Amazons

Reading the already-written reviews here, it's hard to get a real sense of what this film is like -- is it soft-core? (answer: no). Is it good sword/sorcery? (answer: hm, not really). Is it too terrible to watch? (not exactly, but ...)

"Thelma and Louise" it ain't, but Dyala's role is clearly a Heroic Quest through-and-through, and if being an Amazon means she has to do it in a leather bikini and an Olivia Newton-John headband, then that's what she'll have to do.

First, the good: the main character is actually, really, in real-life, honestly trained in weapons fighting, and it shows. This is important because -- if you hadn't guessed -- a lot of this movie involves fighting.

The not-so-good: a lot of the fighting is 1960s TV-level, and a lot of the acting is worse. Some of it isn't, but enough is. This wouldn't matter so much if it wasn't a bit sluggish for the first half. Being very low-budget, it compensates for all of its faults with showing more skin than might otherwise seem necessary.

Now, here's where "Amazons" reveals a surprising quality: it overwhelmingly meets the Bechdel-Wallace test for the portrayal of women in fiction. Almost all significant characters are women (the notable exception being the villain), and they almost never talk about men. There are indeed Amazon men, but the actresses perform all the heroic functions, and the story is entirely what dominates their conversations. So this film accomplishes the interesting feat of being an overtly exploitative film (in that almost every one of them are young, athletic females who are minimally clothed) that's also a semi-capable celebration of female self-empowerment. And they don't do it campy or cartoonish; the actresses are quite serious about their roles and relationships, and the camera/direction shoots them as heroic. Some of it may come across silly, contrived, or poorly done, but never insincere.

Would I recommend this? For those wanting Conan-type sword/sorcery that doesn't take itself too seriously, this sorta works, though clearly a lesser execution. For those seeking mere exploitation, it's a bit slow, and not the constant nudity-fest some reviewers would have you believe. And those seeking feminist Xena-type empowerment will find that here, though they might have trouble seeing it sometimes (e.g., when the heroine skinny-dips in a river and then finds herself fighting off would-be rapists with her top untied).

But that's where "Amazons" steps up: in most movies, female body exposure + male attack = victim, but not here. The messages throughout this film clearly portray the women in charge of their lives and their bodies, regardless of very real challenges and threats. Even the one sex scene shows us the degree of complicity between The Villain and his confederate -- not just socially but personally.

As a result, there's a qualitative difference between this and the Deathstalker movies, which take themselves less seriously, and feel more cartoonish. No, "Amazons" is not a great movie, or even a very good one; it's more an OK movie really. But I think the women who acted in it felt it was a film they could be proud of: one that showed them capable of being decisive, strong and heroic, rather than just assisting (or often, waiting for) a man who does it for them. And if doing that half-naked means the funding comes through, so be it.

Rating: 5.5/10, rounded up to 6

The title suggests this is likely to be about women who fight with swords. That's certainly the case, but when we see that they do this wearing boots and bikinis (while their male allies and opponents of course dress far more modestly) it's fairly obvious what kind of movie this is. In fact it's a standard Conan-style fantasy. A powerful wizard-warrior is invading and two young Amazons are sent on a quest for a magic sword – the only thing which can defeat him. There's not a whole lot of originality in this theme, and not much elsewhere either, but there is a surprise or two, and the shape-shifting lioness is a nice touch.

The budget is very low, the special effects laughable, the acting poor across the board, the direction clumsy and the dialog always predictable. The fight scenes need a Cory Yuen makeover – even the martial arts trained (and splendidly named!) Windsor Taylor Randolph, who plays Dyala, the lead Amazon, is unconvincing as a swordswoman. But the story, though unoriginal, is good enough to maintain some interest and excitement.

This movie isn't about any of that though. It's about bare female skin, the bikini-clad Amazons, and various women they need to rescue, who keep ending up naked. There's even a brief sex scene. Some of the bodies on display, particularly the truly gorgeous Penelope Reed as Dyala's sidekick, are athletic rather than soft starlet types and, while the nudity is always gratuitous, it's definitely not unpleasant.

Anyone who enjoys a corny fantasy quest with tough women and isn't put off by the exploitation side, should have fun watching this.

