Movie Review: Colossus and the Amazon Queen

Colossus and the Amazon Queen (La regina delle Amazzoni)
Starring: Rod Taylor, Ed Fury, Dorian Gray, Daniela Rocca, Gianna Maria Canale, Alberto Farnese, Giorgia Moll, Folco Lulli, Ignazio Leone, Adriana Facchetti, Paola Falchi, Enzo Cerusico, Marco Tulli, Tiberio Murgia
Director: Vittorio Sala 

Galatea Film, Glomer Film, Alta Vista, Italy, 1960.

Another film from the Warriors 50 Movie Pack by Mill Creek.

Already during the titles it is clear that the film is made tongue in cheek. Olympic games have started. The games begin with all against all fistfight. Glaucus (Ed Fury) is a Greek strongman who has just returned from the Trojan war with Pirros (Rod Taylor). Pirro needs some money so some dubious characters pay him to guard a ship's cargo. He needs also a second guard so Pirros must convince Glaucus. Glaucus wakes in the ship and gets angry. He beats up the crew. To calm him down, Pirros makes a huge hole in the ship so Glaucus must stop the leak. 

Glaucus

Pirros telling about his adventures

Glaucus must keep the ship from sinking

Aboard the ship is an Egyptian inventor Sopho (Ignazio Leone). When they land on an island there are boxes full of gold on the beach. They are a payment from the natives for some bales of rags. The Shanghaied men are told to guard the treasures. There is also food and drugged wine. 

Sopho the Egyptian

The city of the Amazons

After waking up Glaucus goes adventuring with Sopho. They find a walled city. And a pretty girl Antiope (Dorian Gray). The women in uniforms try to capture Glaucus. Melitta (Daniela Rocca) would like to stick him with a sword. The men have been sold as slaves to Amazons. Glaucus wants to escape, but the other men like the idea of being prisoners of the Amazons. 

Melitta does not like Glaucus

Pirros convinces Glaucus it is better to stay in jail

Amazon drill instructor (Giorgia Moll)

Melitta is a candidate for the next queen.  Melitta wants Glaucus to be put to death for insulting the dignity of the Amazon women. Antiope likes Glaucus so she disagrees. The Amazon Queen (Gianna Maria Canale) lets the council to choose. The council lets him live. Melitta demands a trial by combat with Antiope.

Melitta is angry at Glaucus

Antiope defends Glaucus

The Queen wants to resign soon because she is not allowed to have men while holding the throne. The only joy for Queen and the High Priestess (Adriana Facchetti) is wine. She is also hesitant to nominate Melitta as the Queen.

The Queen

Also the High Priestess likes wine

In the city the gender roles are reversed with women being warriors and feminine men cooking and doing housekeeping. The Amazons select husbands and are impressed by the handsome and manly newcomers. Antiope and Melitta joust in a tournament and Antiope wins. Glaucus falls in love with Antiope. Antiope becomes also the candidate for the next queen, but then she should remain chaste. Melitta and Pirros go on the beach. Mellitta hints that after the wedding night something will sinister will happen to the men. Melitta wants to have the throne so she makes a deal with Pirros. She promises that he can return home if they succeed to kidnap Glaucus and send him back to Greece. Then the Sacred Girdle goes missing, the new queen can not be nominated until it is found. Glaucus and Antiope escape. Pirates led by Losco (Alberto Farnese) come to island. Glaucus hits his head and the pirates take him to their ship and back to Greece.

The men talking about cake recipes

Pirros showcasing his worth

Pirate Captain Losco

Sopho traps Antiope and tells her what happens to the men after the wedding night. Well, did not expect that one. The men, guarded by bears, spent rest of their lives breaking stones into smaller stones in a quarry. In Greece Glaucus tells about the treasures of the island. Losco takes him back to the island with his newly Shanghaied crew. Glaucus and Antiope are detained for stealing the girdle. Glaucus will be burned at stake if Antiope does not return the girdle. Luckily Pirros has put it in a good hiding place so Glaucus is freed.

At night the pirates attack. The Amazons are losing the fight. Glaucus, Pirros and Sophos try to free the captive men. Glaucus wrestles with a bear. The men help drive the pirates away. Now the islanders can live in more equal terms. Even Melitta seems to be happy with Pirros.

Even Melitta is happy in the end

The jazzy music reminds of 50s and 60s sitcoms. The movie parodies the peplum genre satirizing also feminism and sexual revolution. Clearly a product of its time. There are lots of comical fistfights, silly plot and sexy humour. Those looking for political correctness should look elsewhere. The pacing of the movie is again very uneven. The movie is very cheaply done without retakes, resulting in hilarious situations. For example during the opening fanfare a horn player drops his horn. The movie is not a good film but it has some originality and fun moments.

Rating: Average