Ercole e la regina di Lidia (1959) Directed by Pietro Francisci
(Review originally written at 25 September 2009)
This movie definitely is not the best or most exciting one around. Strangely enough it doesn't decide on picking a more adventurous story and restrains itself mostly to the same locations.
You can say that these early Italian genre movies set the later standards for the swords & sandals genre. The first movie "Le fatiche di Ercole" began with this and this movie further expands it, without adding too much excitement or fun though. The movie has the looks and right characters involved but yet the movie only at times manages to become an interesting and good one to watch. Most of the time too little is happening, which is a shame and a waste.
The set and colors of it all might seem fake and silly looking by todays standards but this at the same time has become part of the charm of these early type of genre movies. Also for it's time this movie must have been pretty good and impressive looking at times. It's at least not as cheap looking as many other later Italian genre attempts. The earliest Hercules, or Ercole, movies are still definitely the better ones to watch.
Steve Reeves certainly was an impressive presence and for some reason he's far better than most other actors who ever portrayed the Ercole (Hercules) character in these type of movies, without having too impressive acting talents.
It's really too bad that the movie its middle part is so poor. The movie begins quite well and promising and also ends well, when the movie turns into a more spectacular one to watch.
5/10
This movie definitely is not the best or most exciting one around. Strangely enough it doesn't decide on picking a more adventurous story and restrains itself mostly to the same locations.
You can say that these early Italian genre movies set the later standards for the swords & sandals genre. The first movie "Le fatiche di Ercole" began with this and this movie further expands it, without adding too much excitement or fun though. The movie has the looks and right characters involved but yet the movie only at times manages to become an interesting and good one to watch. Most of the time too little is happening, which is a shame and a waste.
The set and colors of it all might seem fake and silly looking by todays standards but this at the same time has become part of the charm of these early type of genre movies. Also for it's time this movie must have been pretty good and impressive looking at times. It's at least not as cheap looking as many other later Italian genre attempts. The earliest Hercules, or Ercole, movies are still definitely the better ones to watch.
Steve Reeves certainly was an impressive presence and for some reason he's far better than most other actors who ever portrayed the Ercole (Hercules) character in these type of movies, without having too impressive acting talents.
It's really too bad that the movie its middle part is so poor. The movie begins quite well and promising and also ends well, when the movie turns into a more spectacular one to watch.
5/10
