Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Excellent but underrated film

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

****SPOILERS**** One of the many 1960's muscle man movies has the musclebound Brooklyn boy Mark Forest, real name Lorenzo Louis Degni, as Maciste the Son of Samson come to the rescue of the enslaved Egyptian, by the Persians, people. Maciste who despite him being a Hebrew one of their mortal enemies the grateful Egyptians will take any kind of help they can get to have themselves freed from the evil Persian installed Queen Smedes, Chelo Alonso. It's Queen Smedes who with the help of her #1 confident and adviser Grand Visir, Zvonimir Rogoz,who had Pharaoh Armiteo I, Carlo Tamberlani, assassinated when he was about free the slaves, mostly Hebrews, in Egypt that had his totally mind controlled son, by Queen Smedes, Pharaoh "Kenny" Kenanuma, Angelo Zanolli, ascend to the throne.This, freeing the Egyptians, was at first no concern of his but with Maciste by falling in love with the beautiful Egyptian slave girl Nofret, Federica Ranchi, he now decided to become a biblical Abraham Linclon and free the slaves Maciste-style by beating the crap of their enslavers. Using his super strength and military expertise Maciste starts up a slave rebellion that almost fizzles out when he falls under the spell of Queen Smedes and goes soft in both the head and muscle. Finally getting down to business in realizing what his job is Maciste gets his act together and starts up a major uprising not just among the slaves but entire Egyptian people against the hated Persians.****SPOILERS**** With the people, slaves & Egyptian, storming the palace Maciste, in avoiding getting his hands dirty, has a lynch mob do in the Grand Visir as as for the evil Queen Smedes she ends up as crocodile food by jumping in the crock infested Nile river to avoid justice. Maciste with his job done now goes into the desert to get some well needed rest as well as sleep from all the action he went through in the movie.

Mythological epic with a magnificent he-man as is Mark Forest and set in Under Egypt whose center is ¨Sais¨ while High Egypt the capitol is ¨Tanis¨ . The setting is the 11th century BC ancient Egypt , when the country is dominated by Persian occupiers who have enslaved the people . At the beginning appears some impressive images with slaves buried until neck and serpents surrounding and other frames with persons burn on poles . Pharaoh Armiteo I (Carlo Tamberlani) is planning a rebellion against Persians . But his gorgeous wife Smedes (Chelo Alonso) aware and kill him . The young prince Kenamus (Zanolli) becomes the new successor , but he is deceived and spelled by means of a potion who turns into slave to Smedes . The bouncing Maciste helps the youngster Kenamun and reunites an army of rebels to take on the Smedes troops . Our protagonist unhesitatingly goes into action and must use his strength to save the successor from villain Smedes and against the pharaoh's former counselor . Then Maciste becomes inextricably involved in a war between usurpers under the command the Egyptian troops against an army of helpless rebels . Along the way Maciste or Hercules or Goliath frees slaves , moves rocks and fights a lion and Crocs . French/Italian co-production with haunting scenarios , wonderful outdoors and rousing production design . This is a good spaghetti , myth-opera with action , love , battles and luxurious landscapes . The movie has not mythological accuracy neither expecting historical . Breathtaking scenes when is elevated an Egyptian column and overwhelming final battle with surprisingly gory scenes . As usual ,the beautiful Cuban dancer/actress plays an erotic dancing with veil included before Maciste that was censored in Spain . In the picture turns up Peplum ordinaries as Vira Silenti , the veteran Carlo Tamberlani and Andrea Fantasia who along with his brother Franco Fantasia worked much as maestros of weapons in this genre . Interesting screenplay by Ennio De Concini , a prolific writer who wrote a lot of Spaghetti , Gialli and Peplum . This spectacular Sword and Sandal movie displays a colorful and glimmer cinematography by Riccardo Pallotini , filmed on location in Egypt including the pyramids and temples of Hatsetsup , Karnak , Luxor , among others . Atmospheric and evocative musical score by Carlo Innocenzi . The motion picture is well directed by Carlo Campogalliani who made many tales of this kind . He along with Vittorio Cottafavi and Giorgio Ferroni continued to realize films in the historical-spectacular style , at which he developed a considerable skill and mastery .Mark Forest , in his first film, is perfect as the mythical hero who encounters many dangerous situations while trying to save a pharaoh of numerous odds . Forest who played the mythic Maciste in great number of movies was randomly assigned the identity of Hercules , Goliath , Samson or Aron for U.S. viewing . Bouncing and strong Forest was the second American actor bodybuilder , after Steve Reeves , to be recruited by Italian producers to star in Peplum films . The muscle-man Forest left allegedly the sword and sandals genre for the Opera . He used the amount of money he made acting as hero and gladiator films in Italy to study Opera , he currently teaches in the Los Angeles zone . He was one along with Ed Fury , Dan Vadis,Brad Harris , Alan Steel , Reg Park , Gordon Scott whom to seek fortune acting absurdly as muscle mythological figures but nobody topped Steve Reeves in popularity . He only starred Peplum such as : 1964 Hércules against sons of sun , 1964 Lion of Tebas , 1964 Maciste Nell'inferno Gengis Khan , 1964 Maciste, Gladiatore Sparta , 1963 Maciste Contro i Mongoli ,1963 Maciste, l'Eroe più Grande del Mondo ,1962 Maciste, Gladiatore più forte Mondo , 1961 Maciste, the Son of Hercules , 1960 La Venganza De Ercole . Rating : Above average muscle-men fodder and better than most muscles operas-spaghetti,thanks to Mark Forest and by Peplum specialist as is the director Carlo Campogalliani .

