Les Sorciers de l'île aux singes

More by accident than design, my Christmas film viewings this year have been punctuated by a nostalgic flavor which has taken me back to my childhood days, either through films which I haven't watched since – the Fairy Tale Popeye cartoons, Abbott & Costello's JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1952), the two Lou Ferrigno HERCULES movies, etc. – or ones which I recall being released theatrically at the time but which I hadn't managed to catch up with until now (examples of which I should be getting to over this coming weekend).

It follows, therefore, that the film under review is another one pertaining to the former group: actually, this is the second of two similar movies with the same trio of leads (albeit two of whom are playing different characters) and the same African setting – the first was entitled Africa EXPRESS and had been released the previous year. Giuliano Gemma reprises the role of John Baxter, ex-WWII fighter pilot turned African tourist guide extraordinaire, Ursula Andress is a nurse whose traumatic experience when her missionary camp was attacked by a horde of bloodthirsty natives made her lose her memory and Jack Palance is a shady Dutch engineer with an eye on the uranium supplies recently discovered in the vicinity of that camp. Gemma is flanked by Biba, his amiable chimp companion whose fits of jealousy (sparked by Gemma, understandably, straying in his affections for it when he meets the sultry Andress), drunken antics and "erotic dreams" (one of which opens the film itself) are often the source of amusement for the viewer.

Although I had also watched its predecessor on Italian TV, it's been so long ago that I can't hope to make any sensible comparisons with this one: still, despite finding the film enjoyable enough today, I guess I was more tolerant of such mindless fare then because it seemed that, even at 93 minutes, the pace dragged slightly in spots; besides, Palance's come-uppance is pretty lame. For the record, there are also a colorful assortment of supporting characters: Enzo Bottesini as Gemma's greedy, ill-fated partner who, at one point, is involved in a rousing fistfight with Gemma which sees them hitting dining tourists with umbrellas!; Giuseppe Maffiolo, also reprising his role of the missionary suffering carnal temptations because of Andress; Peter Martell - who, Gemma reveals in the DVD supplements, was the first choice for the role of Trinity before having to bail out in favor of Terence Hill because of a broken leg {see my comments above on BLACKIE THE PIRATE [1971]} - as a real twit of a British sergeant; an uncredited actor playing the leader of the natives who, of course, is a good friend of Gemma's and who, in his futile attempts to have a male heir, fathered eleven daughters and might well strangle his wife and the witch doctor if the former doesn't deliver next time, etc. The ubiquitous De Angelis brothers, Guido & Maurizio, typically provide a nicely percussive score – although I wouldn't say this was one of their most memorable works.

Entertaining and low-budgeted African adventure with several comic touches . It deals with the friendly as well as pacifist John Baxter (Giuliano Gemma) , an adventurer in Africa with a chimp (Biba) and his colleague Howard (Spaghetti Western ordinary Peter Martell) , both of whom run the firm ¨Safari Express¨ in the jungle , everything prepared for the booking tourists on set-up safaris , and they wish save a lot of cash to get their dreams . Pilot John Baxter befriends the chief a 'dangerous' local tribe and both of them prepare special attractions for ingenuous tourists . Shortly after , John and his tame chimpanzee across the wilderness meet a wandering woman in complete amnesia (beautiful blonde and sex-symbol Úrsula Andress) and she doesn't know who she is wandering . Later on , a certain Mr. van Daalen (Jack Palance) offers the intimate friends a lot of money to help him supply arms for a fratricidal coup within the tribe ; but he actually has another sinister plot behind this dark plan : the uranium smuggling . Daalen -supported by his hoodlums- carries out his heinous schemes , at whatever cost .

