The Giant of Metropolis
Obro the muscleman goes to Atlantis and sinks a death-ray king who knows the secret of immortality.
-
- Cast:
- Gordon Mitchell , Bella Cortez , Roldano Lupi , Liana Orfei , Furio Meniconi , Marietto Angeletti , Omero Gargano
Similar titles
Reviews
Strong and Moving!
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
All told, this is a most interesting effort. True, the novelty of the stylized, Caligari-like sets tends to wear thin with repetitious use (their like has not been seen since 1939's "Son of Frankenstein"), and the climax doesn't quite come off. (The stratagem employed is too obvious. One brief shot through an archway shows us what should have been done throughout). But the brilliance of the interrogation scene alone, with the camera swooping in for enormous close-ups, makes this movie a must-see for connoisseurs. Director Umberto Scarpelli – back in 1961 – has actually come up with an original device. He also makes exciting use of a 360 degree pan, plus an elaborate deployment of triangular masking. Music scoring, film editing and photography are likewise first class.
In the year 20,000 B.C. on the continent of Atlantis, in the city of Metropolis King Yotar rules a very scientifically advanced, yet inhumane, civilisation. A muscle bound hero Obro arrives there to attempt to put an end to this reign of terror.This sword and sandal flick is a little different from most in the peplum genre in that it is set way before the Roman or even Greek times. Not only this but it's one of those specific entries in the genre, like Hercules Against the Moon Men, which incorporates a sci-fi element into its fantasy scenario. In this case a super-advanced scientific civilisation and a King who conducts crazed experiments on his son in a manner similar to a mad scientist. He also puts the hero Obro through various tests, such as a gladiatorial fight with a murderous giant and an encounter with a group of hairy savages. But in essence this one is still basically very similar in feel to the other strong man peplum movies featuring the likes of Maciste and Hercules. As such, Giant of Metropolis is one which drags a lot of the time and gets quite tedious on occasion, yet is interspersed with memorable scenes, while its sets and costuming ensure that it will always have enough production value about it to ensure it will always retain some watch-ability and kitsch value.
Hmmm... outside of the poor dubbing, I don't really understand how this gets basted as a turkey. I suppose you could eat cheetos and drink beer and watch it with your buds. It's entertaining, but hardly Maciste Against Hercules In The Valley Of Woe or similar low budget quickies full of unintentional laughs. It's more sci-fi than sandal due to the urgent "message" it attempts to teach us modern scientific men. Evidently the producers saw in the script an important project because they lavished the greater part of their creative energies on the costumes, set designs, lighting and camera set-ups. Like movies today, the stars are not found in the cast but in the art director's studio. If it weren't in color, Giant Of Metropolis might easily be mistaken for some expressionistic epic cooked up by Fritz Lang in 1925 or one of those "new wave" European productions of The Ring cycle from the 60s and 70s. The heavy symbolism is transcribed visually, and the Roman crafts people behind the scenes must have been pleased at the oppressive but strangely beautiful world they realized. So don't expect much exciting action, character development or witty dialog. But do expect a Roman giant of sorts, one with an under-appreciated place in the ranks of thoughtfully produced sci-fi cinema.
GIANT OF METROPOLIS is pure unadulterated camp fun! Seconding the motion & comments by The Vid of Colorado Springs, this sword and sandal Italian import from the Sixties has just been released on DVD at long last. This was one of my childhood faves and showcases blond hunk Gordon Mitchell, sets by Bava protege Giorgio Giovannini, wild Sodomite dancing, feathered dancers, magnetic death rays, costumes right out of PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, and this is a must-see for all lovers of Italian sci-fi! Pure guilty pleasure at its best!