Overrated

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Directed by Antonio Margheriti (Cannibal Apocalypse), with help from assistant director Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), this mid '60s horror/peplum gives very little indication of the future gory delights to come from either film-maker: Terror of the Kirghiz is strictly family friendly fodder, as brave warrior Ursus (muscleman Reg Park) protects his people from a marauding monster (a man in an unconvincing mask and hair glued to his torso), wicked tyrant Zereteli (Furio Meniconi), and a scheming witch, Amiko (Mireille Granelli).Lots of dull dialogue and badly choreographed fight scenes make for a really boring viewing experience, with Park putting in a forgettable central performance as the bland hero: the bodybuilder might have the physique, but he sure lacks the charisma. Mind you, with such an uninspired script and flat direction from Margheriti, he never really stood a chance.

Some reviewers have been decidedly unkind to this minor sword-and-sandal effort but those willing to indulge the sloppy dubbing, chopping editing, and murky prints may find a certain likable quality here. Think of it as an amateurish but enthusiastic high school play, or a big mutt who climbs in your lap and licks your face. Most of the faults cited by other reviewers can't be denied but the main problem here is Hercules' curious absence from the plot (due to injuries) for a 25-minute stretch in the middle of the movie. That's a real momentum killer. Did Reg Park become ill or otherwise unavailable during the filming and thus they had to film around him? (One fight sequence uses an obvious stand-in for Park, lending some support for this theory.) Yes, the monster is more laughable than frightening with a squawk like Rodan's, and disappointingly little is made of Hercules' superhuman strength. (He isn't even bare-chested very often.) Also note the puzzling Oriental decor in some of the palace interiors. However, if you're kind, all of these things might be viewed as part of the fun.

Jolly legendary strongman Hercules (an engaging performance by the handsome and muscular Reg Park) battles evil sorceress Amiko (gorgeous brunette stunner Mireille Granelli), who transforms men into vicious and hideous werewolf beasts. While the central premise certainly has promise, it's unfortunately rendered pretty flat and uninteresting thanks to Antonio Margheriti's pedestrian direction, the leaden pace, the meandering pace, a plot that fails to blend the horror and fantasy elements together into a cohesive and satisfying whole, the inevitable cruddy dubbing, a crippling lack of tension and vitality, and the classic problem of much dull talk detracting substantially from the too little, yet still quite exciting action (the usual rough'n'ready swordfights are especially stirring). The werewolf monster is likewise a disappointment; he's some pudgy guy in silly hairy make-up who proves to be more laughable than scary. On the plus side the girls are definitely attractive, with the ravishing Maria Teresa Orsini a stand-out as fetching slave girl Kato. Furio Meniconi delivers an effectively slimy portrayal of wicked no-count prince Zeretelli. Franco Mannino's score alternates between slushy orchestral mush and rousing full-speed-ahead barnstorming music. A passable, but overall forgettable diversion.

HERCULES, PRISONER OF EVIL is one of the worst Sword & Sandal films ever. It's unspeakably bad. The first thing is it's not even a Peplum. The setting is old Europe, not Ancient Greece or Rome. The story, about a witch wanting to become queen, is crap and confusing. The acting is bad. The production values are non-existent. Reg Park is somewhere in there. The "monster" is not scary but embarrassing. The shriek it makes is hilarious, not scary. I saw this on the Retromedia DVD of HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (that one is good) and the transfer was really bad. The soundtrack wasn't even in sync with the crappy image. All in all, a thoroughly unpleasant viewing and not just because of the bad transfer. I was entertained by other good S&S films even if the DVD transfers were mediocre. A good transfer wouldn't improve anything about this awful film.