This amusing , engaging movie is crammed of fist-fights, punches , kicks, moving stunt-work , colorful African outdoors and lots of humor. ¨Safari Express" is just a mildly amusing action comedy, about on the level of a lesser Bambino/Bud Spencer - Tritinity/Terence Hill movie . Giuliano Gemma is top-notch as an agreeable freewheeling adventurer , meanwhile taking on an ominous villain , Jack Palance . Gemma's alternately helpful and troublemaking pet chimp is impressively trained . Strong performance of Jack Palance as a big game hunter who dedicates to illegal smuggling and chase John Baxter . Special mention to pet chimp called Biba that steals the show , getting into mischief , pranks and antics , including a surprising ending . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times , but frenetic fight-sequences and fun make up for it . It's an entertaining romp plenty of brawls , including amusing bounds and leaps . This is a nice and funny juvenile story for Giuliano Gemma fans , as he's delight and likable . It packs action, fist-play, slapdash , humor with tongue-in-cheek and is quite bemusing . This release has some cool and several hilarious moments , adding a wonderful Ursula Andress as lady in mystery . The film isn't always good , sometimes is fresh and diverting and on a couple of memorable occasions , it's frankly delicious. The movie displays innumerable laughter , jokes and slapstick . In this very mild entertainment picture appears usual secondaries from B Italian series seen in several genres as Spaghetti Western and Peplum as Raf Baldassarre ,Dell'Acqua , Petrucci , Maffioli and Peter Martell .

Catching and commercial musical score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis -Spaghetti Western's usual- and composed by synthesizer, as always , including some beautiful songs . This is the sequel to ¨Africa Express¨ by Duccio Tessari with similar artist and technician team . The motion picture written by Mario Amendola and Bruno Corbucci was middlingly directed by Michele Lupo who directed various Bud Spencer vehicles as ¨Bulldozer¨ ¨The Supersheriff¨, ¨Buddy go west¨, and ¨E.T. and the Supersheriff¨ . Lupo directed Giuliano Gemma , his fetish actor , in several films as ¨Master touch¨ with Kirk Douglas , ¨Stay away¨ with Amidou , ¨Arizona Colt¨ with Fernando Sancho and Nello Pazzafini and ¨California ¨ with William Berger and Romano Puppo. This is a passable entertaining juvenile that will appeal to Italian comedy buffs . Rating : Average , only for Giuliano Gemma and Ursula Andress fans.

Definitely, this movie is for the people who like to see a sexy woman beating dozens of men! Of course, the sexy woman is played by Ursula Andress, who fights wearing high heels and a very sexy dress! There is a scene where she is prisoner of a tribe's chief and she starts to seduce him, raising up her dress, showing us her magnificent legs! Then she says to him:"Close your eyes and I will kiss you". He close his eyes and she take a big vase and break his head, leaving him out cold! Then she escapes and beats up about 25 guys! It is very possible to become a masochist watching Ursula Andress beating men!

I mean, think about it: Giuliano Gemma plays the SAME character he does in "Africa Express". He runs a different business now, but he still has the same (very smart) pet chimp, and the same priest friend with the same pet parrot who talks only when he decides to. Ursula Andress and Jack Palance return as well, but they're playing DIFFERENT characters. This really doesn't make a whole lot of sense - how can Gemma's character not even acknowledge the striking physical similarities between these two people and the ones he had met in his previous adventure? At least they could have made them twin siblings or something. Other than that, "Safari Express" is about on the same quality level as its predecessor: recommended mainly to undiscriminating viewers - for example, to those who rate EVERY Bud Spencer - Terence Hill movie a perfect "10". Ursula, at age 40, was still one of the hottest women around; it's the long, tedious stretches in which she does not appear that kill this movie. (**)

It is just bizarre to comment too much about this second part of African Express. A film easy to reduce at Ursula Andress, Jack Palace and Giuliano Gemma, with the smart chimpanzee and bizarre perrot as good spices. Fights, adventure, humor, explanations and the fair end. A slice of a very easy genre , having as target, more than precise, a predictable public of 1970. After decades, easy entertainement. Or a fist of memories.