She

One really shouldn't need to say more about this movie than that it contains the gorgeous Ursula Andress in her most imperious role, plus the incredibly lovely Rosenda Monteiros. =) But if one must, one will say that this is a classic adventure of innocence, devoted to the concept of faithful and undying true love and the ancient dominion of the Divine Female over all. Completely knocked me over when I was 14 and hasn't lost anything since. I just love it.

Hammer are famous for making horror movies (obviously), and 'She' is often considered amongst Hammer's horror offerings. I beg to differ from that notion, as although it certainly has horror elements: this is most definitely an adventure movie. Still, the delirious Hammer style is definitely still there and this movie succeeds in conforming to the camp ideals that Hammer became famous for (and that I love them for!). This is also one of many (though not enough!) movies to feature the immense talents of both of Hammer's super-heavyweights; Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and both deliver to their regular high standard. The plot follows three men who travel to a lost city in search of riches that have been promised to them upon their arrival. However, the city is ruled by the powerful 'She who must be obeyed' (Ursula Andress) and she believes one of the men to be her reincarnated love, so sets about making him conform to her way of thinking...

The film exudes a sense of sleaze, in spite of not being essentially sleazy. This has come about due to the central theme of the woman being the dominant party, and as the woman in question is played by the domineering Ursula Andress, that sense is exuded quite plainly. Also joining in the fun aside from Cushing, Lee and Andress is Hammer favourite André Morell, who completes a rather fine cast. The low budget is more than obvious on a number of occasions, mostly through the cheap looking sets, and it seems as if the producers have been a little over ambitious. It doesn't matter, though, as the low budget adds to the charm and appeal of the movie, which ensures that the movie is even more fun for the viewer. The moral to the story has some credibility too, and the ending actually succeeds in being fairly powerful. On the whole, 'She' isn't a prime example of how great the adventure genre can be; but it's a solid film, and fans of low budget kitsch will find something to like.

I really enjoyed Bernard Cribbins as Job, the valet or manservant of the Major, played by Peter Cushing. The barroom scene where Job and the Major take on a squad of drunken soldiers was great fun and should have been longer. Another poster mentioned what great fun it was to see Peter Cushing and Bernard drunkenly dancing with some sexy belly dancers and I agree. It was fairly decent movie that was colorful in the style that Hammer Production was well-known for in the Sixties. I had to wonder about She Who Must Be Obeyed soldiers who perhaps ripped off their garb and shields from another movie being made about the Roman legions on another studio lot. Ursula was very sexy and beautiful. Overall, it is about average sandal and sandals movie.

H. Rider Haggard's "She" is a book that transcends its original intent. It's a great African adventure yarn, to be sure... but Haggard out-did his usual fare in this case, hitting a particularly resonant chord with his vivid archetypal image of the Eternal Female.

This particular film rendition similarly out-does the usual Hammer horror fare. The story is faithfully adapted from the book, with only the sort of changes that are inevitably needed to squeeze hundreds of pages of text onto less than two hours of celluloid. With no special effects or CGI to distract, Haggard's original plot remains the chief attraction, and what a great Saturday-afternoon adventure it is! Lost cities in Africa... a mysterious queen... the secret of immortality... these elements have been combined many times, but rarely any better than they are here.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are solid actors, and give two otherwise conventional roles a delightful extra spin. But the real surprise is Ursula Andress, who seems to have been perfectly directed: she avoids stretching her limited talents, and concentrates on looking regal and mysterious. The costume design helps; I'm not a big fan of Ms Andress' charms, but I find the image of her in that golden-feathered headdress quite unforgettable.

A word also about the music. The four-note fanfare that announces the arrival in the hidden land is absolutely perfect. No lost-civilization film should be made without it.

I keep hoping that some director equipped with both budget and talent one day delivers the screen version that "She" really deserves. But until then, this one will do very nicely.

I'm not sure why everyone dislikes this film. It not only looks absolutely fantastic for a Hammer film, but also features some fantastic performances by some some of Hammer's best actors(and some who aren't Hammer actors). Some of the amazing performances come from the always excellent Peter Cushing, the(finally)newly knighted Christopher Lee, the great Bernard Cribbins and in her first(and last) Hammer film, the gorgeous Ursula Andress as SHE herself. This film is also wonderfully directed by another one-off Hammer director, Robert Day. However this film does have some low points as well. Some of the plot threads are a little silly and some of the later scenes are very repetitive. By no means the best Hammer film, but no where near the worst.