The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982)

Overrated

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Hell yeah! Antonio Margheriti (or Anthony M. Dawson, as he preferred to call himself) truly was the king of rip-offs. No, not just the king… The EMPEROR of rip-offs! There wasn't a single popular trend in cinema this man didn't cash in on, and he always succeeded in making his imitations at least as exciting, violent and spectacular as the milestones they were inspired by. Often they were even MORE entertaining! If you're looking for a cheesy sea-creature film in the likes of "Jaws" or "Piranha", check out Margheriti's "Killer Fish". In case you want a nastier version of the De Niro classic "The Deer Hunter", look for Margheriti's "The Last Hunter". And if you were truly fond of adrenalin-rushing adventure flicks like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", you simply HAVE TO search for this ultra-rare gem called "Hunters of the Golden Cobra"! This is a non-stop & fast-paced series of staggering action and events. Everything you could possibly look for in a modestly produced B-movie – and more - features here in this wonderful flick. It has plane crashes, car chases, truck explosions, wild shootouts, fistfights, spiders, eerie snake pits, cockfighting, buddy-relations, romance, dark jungles, violent aboriginal tribes, black magic, spells, poisonous darts, volcano eruptions, death traps, dry British humor, double-crossing and – of course – the unstoppable hunt for an almighty treasure! The plot unites two legendary icons of Italian cult cinema, and their on screen interactions are truly among the best and most convincing I've ever seen. David Warbeck ("The Beyond", "Formula for a Murder") and John Steiner ("Tenebrae", "Caligula") play special elite soldiers that get separated on their mission to eliminate a mad Japanese army commander near the end of WWII. One year later, they're both assigned to recover the incredibly valuable treasure that got lost in the jungle. They team up with a beautiful girl who searches her missing twin-sister and face numerous lethal obstacles on their mission. The pacing is really incredible! I assure you, these guys encounter more deadly situations in one morning than Indiana Jones did in three movies. The set pieces and filming locations are often impressive (apart from a couple of obvious cardboard decors) and Margheriti doesn't grant you any time to bother much about the implausible stunts. Warback and especially Steiner are both in great shape love-interest Almanta Suska is a real beauty to look at. If you also have a soft spot for Italian cult cinema, "The Hunters of the Golden Cobra" is an absolute must-see!

The always great pairing of John Steiner and David Warbeck under the skilled direction of Antonio Margheriti produces yet another enjoyable action yarn here in the mold of Raiders Of the Lost Ark.The plot concerns our heroes search for a priceless sacred ornament (the golden cobra of the title) which if it should fall into the wrong hands could potentially bring about world instability via its potential political, not to mention magical (!) ramifications.As we've come to expect from Margheriti, there's a fair bit of action on display here with some nice set pieces on offer, often utilising the directors trademark miniature work.Steiner is on top form here especially to, playing the joyously stiff upper lipped, unflappable Brit as he does so well.The film however is overall, in my opinion, not nearly as entertaining as the following years 'Ark Of The Sun God' (also directed by Margheriti) which reunited Steiner and Warbeck once more.Still, for fans wanting a quick, lower key Indiana Jones style fix, you could do a lot worse than this.

Extremely fast paced and entertaining Indy- clone from Margheriti. The plot is a ridiculous excuse to keep the pace moving from planewrecks to car chases and perilous mountains.Even the Indy- like humor is better in this one than most of its peers, watch out for the hilarious stereotypical British officer who is not afraid of anything.Contains some impressive scale models of planes and stuff, as you'd expect from Margheriti.Released on video in Finland in the early eighties.

3 great genre stalwarts, along with good-lookin' Suska (from Lucio Fulci's THE NEW YORK RIPPER), do their best to cash in on RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK's success with this cheap, cheesy but fun Italian-made adventure set during WWII or thereabouts. The prize? A Golden Cobra no less, no doubt valued for its historic rather than its mineral worth since in some regions even marijuana is worth more than gold, pound for pound, and hardly worth pole-volting over a bed of hot lava for. No set pieces that'll knock you off your chair but plenty of this, that and a little Italian-style nastiness to keep fans of Spaghetti Adventure Serials and the aforementioned talents cooking in their juices.