Treasure of the Amazon

This is the best Indiana Jones knockoff I have ever seen. What it lacks in originality it makes up for in stupidity. Catchy and original names for characters like Gringo and Paco. Cheesy and lame effects make for fun. The props are about as pathetic as you can get. It stars a real hard ass (Gringo) who doesn't take crap from anyone or anything. I was also pleased by the work of Donald Pleasance. Donald plays really crappy villains well, if you can check him out in the movie Puma Man, he plays the ultimate in villainy, Kobras. Anyway, some of my favorite scenes are the ones with graphic violence that is so cheesy, Kraft invested in its use on Macaroni. For example, when Gringo cuts off an indian's finger, the severed finger looks like a carrot with ketchup on it. Good laughs if you watch while drinking lots of beer.

Disjointed jungle adventure follows three disparate groups of characters as they search for diamonds in the Amazon and encounter savage natives. Generally boring, but briefly enlivened by some awesomely gory scenes (crabs!), and a half-nude amazon fleshed-out (no pun intended) by Sonia Infante. Location shooting also helps, although some of the cast members look like they would be more comfortable in a nursing home. ** out of 4.

The treasure part of this movie is stupid, because diamonds don't emerge naturally from ground level. There is some gold finding, too - that separate escapade is done by a Nazi and a topless native woman (who is actually Latino instead of Amazonian). But I have to admit that that woman looked good. The Nazi (Pleasance) is okay, and I found myself on his side while searching for treasure in order to build a better world - (what the hell) - Though opponents to that have their way. There is a need to mention that there is a goof who is searching for oil; and he is, by far, one of the worst actors in history. The goof's girlfriend isn't too bad looking though; but miss goody two-shoes eventually shows her devious side. The main characters are the diamond getters: performed by Whitman and his two nagging companions, who travel through the jungle yelling and pointing guns at each other. Fortunately they are given the greater majority of film time, making the story passable: with the scenery and Whitman making the highlights.

There are those who would compare The Treasure of the Amazon to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). They would be wrong. OK, This could have been an excellent movie, but it is not. The cast is great and at times actually demonstrates it, but the plot is so thin and ridiculous that it is extremely difficult to get into it at all.

Stuart Whitman stars as your typical aging adventurer who leads a group of misfits into the Amazon to find lost WW2 treasure. Most of the group is killed in various horrible and ridiculous ways. The only way I would recommend this film is if you are interested in seeing some top notch actors doing their best to make something of nothing.

The cast includes Whitman, star of such wonderful films as Rio Conchos and The Comancheros as the bull headed leader. Bradford Dillman, who starred opposite Robert Redford in The Way We Were, makes an appearance. Donald Pleasence, star of many classic films such as The Great Escape and The Eagle Has Landed, plays an evil Nazi. Rounding out the cast are John Ireland(Gunfight at the OK Corral 1957),Pedro Armendariez Jr.(License To kill 1989)and none other than Harold(Odd Job)Sakata.

Thilling and moving film concerning an unstoppable chase to find a valuable treasure , while battling for survival with threes groups besieged by head-cutters Indians , greedy gunrunners , including gore and blood . Exciting adventure and exploitation movie with three groups of adventurers all vying to find a treasure in the jungle where they clash against each other , take off the relentless natives , as well as the perilous wildlife . The best scenes are the immense efforts of the mean groups have to carry out for their purports , forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive . Their Greed & Lust for Diamonds Was More Deadly Than the Perils of the Jungle. They survived the impossible...by doing the unthinkable. It's "Man against Man" and "Man against Nature" - Which One Will Prove More Deadlly ?

In the film there are noisy adventures , action pace , impressive struggles , beautiful landscapes and lots of blood and gore . An adventure movie relying heavily on sensationalistic aspects , eerie images full of gore , nudism and exploitation , such as physical violence , tortures , merciless natives executing decapitation and many other things . Regarding corrupt and ambitious people who will have to confront lots of risks until find a treasure and all of them will take on villains , savage Jibaro tribes and fighting each other . From start to finish the action-packed is non-stop and gory paranoia reaches a fevered pitch that culminates in a final savage action . The flick features many strong scenes , among them beheading , astonishing slaughter , cannibalism , a gloomy spectacle to watch . It's fast moving and that's why it is neither tiring, not boring , but bemusing . Special effects are passable , but other parts of the movie are never fully realized . The movie pushes too hard and too far , and no apt for squeamish . It strives for being some inspirational but falls well short of being really inspired and marred by some extreme exploitation scenes . In spite of it , the movie is entertaining , though shot in fits and starts and in Mexico obtained success enough . It was shot on location in Chiapas, Mexico and studios : Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico , and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico . Being a Mexican/American co-production , here appear notorious American actors as Stuart Whitman , Donald Pleasence , Bradford Dillman, John Ireland and Mexicans as Emilio Fernández , Sonia Infante , Pedro Armendáriz Jr. , Jorge Luke , Hugo Stiglitz , all of them giving ordinary performances , but they were so fun and amusing that kept entertainment in the film.

This horrific retelling of the treasure hunt throughout Amazon jungle was regularly written/produced/directed by Rene Cardona Jr who developed a long career as national as international . He was a Mexican director and writer, expert on all kinds of genres with a penchant for Terror , adventure and exploitation ; being especially known for The Treasure of the Amazon (1985) , The Bermudas Triangle (1978) , ¡Tintorera! (1977) , Cycone , Fantastic Balloon Voyage , Under Siege , The Night of a Thousand Cats , Survivors of Andes , Beaks , Carlos the terrorist and Guayana, El Crimen del Siglo (1979) . Rating : 5/10 , average but passable and acceptable.