Le Amazzoni - Donne d'amore e di guerra

This is basically yet another variation on the "Magnificent Seven" theme, only here we have (not 7 but) 4 people coming to protect a village and teach the villagers how to defend themselves (not against Mexican bandits but) against an aggressive army of Amazons. The film begins rather well: the grungy, dirty look, the stunts, the Amazons' mean-spiritedness, they all have an air of authenticity. But most of the action sequences occur at night, and it's often hard to see what's going on. And the biggest disappointment of all, during the big climactic battle nearly all the Amazons have their faces covered by white masks, apparently to camouflage the fact that they have been replaced by male stuntmen. Blech. At the end, there is a fierce swordfight between the bravest woman in the village (well played by the profoundly beautiful Paola Tedesco) and the Amazon Queen, but it's a case of "too little, too late". (**)