Although as a fictional character Maciste did not have biblical origins in this film he is identified in the title as the Son Of Samson. Although why Samson the Hebrew's son would be bothering to help out Egyptians who kept his people in bondage for generations is beyond me. There really isn't any good history there.Maciste has been played by many actors from way back in the earliest days of the silent screen and in this peplum epic is played by Mark Forest. Egypt's pharaoh has died under mysterious circumstances and his second wife trophy queen is suspected of foul play. The slinky and sexy Chelo Alonso has a way with potions and such and she's got the new pharaoh, her stepson wrapped around her finger. Alonso is Persian and as her countrymen start taking over the government and enslaving the people, Maciste comes in like in westerns, spaghetti or American, and does in the bad guys and saves Egypt from a Persian takeover.As a sculpted body Forest is quite the eyeful, maybe even more of an eyeful than Steve Reeves. The sets look like they might have been used in The Ten Commandments. And whether taking a ladder full of soldiers, fighting lions and crocodiles, or dealing with the charms of Alonso, Forest fills the bill. He even registers an expression or two during the course of the film. Fans of the peplum genre of films should approve.

Noble and mighty Maciste (a likable performance by brawny hunk Steve Forest) comes to the aid of the oppressed people of the Egyptian city of Tanis, who are suffering greatly under the cruel reign of the beautiful, but ruthless and duplicitous Queen Smedes (superbly played with wicked aplomb by the delectable Chelo Alonso). Director Carlo Campogalliani and screenwriters Oreste Biancoli and Ennio De Concini relate the absorbing story at a constant steady pace and maintain a serious tone throughout. The stirring action scenes are staged with real flair and the moments of violence are surprisingly bloody and brutal. Forest makes for an impressive muscular hero as he either wrestles lions and crocodiles or throws huge boulders as if they were mere pebbles. The stunningly gorgeous Alonso positively burns up the screen with her steamy portrayal of Queen Smedes; the sequence with her performing a sultry belly dance in an attempt to seduce Samson rates as the scorching hot highlight of the whole movie. Moreover, there's solid supporting turns by Angelo Zanolli as the humane and dashing Pharoah Kenamun and Federica Ranchi as sweet, fetching peasant girl Nofret. The major last reel battle delivers the exciting rough'n'ready goods. Carlo Innocenzi's robust, roaring score and Riccardo Pallottini's crisp widescreen scope cinematography are both fine and effective. An immensely enjoyable picture.