Le monde sans voiles

GO! GO! GO! WORLD is a tame, family-friendly version of the infamous 'mondo' shockumentary, MONDO CANE, made in Italy by genre director Antonio Margheriti. For those unfamiliar with this particular sub-genre, these films are basically clip compilations, themed by the exotic, gruesome or bizarre, linked by a supposedly comedic narrator.

And it's fair to say that GO! GO! GO! WORLD pales in comparison to its more outrageous companions in this genre. There's little here that isn't tame or PG-rated by today's standards. However, all of the usual elements are present, albeit in a more diluted form: there are numerous strip-tease acts, tribal rituals in Borneo and Papua New Guinea, and elaborate death rites around the world.

Bizarrely, there's also a focus on cars, for some reason, along with some bad taste footage of dogs being eaten in China (don't worry, none of it is explicit). Unfortunately, Stephen Garret's narrator is one of the most nauseating around, always ready to deliver an ill-advised quip that usually has either sexist or racist undertones (sometimes both). And as a whole, the film is incredibly dated, more of a quaint exploration of what "enlightened" sensibilities considered shocking back in the day - although I suspect this would have seemed dated on first release!

A tamer version of the great Mondo Cane.

This is just a more television friendly version of the Mondo films that were ubiquitous during the time. Most of what's shown can be seen on Discovery channel style documentaries nowadays.

The narrator hams it up a bit but at least he doesn't sound bored or mocking. This one almost reminds you of the films you'd see in school on Friday afternoons. The films your 3rd grade teacher showed just to fill in the time before the weekend while keeping the kids quiet at the same time.

Some of the editing is clunky and one gets the impression a lot of the filming was spur of the moment, but it isn't boring either.

A passable time-waster.

From automobile owning sex workers to child brides, this film showcases a massive range of sights, sounds, and customs from all around the world. Of course being an Italian produced mondo the content is all handled with the reverence and care that one would only expect in this sordid little genre. Almost no subject is safe from the narrator's relentless, though admittedly amusing, mockery as he positions himself to be obviously superior to any that he may examine.

This mondo also treats you to other genre staples such as outright lies and some truly odd sights. Notable sights include weird restaurants, bull fights, odd aspects of women's lib (circa 1960's), hickish Italians, and depictions of sex work from around the world. This mondo was slightly inspired by its "sexy nocturne" siblings as it has several strip teases that it features. I have yet to find a copy that actually shows any nudity in these scenes but that could be because of the year that it was released. This mondo does feature some real life violence but the vast majority of it is against animals that are either being prepared for consumption or are part of a ritual. Those looking for something rougher then that might be disappointed with this entry.

All in all I'd recommend this to fans of early mondos.