Hercule contre les fils du soleil

It's not going to be "perfect" as it's just a fantasy film really. One can overlook the fact everyone in the film understands the same language, when this would be a language barrier in real life. Hercules is the only survivor of a shipwreck, and he's in the Americas. He encounters Incas and helps them rescue a princess and fight the evil king who shouldn't be on the throne. There was a lot of props made for this, and some friendly interactions. It's sort of fantasy but mostly action without magic. The film makes you realise how Hercules is the most kindest European man the ancient Incas ever met. He was the only white man the Incas should have met.

So there's this mythical strongman, see, and he likes sailing the seven seas with his Greek buddies. One day a big storm comes along and WHAM: they're shipwrecked and get washed ashore in sunny South America! Everyone dies except Hercules who get's rescued by the natives who enlist his aid in overthrowing the local tyrant. There's some wacky homoerotic ritual sacrifices and lots of battle sequences, and to top it all off, the film ends with some spectacular travelogue footage of snowcapped Peruvian mountains and a llama! WOW!

I watched these movie like 23 years ago ( I'm thirty right now ), on the local TV stations from my country. I remembered that every Saturdays and Sundays at evening time, the Italian movies about Greek mythological heroes, the spaghetti westerns, the second world war movies and others more, were popular among Salvadorians. It was the time from our Civil War period, so the people enjoyed watching these movies to avoid the sad story of our country. On those years I knew those actors like MARK FOREST, STEVE REEVES, KIRK MORRIS and GORDON SCOTT, who played most of the movies of HERCULES and also the movies of HERCULE'S SON, MACYSTE. These particular movie, I enjoyed because the story took place during the INCA CIVIL WAR period ( obviously there is an inaccuracy in history, because in that period of time, the INCAS were conquered by the Spanish troops under FRANCISCO PIZARRO), but instance of being visited by the bloodiest conqueror, the Greek Gods allowed to HERCULES to arrive to Peruvians shores after being the only survivor from a shipwrecked, and he helped to prince MAYTHA ( role performed by GULIANO GEMMA) and his courageous Incas to defeat the tyrannical king Juascar, who have King Atahualpa being imprisoned, to seize the power against MAYTHA. The movie finished with a great battle with the OLD CUZCO city surrounding the fighters. I hope one day that these movies should be in DVD, I will be one of the first customers to buy it.If someone reads the comment, and will like to share his nice experiences abouth these movies, I will be cool to receive your comments in my e-mail.

This peplum, set in Inca country, is one of a handful which tried to give novelty to the tired formula by changing the locale (or the era) in which they were set: similarly freewheeling entries in the genre took place in China (including Riccardo Freda’s SAMSON AND THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD [1961]), another in full 17th Puritan atmosphere (THE WITCH’S CURSE [1962], coincidentally also by Freda), etc.

However, it’s not enough to alter the background if the plotting remains the same old juvenile nonsense! In this case, Hercules is shipwrecked and immediately clashes with the locals yet helped by their rivals (led by Giuliano Gemma, still a year away from attaining genuine stardom with the first Ringo Spaghetti Western). Apparently, for all their architectural know-how, the Incas are still a backward people when it comes to warfare (given the surprising number on display here, they’re seemingly more interested in raising llamas than anything else) – so that it takes Hercules to update their weaponry and organize the surprise attack on the usurper!

As always, the faded pan-and-scan print and English dubbing do the film no favors – but it’s hurt all the more by a threadbare narrative (which extends merely to a princess being rescued from the sacrificial altar, naturally falling for the strapping foreigner at first sight, and the obligatory battle at the climax) padded with a couple of idiotic dances (which are interminable, to boot), and lifeless handling. Incidentally, the Hercules in this one – Mark Forest (who had already played the role in Vittorio Cottafavi’s minor but delirious GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON [1960]) – is atypically clean-shaven: apparently, the film-makers thought his customary bearded look would jar with the generally exotic ambiance!

For the record, I was unfamiliar with director Civirani or, for that matter, leading lady Anna Maria Pace – the former’s work here doesn’t indicate anything more than a journeyman talent but the latter, at least, has the (agreeably darkened) looks to counter a rather stilted performance! Another ‘fault’ I regularly notice in this type of low-brow entertainment (but which, more often than not, translates into a fun booster for the viewer) is that the action sequences tend to come across as unintentionally comical – in the enthusiasm, or lack thereof, displayed by the extras or stunt people!

HERCULES AGAINST THE SONS OF THE SUN stars Mark Forest as everyone's favorite slab of massiveness. Taken into an Inca village, Hercules finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between the rightful Inca prince and those who've usurped the throne.

Not surprisingly, there's a multitude of cruelly oppressed people that Herc must set free. There's also the obligatory "test of strength". There's a quest as well, when he must rescue the prince's sister from being sacrificed. This gives him more chances to move more boulders, while sporting the latest in Inca wear.

This all leads to the final battle, complete with Inca war machines! Big H leads the rebels against the ne'er-do-wells. Arrows fly while Hercules tosses men around like balls of lint!

Another enjoyable, heroic yarn...