Le Géant à la cour de Kublai Khan

Not bad as far as peplum goes, with former Tarzan Gordon Scott plying his trade as Maciste (or Samson in the English dub), go-to man of steel helping a Chinese princess (Tani) return to her people after she's captured by the evil Garak (Severini) who then wages war upon the poor villagers and Monks to retrieve her and his pride.

Scott is capable and ably supported by French-Japanese actress Yoko Tani, while French beauty Helene Chanel belies her youth in a physically demanding role of the imperial turncoat who helps Maciste smuggle the Princess out of the fortified compound in which she's held.

Stuntwork is creditable and there's a chariot-execution scene in which big Gordo flexes his frame to save the heads of a few petty thieves, but otherwise, it's very much more of the same. As usual, the sets and costumes are lavish and if you're partial to peplum movies, then this Maciste instalment should be mildly entertaining.

Gordon Scott as Maciste at the Chinese Emperor's court

Maciste was actually an invention of the Italian author Gabriele D'Annunzio. The hero from the history of Carthage, blessed with Herculean powers, first appeared on the screen in the Italian monumental silent film "Cabiria" (1914). Bartolomeo Pagano (1878-1947) became a silent film star with this role. When the Peplum craze began in Italy at the end of the 1950s after Steve Reeves' hit Hercules films, Maciste was virtually recycled as a hero. This time he was not only used in ancient Carthage, but wherever and whenever a muscle-bound hero was needed.

So it happens that in this film the American bodybuilder Gordon Scott (1927-2007) has to intervene in a dispute between the Mongolian Great Khan and the Chinese emperor. Since a size smaller is not possible, Maciste has to use his bearish strength to trigger an (all too ridiculous) earthquake. Yoko Tani, Gabriele Antonini and Helene Chanel can be seen in other roles. During those years, the Franco-Japanese actress Yoko Tani (1928-1999) was married to Roland Lesaffre, Marcel Carne's favorite actor.

Definitely not the best Italian-made sandal film, even if director Riccardo Fredda has cult status among fan circles.

Gordon Scott, at the peak of his physical form, proudly displays his chiseled body in nothing more than a rather fetching orange loincloth, often glistening with sweat (only Helene Chanel gives him any competition for sexiness). The film itself is far from exciting, but it's slightly more bearable than others of its ilk, with a basic "save-the-princess" story and a mini-earthquake climax. *1/2 out of 4.

Bold as the fiery women of Atlanta, as explosive as Attila bursting out of the Balkans to ram his savage troops against all Europe- filmdom's greatest sword and sandal Titan- Samson(Machiste) faces and wins the cinema's most spectacular battle as he performs his 7 Miracles of the World in Colorscope and Stereophonic sound. Ancient Rome vividly comes alive as every nickle of the 4-million dollar budget is on the screen. enough of the P.R. from 1961, it's a poorly-dubbed overacted absolutely standard muscleman pic from the factory.......after failing with the original title, it was re-released often and often on triple-bills with Samson and 7 Miracles the most successful, and dishonest.

Its not high art but it is highly entertaining. One of the many retitled Maciste films about a muscle man who wanders the world and helps out people in need. This time he's in China and helps a country find freedom by literally ringing the bell of freedom. It has a couple of good fights, the hero saving men buried up to their heads from having chariots with bladed wheels from running over them and of course the classic causing an earthquake as he frees himself from his burial place in a mountain. It has exotic locals and takes itself just seriously enough that you can buy whats going on. If you get the chance try it.