CinemaSerf

Dec 22, 2023

6.0

"Dario" (Rory Calhoun) is a travelling Athenian having some time off on the beautiful island of Rhodes. He's a bit of a military hero so is fêted by his new hosts who on the other hand have quite a lucrative slave-trading business going on with their Phoenician friends. What "Dario" soon learns, though, is that there is a plan afoot to topple "King Serse" (Roberto Camardiel) and use the mighty statue that guards their harbour mouth to ruthless effect if anyone anyone tries to interfere with their ambitions to rule the island and trade in even more lost souls. Mired in these conspiracies is "Diala" (Lea Massari) to whom our visitor takes a bit of a shine - but is she all that she seems? I like the genre and this production has seen some effort go into the costumes and visual effects - especially around the huge bronze statue and it's menacing payload. Snag? Well there's just far too much dialogue, nowhere near enough action - and it's long. It does drag at times, especially in the middle with the cat and mouse romance cluttering up what adventure elements there are. Calhoun was only ever really a decent looking, competent, actor - and here offers little more as we plod along to the historically established denouement. Conrado San Martín's "Tireo" makes for a passable baddie, though, and all-in-all I did quite enjoy it.