I always include a number of "Peplums" in my Easter epic viewing but, so far, I have only met with disappointment despite the credentials of those involved! The English moniker of this one muddles its pedigree by making an Arabian Nights fantasy seem like a typical mythological effort: indeed, leading man Kirk Morris is ostensibly muscle-bound and dubbed Anthar The Invincible (the film's original title) and, frankly, he could well have gone by any other name since his characterization offers nothing at all new to what he was given to do as Maciste, or any other legendary hero, for that matter!The two villains we saw in the same director's THE GOLDEN ARROW (1962) virtually reprise their roles here, which further adds to the lack of novelty on display; even more slapdash is the fact that the protagonist is alternately identified as unfamiliar and a known threat to his adversaries! I guess I should point out that Morris battles a rhinoceros at a later stage in the proceedings, and the chief baddie has a hall of mirrors installed in a room of his castle (or, rather, that of the ruler he killed to usurp his throne). The female lead, then, is a Princess – played by French actress Michele Girardon, who had come down quite a bit from roles in films by Luis Bunuel and Howard Hawks! – who manages to escape his clutches (he being ever so clumsy in his approach to romantic persuasion) and saved from drowning by Morris and his dumb boyish sidekick (whom he simply calls "Mute"!), who naturally take up her cause at the bat of an eyelid…given that, apparently, they have no life to speak of!!

More an Arabian Nights adventure than a "Hercules" movie, this minor entry in the Sword-and-Sandal cycle lacks the verve, polish, and tongue-in-cheek humor needed to lift it above the level of the "forgettable." While the casting of Kirk Morris might lead one to expect generous servings of "beefcake," his initial appearance is the only scene in which he appears completely bare-chested. After that he's usually seen in a bolero jacket which shows off his arms and stomach but which, unfortunately, makes him look more like a comic side-kick than a two-fisted hero. Also, despite expectations to the contrary, Morris is not subjected to one of those torturous tests-of-strength which showcases his musculature in a bondage situation replete with homoerotic imagery. Instead, he's simply thrown into a pit with an irritated rhino -- a sequence which must have seemed better on paper than it proves to be on film. While not a bad movie -- it's passably entertaining in a Saturday matinée sort of way -- fans of this genre in general and of Kirk Morris in particular are advised to look for their satisfaction elsewhere.

The old Italian genre movies have the advantage of the fantasy set free, unleashed, unrestrained; on the other hand—there was not much to unleash, to set free. That fantasy itself was rather meager. Formally, those movies were free, daring; on the other hand, their freedom did not have much of a content. The conditions existed; the writers were lacking. Like the surrealism itself, they too sometimes bordered on stupidity. Freedom is a luxury; it advantages only the fittest. But then again ,those were wonderful times, a wonderful epoch, when so many things were filmed …. Some of the old Italian outings seem sensationally fancy, and in its best days the Italian genre cinema (which is quite a vague notion) achieved the best.

I don't know about you, but the first appearance of Anthar (Kirk Morris) and his mute friend seemed a bit disturbing, adding fuel to the argument that the genre has a special appeal for gay audiences. Their attire, if it can be called that, looks like over-sized diapers, and speaking from a non prurient perspective, they look embarrassing as all get out. Fortunately, the rest of the adventure calls for Greek warrior wardrobe, but it's not enough to save the flick from desert boredom.The print I viewed didn't help matters any, it was almost entirely washed out with shades of red as the predominant Technicolor hue, with an annoying bar that ran up and down the picture for most of it's run. Incessant desert sequences seemed to dominate the first half, but I'll give more than a fair share of credit for impressive costume design for all the slave traders, warriors and harem girls on hand. If the movie had been more than a beefcake film, it might have been a contender for Best Costune Design, won that year by "My Fair Lady".Hey, how about Gainor's glass cage chamber of death? I'm a little confused about how Anthar could have gotten so close to observe it's inner workings when Gainor dispatched Akrim the slave trader. Obviously it came in handy when it was his turn, giving new meaning to the phrase - "If it ain't fixed, break it".For his part, Kirk Morris provides one of the more agile characterizations of a Herculean namesake; a lot of his moves look like they came off of an off screen trampoline. I wouldn't be surprised to learn if that was the case. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it also seemed like whenever Anthar appeared ready for battle, he always wound up starting a fire. Perhaps with 'Devil' in the title, a fiery presence was deemed necessary to heat up the action.