Sandokan, Pirate of Malaysia (1964)
Article 5980 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 6-6-2021
Directed by Umberto Lenzi
Featuring Steve Reeves, Jacqueline Sessard, Mimmo Palmara
Country: Italy / Spain / West Germany / France
What it is: Historical action

Pirate Sandokan aids a rebellious faction in an Asian country to save them from being taken over by British invaders.

Despite the presence of Steve Reeves and its presence in the Mill Creek “Warriors” megapack, this is not a sword and sandal movie; it’s historical action/adventure in a time much closer to the present. Nor would I bother reviewing it if it weren’t listed in the Walt Lee guide; its sole fantastic content is the presence of one of those drugs which cause a man to feign death until given the antidote, a device which drives the plot in the middle of the movie. As for the movie itself, it’s a passable example of the genre, but my viewing is marred by the fact that my copy seems underlit; many of the scenes are so dark it’s difficult to tell one person from another, and that makes it very difficult to appreciate the action sequences. If better copies exist, those seeking to view the movie would be better off waiting for those to show up.