The Giant of Metropolis (1961)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This lively film is a weird combination of the peplum genre with science fiction, a sometimes successful effort which is worth a look to fans. Non-peplum fans would probably be put off by the stilted acting, painful dubbing, and the cheap and cheesy feel of the film, which of course are factors that make these more enjoyable to those in the know and who can appreciate Italian fantasy at its finest.For me, much of this film's interest lies in the futuristic city of Metropolis complete with its bizarre sets and death rays. The setting differentiates this film from many of the other, more typical peplum adventures which are set in ancient times and involve warring tribes, kings and queens and royal palaces. Here, Metropolis is depicted as a vast city, and there's an epic feel to it - no mean feat when you have a tiny budget like these guys did. Ignore the fact that they reuse a lot of the same sets over and over and you'll have a blast.The acting is serviceable at best, but the point of interest lies in the complex human characters who live in the city and their relationships. Yotar may seem to be a cruel, evil king, but he's also a loving father which makes him more than the stock villain of the film. Princess Mecede is a sweet, loving girl who is brought into conflict with her abusive father yet still retains enough compassion in her heart to forgive him for his sins. An amusing character named Elmos pops up. He was previously killed but has been returned to life before dying again - that sort of thing happens in this film. Gordon Mitchell may not be the most charismatic of heroes but his impassiveness and chiselled torso make Kirk Morris look like a weakling in comparison.In terms of action, this film is curiously uninventive when considering the obvious imagination used to construct the city of Metropolis and the costumes of its inhabitants. A handful of scenes see Mitchell fighting off numerous guards and opponents, which are fine in themselves, but an evil robot or two wouldn't have gone astray. Probably the most memorable of Mitchell's enemies are a gang of pygmies who rip the flesh from our hero with their teeth.The special effects may not be good but at least they are varied and they're obviously trying as best they can. Various beams torture people and others are turned into skeletons. There's also a squad of astronomers in the film who foretell death and destruction thanks to a cheesy alignment of the planets in space. The finale obviously tries to do for water what THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII did for lava, with varying results. While the special effects of people being swept away by floods are not in themselves particularly convincing, the sheer quantity of them is impressive enough in itself.After viewing this movie, one question above all else comes to mind: how much can you dislike a film which has a scene of a man's skin frying under the beam of a red light, sorry, a death ray? The answer is obvious for fans of B-movies. THE GIANT OF METROPOLIS is a bizarre fusing of an adventure film with more literate science fiction and, as a result of this, is worth tracking down for those who find strange enjoyment from these type of films.

Hmmm... outside of the poor dubbing, I don't really understand how this gets basted as a turkey. I suppose you could eat cheetos and drink beer and watch it with your buds. It's entertaining, but hardly Maciste Against Hercules In The Valley Of Woe or similar low budget quickies full of unintentional laughs. It's more sci-fi than sandal due to the urgent "message" it attempts to teach us modern scientific men. Evidently the producers saw in the script an important project because they lavished the greater part of their creative energies on the costumes, set designs, lighting and camera set-ups. Like movies today, the stars are not found in the cast but in the art director's studio. If it weren't in color, Giant Of Metropolis might easily be mistaken for some expressionistic epic cooked up by Fritz Lang in 1925 or one of those "new wave" European productions of The Ring cycle from the 60s and 70s. The heavy symbolism is transcribed visually, and the Roman crafts people behind the scenes must have been pleased at the oppressive but strangely beautiful world they realized. So don't expect much exciting action, character development or witty dialog. But do expect a Roman giant of sorts, one with an under-appreciated place in the ranks of thoughtfully produced sci-fi cinema.

This is the ultimate Italo-kitsch-sword and sandal-science fiction something. The early 60's cinematic Zeitgeist in Italy was certainly unique. This one has some knockout art direction and costumes along with some pretty moody photography. Then there's your cheesy (but fun) fight scenes. It also has a some crummy special effects, monotone dubbed acting, and somewhat slow pace; but you fans of the genre knew that already and all you others will just have to try it for yourselves. You either love these kinds of films or loath them with a passion- (said in a low, dubbed, monotone voice) WHICH WILL YOU BE? A great minimalist musical score, too. I give this one an 8 because of what it is- just plain bizarre weirdness that may appeal to those of you with a certain kind of mindset. Gordon Mitchell sure is ugly but he's perfect as the put-upon (and I mean PUT-UPON) hero.

Get out the popcorn, junior mints and sodas for this Italian-made grindhouse spectacular. It's ripe with just about every conceivable fetishistic delight that you could get away with at a Saturday matinee or drive-in double feature. There's sword-and-sandal thrills, sci-fi funk, lots of male and female pulchritude, and a wildly sado-masochistic tone that really carries it over the top (as these things go). Only the tightest of asses couldn't enjoy this kind of late-night exploitation sleaze, so check it out and have a groovy movie party! See the terrors, the tortures, the tantalizing lust and all the other sleazy stuff that makes a lost empire cool!