Ashanti

Beverly Johnson and Michael Caine as an interracial marriage of doctors try to help some African kids when the woman is abducted by a ruthless slave hunter (Peter Ustinov). Seeing that the local officials are not too willing to do anything about it, Caine decides to take the justice into his own hands and starts chasing Ustinov across the vast deserts of Maghreb.

Despite all the warnings, not that bad movie. The pace is somewhat slow, and the acting somewhat absent (though both Malik and Ustinov try to do their best), but generally, an acceptable filler on a rainy afternoon. The high points are the shots of North African desert and the Omar Shariff's short appearance.

Beverly Johnson is pretty chick, but she's seen only periodically (still she has one scene of full frontal nudity, although very brief). And the grimy subject definitely deserved a better treatment. All in all, not a definitely bad movie; just nothing really memorable, exceptional and shining here. 5/10.

The above quote is from Michael Caine, who starred in "Ashanti"...a film he said he only did for money and which was pretty much crap! But is it really that bad or was Caine just using a bit of hyperbole?

After seeing "Ashanti", I could see that it was a far from perfect movie. But I really wonder if Caine's hatred of the movie is possibly more because of the hellish shooting locations as well as his rather unexciting character. After all, being in the desert with temperatures approaching 130 (about 55C) would be absolutely horrible and I am amazed that he agreed to make a movie in such conditions. Plus his character seemed a bit like an observer than an actual participant most of the story.

When the movie begins, Drs. David and Anansa Linderby are working in rural Africa...treating the locals for a variety of medical issues. Unfortunately, when Anansa is out bathing, she's taken prisoner by slave traders and they set off with her and other unfortunates across the continent. Her husband is determined to catch up with the slavers and rescue his wife, though he isn't exactly thinking clearly, as the trek will take him across the Sahara AND when he does find someone crazy enough to do it, it's only him and the guide against the slave traders! And, to make it worse, David is not exactly an action hero...in fact, he's pretty useless when it comes to violence. Can they possibly catch up to them AND what will they do if they do find them?

As I already alluded to, this is NOT a terrible film. It takes on slavery which is STILL a problem despite it receiving very little publicity...and the film does show that this sick industry still exists. This is a major plus. And, the story is modestly entertaining and worth seeing. However, I'll also point out that sometimes the story makes little sense and it is silly seeing Peter Ustinov cast as a Muslim slave trader...he just seemed rather out of place here. Worth seeing but hardly a must-see.

By the way, the best performance in the film was Kabir Bedi as Malik...the man who helps the Doctor. He was exceptional and I'd like to see him in more movies. Sadly, most of the other actors were underwritten.

Michael Caine has always claimed that Ashanti was "the only film (he) did purely for the money" as well as "the worst film he ever starred in". Hold on, Michael, weren't you in The Swarm and Hurry Sundown? And weren't both of those films a good deal worse than Ashanti? Perhaps Caine remembers only too begrudgingly the physically punishing demands of filming an action film in searing 130 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures (the director, Richard Fleischer, was hospitalised as a result of sun-stroke during the shoot). What Ashanti actually emerges as is not the career low-point of Michael Caine. Instead, it is a very average chase thriller with a talented cast, exotic locations, boring stretches and a highly formulaic storyline.

Dr. David Linderby (Caine) is a W.H.O medic who is left devastated when his black wife Anansa (Beverly Johnson) goes missing during an aid trip to an African tribal village. Linderby gradually realises that his wife has been snatched by slave traders - led by Suleiman (Peter Ustinov) - and he sets off on a continent-wide pursuit which eventually leads to the Middle East.

Along the way, big stars pop in for ineffective and superfluous guest roles. William Holden has a poor cameo as a chopper pilot; Omar Sharif displays little of his customary charm or grace as a pampered Arab millionaire; Rex Harrison looks rightfully bored during his brief role as a helpful contact who assists Caine in his quest. The film is based on a best-seller entitled Ebano, by the little-known author Alberto Vasquez-Figueroa, but the suspense that made the book so popular is largely absent in this adaptation. Ustinov is charismatic as the slaver (he seems in all his movies to be incapable of giving bad performances), and Caine generates believable anguish as the man who thinks he'll never see his wife again. There are occasional flashes of action, but on the whole Ashanti is quite slow-moving. All in all, it is a resistible piece of action hokum - not by any stretch as awful as Caine has frequently suggested, but not a very inspiring film and certainly a let-down from all the talent involved.

Not as interesting as the original Figueroa's novel, but a well done and entertaining movie anyway, with a beautiful photography by Vittorio Storaro, a nice soundtrack, and an all-star cast. Peter Ustinov is impressive in the role of the slave trader Suleiman, Kabir Bedi is perfect and intense as the lone warrior Malik, Beverly Johnson is very beautiful and acts decently (considering that she is a model, not an actress), and Michael Caine does his job even though with not much enthusiasm. He said that this was his worst movie and he did it only for the money: he probably forgot "The Swarm" or "Jaws 4: the Revenge" (where he courted Captain Brody's widow, chased by a vindictive shark... with said shark roaring out of the water multiple times in the final sequence...), not to mention "Austin Powers Goldmember"... Maybe Caine was envious because in "Ashanti" he had to share the scene with much sexier actors like Kabir Bedi and Omar Sharif... It's true anyway that a more profound approach to the slavery theme, and a bit more insight into the main characters would have helped the story, but the main goal of the movie is obviously to entertain, therefore the potential of the talented cast looks a bit wasted: Rex Harrison and William Holden only make small appearances, nothing memorable, Bedi and Sharif would have both deserved more space and even Caine looks a bit confined in his character; only Ustinov has room and lines enough to express his talent an he really rules the story. Also the supporting actors are all good and right for their roles.

With "Ashanti", Richard Fleischer,one of the most talented (and underrated)American directors hit rock bottom.Was it the same man who made "Clay Pidgeon" and "Follow me quietly" (early period) ,"Violent Saturday" and "the Vikings" (middle) and finally reached a breath-taking maturity with "The Boston Strangler" "10 Rillington Place " or "Solyent green" (which contains what might be the most moving scene in the American movies of the seventies:the death of E.G.Robinson)."Solyent green" was also Fleischer's death as an artist;there's simply not one movie worth seeking out afterward:"Mandingo" "the Don is dead" (A poor man's "Godfather" where Fleischer met up with Quinn he had already directed in his remarkable "Barabba" ) "Conan" or "Amytiville (3D!) are dreadful stuff.

"Ashanti" is no exception in Fleischer's dismal final years.The slave trade which still exists today was a good subject though;after "Mandingo" why not "Ashanti"?But James Mason could not save that movie ;Both Ustinov and Caine ,two veterans of the English cinema ,cannot save "Ashanti.Peter Ustinov gives a tongue in cheek performance,knowing that the only way to deal with such a screenplay is not to take it seriously.Even Omar Sharif comes to the rescue (so to speak).It seems the one mistake that the slave trader made is to have abducted an educated woman (a doctor!).

Too bad a subject so serious should be botched that way.