Just in case your not hip to who Roger Corman is and your not familiar with the term "Amazons" than maybe you should find another film to view because as far as exploitation goes this delivers the goods. Story is about an evil wizard named Kalungo (Joseph Whipp) who along with his minions attack the Amazon city of Imbissi in which the female warriors are forced to retreat with the Spirit Stone. They head to the Emerald Queen (Anita Larronde) who informs them that they need to retrieve the Sword of Azundati which is the only thing that can combat Kalungo.

*****SPOILER ALERT***** A beautiful (of course) warrior named Dyala (Mindi Miller) is dispatched on the mission with Tashi (Penelope Reed) who is the daughter of her sworn rival Tshingi (Danitza Kingsley) who is also a spy for Kalungo. While on their journey they encounter thieves and snakes and hoards of other tribes that want to sacrifice them to supernatural trees.

This was made in Argentina and directed by Alejandro Sessa who is making his debut after being a producer on several Corman films and it appears that he learned very well on how to stretch a dollar with a small budget. Naked Amazon warriors. Yep! That's what everyone who hasn't seen this is wondering about so I can tell all of you that this indeed delivers an abundance of nudity and I had to chuckle when the two lead characters venture off to save the world and no sooner than you can say "Russ Meyer" they are skinny dipping in a lake! Not only does this work as far as exploitation but also on a "so bad it's good" level with horrible dubbing and editing. How about that top notch transformation scene where the lioness changes into the naked woman? Or the laughable attempt of actor Whipp trying so hard to be evil when he looks like a left wing pacifist. The story is somewhat all over the place with it's magic swords and feuding families but if your a connoisseur of films that have hot and frequently nude Amazon women or of just bad films altogether than you can be rest assured that this is exactly what it advertises.

If you enjoy cheesy sword and sorcery movies (in the vein of Deathstalker) then you will probably enjoy this one. It's about a pair of female warriors who are sent on a quest to retrieve a magic sword, which is the only thing that can defeat an evil wizard. Along the way they make sure to get naked a few times, and of course encounter some other women who also get naked. There's even a gratuitous sex scene thrown in for good measure. Add to this some really bad acting and poorly choreographed fight scenes, and you have all the elements of an enjoyably bad movie. I give it 7 out of 10.

Roger Corman tells a story so well that this sword & sorcery adventure would have been on par with popular blockbuster films such as Conan the barbarian, were it not for obvious shortcomings in the time and money spent on production. The dubbing is sloppy and the dialog is toneless. The cheap special effects are mediocre at best and, at their worst, they look like something taken out of a cheap horror/science fiction flick from the 1950's.

As an alternative attraction, Corman affords us numerous glimpses of sexy and/or athletic women, usually dressed in revealing attire and sometimes completely naked. Unlike a soft-porn production, however, the emphasis is on action and adventure, thus providing a unique platform for this kind of voyeurism.

This movie may have some appeal for amazon aficionados. The hand to hand combat scenes come off reasonably well. In fact, Mindi Miller (Windsor Taylor Randolph), as Dyala, was particularly adept at handling a staff. And, both she and Penelope Reed, who played Tashi, have physiques suitable for their roles.

Corman depicts amazons somewhat differently than I have seen in other productions such as Xena. In Corman's story, amazons have a prominent role in society, but still keep their place alongside men. This makes sense if anyone ever wondered where baby amazons come from. I also like the fact that despite being great warriors, the amazons still remain vulnerable, allowing us to fear for their safety and making them appear more human.

Basically, the amazons are threatened by en evil wizard, who makes a pact with supernatural ghost-like beings and uses human sacrifice to gain metaphysical powers. To stop him, Dyala and Tashi, are sent on a dangerous quest for the sword of Azundati. The suspense and the overall impact of the movie are dampened, however, since we know that despite impossible odds, ultimately good will conquer evil, and all will enjoy a happy ending. So, Corman makes their challenge more difficult by creating dissension and treachery among the amazons and their friends. To provide a greater sense of reality and mortal peril, a few key characters in the story actually die.

If you like the thrill of naked breasts and thighs, but you still want a half-way decent story, this movie may be worth your while.