slightly better option than never seeing it, but not much.

This picture is a crass and obnoxious misfire from Murphy, primarily due to it's unbelievably undeserved PG-13 rating. Laced with profanity, sexual innuendo and bathroom humor, you have to wonder if anyone from the ratings board was awake when this film was screened. If they think this type of fare is appropriate for young teenagers, they must live on another planet. Of course, if it had been rated "R", perhaps my opinion would be different: Murphy is often at his funniest when he's profane & irreverant, but that's for my adult sensibilities, not for those of pre-pubescent or (just barely) post-pubescent sensibilities. Murphy should know better (and has shown better judgement with the "Dr. DoLittle" pics) than to pander this kind of junk to kids.

All that notwithstanding, Murphy again essays multiple roles (under tons of Makeup) as nearly every member of the Klump family. Murphy has already worn more makeup than Boris Karloff ever did in his whole lifetime, so he must enjoy it. Tech credits are good as Murphy appears with Murphy, Murphy and Murphy in umpteen scenes, proving that split screen has been adequately exceeded with digital replacement.

Half-witted plot has professor Klump developing a youth serum, while dealing with the personal inner demons of his "Buddy Love" personna (see first movie for more details). Klump, constantly embarrased by subliminal impulses from his "Buddy" personna, isolates & extracts the Buddy Love DNA, which later spills onto the laboratory pet dog, resulting in an incomprehensible reincarnation of Buddy in human form (but with latent doggy traits). Buddy is intent on stealing the youth formula. and a race ensues to see who can complete the deal, with several dilemmas thrown in along the way. Looks like the sreenwriters swiped a few ideas from early Star Trek episodes (see "The Enemy Within").

Never mind what happens next. Change the channel. And definitely avoid the "Uncensored Director's Cut"; it just makes a bad movie worse.

"Coriolanus, Hero Without A Country" boasts former Tarzan, Gordon Scott, in the titular role of a soldier and "Man of War", who, thanks to the machinations of traitorous politicians within the Roman Senate, abandons his post as a Roman defender and join forces with an opposing faction in order to expose his (and Rome's) enemies.

Pic is far from the best example of Italian-made peplums, so popular in the early 60's. Although there are plenty of costumed extras employed to give battle scenes some sense of scale, the scenes detailing the plot-driven political intrigue plod along at a lethargic pace and are difficult to sit through.

Scott, a frequent star in these types of films, gets little opportunity to show off his physique (as he so often did, playing Goliath or Samson or Tarzan), herein confined to a Centurion's raiment throughout. The rest of the Italian cast is non-descript, with little but the familiar dubbing voices to listen for.

The most commonly available print, from Sinister Cinema, suffers from extremely faded color and poor contrast (AND WILL SOON BE DISCONTINUED FROM THEIR CATALOG)and should be avoided.