I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blistering performances.

In spite of a very low rating,this movie,at least in its first part,is much fun to watch .There are plenty of funny lines and the playing verges on tongue in cheek ,particularly Gianna Maria Canale as the Duchess who is offered a banquet and requests for a hard-boiled egg;the stingy Spanish lord,who used his last gunpowder to fire a salute to the noble lady ,(the duchess is the Spanish sovereign's sister) and thus has no more when a bunch of pirates ,led by Nadir (sic),launches an attack against his castle.This Nadir (in fact a true noble,Paul,in the tradition of Robin Hood) is the dashing fiery hero ,who wants to recover his name and fortune:he is portrayed by an American actor ,as such was often the case in Italian productions:John Derek,fresh from De Mille's "Ten Commandments " (remember Josuah?),and future husband of Bo.I love the last lines: (the monarch to his sister):"to think that you could have ended up a prisoner of that renegade !" (the duchess): "Well....."