Os Quatro Legionários de César

All those big muscle man, with their oiled up bodies - not sure how appealing that does sound, but that is the formula for Sword and Sandals movies. And while there have been more Hercules/Maciste movies than you can count, this is a "different" hero, but the same formula.

Still the fight scenes and the costumes are nice. Yes props may seem laughable nowadays, but never forget the budget these had. There is a camaraderie in this one that most single protagonist movies did not really have, if that is something you are interested in

Better than average sword and sandal time-filler with the underrated Richard Harrison starring as Claudius, solider of fortune selected with three others by Caesar to undertake a deadly mission to destroy a secret weapon that the Druids are using to repel Casear's forces. Along the way, the quartet become a quintet with the addition of the young and impressionable 'boy who wants to be a warrior' type (Guida), and then a "magnificent seven" when they encounter captured Romans Edua (Tessier) and her cowardly guard Drussus (Hersent), being tortured by the Druids.

Unencumbered by the usual overdeveloped musculature, an athletic Harrison employs his trained acting to good effect as the aggressively loyal Roman solider who'll give to the last drop to secure Caesar the platform he needs to succeed. Ably supported by Italian leading man Ettore Manni and with good performances by the supporting cast, Anthony Dawson (aka Antonio Margheriti) delivers a consistently watchable, gritty and engaging picture, far more worthy than the paltry four stars it currently attracts.

Some superb battle scenes, suspense, occasional light humour, romance and tragedy are complemented by colourful characters, given extra definition through Harrison and Manni's balanced performances. It's not "The Fall of the Roman Empire" by any stretch, but as a "Guns of Navarone" of Ancient Rome (you'll see the similarities with Stanley Baker and Gia Scala's characters in particular), it does okay and should entertain.

This sword and sandal film by Antonio MARGHERITI tells a story from the Gallic War. In 52 BC, the decisive Battle of Alesia is imminent. Gaius Julius Caesar (Alessandro SPERLI) puts together a suicide squad to scout out a feared secret weapon of the Druids behind the Gallic lines and, if possible, destroy it. Under the leadership of Claudius Marcellus (Richard HARRISON), several experienced warriors (Ralph HUDSON, Ettore MANNI and Goffredo UNGER) set off and end up in the dungeon of Vercingetorix (Renato BALDINI). There they meet the beautiful patrician Livilla (the hair is perfect as always: Wandisa GUIDA) and her injured and broken bodyguard Drusus (Philippe HERSENT). Thanks to the young runaway Valerius (the exceptional acrobatic actor Alberto DellACQUA in his first role), the squad manages to escape. Now the heroes still have numerous battles ahead of them, and there will be painful losses to mourn...

The classic sword and sandal film borrows from upcoming war films such as THE DIRTY DOZEN and ATTENTATO AI TRE GRANDI by Umberto LENZI, in which battle-ready gallows birds are used as a suicide mission. This offers solid genre entertainment, but also leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Julius Caesar handpicks an army of men, lead by Claudius Marcellus, to fight against the Druids. The Druids are harboring a secret weapon - the Catapult.

Not as good as I was hoping it was going to be. I was hoping for at least a 4 or 5 star out of 10 film but 3/10 is as good as it get for me. It's not a horrible film but it is luster-lacking and a bit drab the way the story is told. With that being said, it is one of the better films from Mill Creek's Warriors 50-pack. It's not the best of the Mill Creek peplum batch but it's not the worst from the pack either. I'll admit I was hoping for a bit more out of this one. I actually preferred the way the story was told and the way Caesar the Conqueror (1962) was filmed. I was hoping this movie would be as good as "the Conqueror".

3/10

"The forces of Rome are out to defeat the Druids but are shocked to learn their enemy has a powerful secret weapon that could spell defeat for them. Claudius Marcellus, a Roman Centurion, leads a small band of soldiers behind enemy lines to discover the location of this doomsday weapon and destroy it before the Druids can use it to attack Rome," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Titled "The Giants of Rome" for English listeners, this nicely paced "sword and sandal" epic stars an Adonis-handsome Richard Harrison (as Claudius Marcellus) in a bulging pair of satin briefs. He is supported by a "beefcake" quartet of Roman soldiers, including right-hand man Ettore Manni (as Castor). The accent is on men, but Wandisa Guida (as Livilla) adds a little femininity.

Up-and-coming young Alberto Dell'Acqua (as Valerius) makes a particularly strong impression herein. As the soldier who wants to join Caesar's selected quartet of soldiers, Mr. Dell'Acqua (later known internationally as "Robert Widmark") is given what must have amounted to a star-making role in his home country. Watch out, especially, for his startling "crucifixion" sequence.

****** I giganti di Roma (9/10/64) Antonio Margheriti ~ Richard Harrison, Ettore Manni, Wandisa Guida, Alberto Dell'Acqua