What makes it different from others?

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Fantastic!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

ROMULUS AND THE SABINES starts off on a strong footing as it keeps the action moving with plenty of peplum staples: there are plenty of gorgeous Italian women in low-cut dresses, sweaty guys on horseback, people chasing each other through the woods, and a little fighting here and there. The biggest novelty value of this film is the appearance of a pre-SAINT Roger Moore, playing Romulus, the founder of Rome! I admit I was a little bit sceptical of how Moore would 'fit' into a production like this, and it's hard to separate his suave, James Bond-type persona with the ancient hero and leader of men he plays here. Indeed Moore's character isn't much of a fighter either, preferring to spend his time seducing the ladies – so nothing new there then. However Moore's performance grew on me as the film went on, and it's as good an acting job as you'll find anywhere in a peplum film. And at least he dubs his own voice in this one.Otherwise the film is pretty low par, losing momentum about halfway through the proceedings and never really picking up from there. The simple story of kidnapped women isn't really enough to last the running time, so things are padded out with some laboured comedy involving a short-sighted comic character and an Amazon-type woman who only really appears at the beginning and end of the production. The filmmakers attempt to inject some excitement into the proceedings with a last-reel mass battle, but it ends on a ludicrous note – the attackers suddenly deciding they don't want to attack, after all – and unwisely takes place at night time, somewhat ruining the spectacle of guys getting arrows through their necks and women dying to protect their lovers.Aside from Moore, the film boasts plenty of decent roles for women, who take more of the centre stage here than usual. The likes of the classically beautiful Mylene Demongeot and Giorgia Moll certainly make this film easy on the eye. Folco Lulli gives Moore a run for his money as the wise king of Sabinia and there are cameo appearances from French star Jean Marais as Moore's father, who coincidentally is Mars, God of War! It's a shame the plot wasn't a little more involving, as with the talent involved it could have been something special.

Pre-stardom Roger Moore is preposterously cast as Romulus, the founder of Rome, in this enjoyably awful peplum made by a largely Italian cast and crew. It's quite something to witness Moore - skinny-armed, skinny- legged and curly-haired – issuing orders to massed ranks of horny Roman citizens as they plead with him to allow women into their lives. The film is undoubtedly cheap and feeble stuff… but there's a degree of innocent charm to be found in some of these old sword 'n' sandal offerings, especially ones which feature a future superstar in a role which will one day come back to haunt him. Romulus And The Sabines (or whatever title you know it by, for it has many… Rape Of The Sabines, L'Enlevement Des Sabines, El Rapto De Las Sabinas, etc. etc.) is definitely amusing on a curiosity level – if you are a collector of Moore's movies, for instance, this long-lost obscurity is an irresistible hoot.As the story begins, Rome is little more than a village under the early stages of construction by various fugitives, travellers and vagabonds – all of them male - who have chosen to swear allegiance to King Romulus (Roger Moore). After months of hard toil, the men are growing weary and disillusioned. In particular, they long for women to be brought into their lives and rightly point out that their efforts will be for nought if no babies are being born to populate their newly built kingdom. Reluctantly, Romulus agrees to submit to their demands and asks Titus (Folco Lulli) - king of the neighbouring kingdom of Sabinia - if he will donate some of his women for marriage to the men of Rome. Titus refuses and instead sends a cartload of pigs to the Romans, greatly angering them. But Romulus comes up with another plan, to kidnap the Sabine women by force and bring them back to Rome to repopulate the rapidly expanding nation. Things are complicated further when Romulus finds himself falling desperately in love with Rhea (Mylène Demongeot) a vestal virgin and daughter of King Titus. Meanwhile, the Sabinian soldiers prepare to attack Rome and free their women… but the question is: do the women truly want to be rescued?There is some incredibly banal dialogue in the film at times. "Hey! There's no need to pull my hair!" declares a Sabine girl, rather prissily, as a Roman attempts to drag her away from her home and family forever. "She's a vestal virgin, Romulus. We have consecrated her to the Gods", warns Rhea's mother as he lecherously ogles the young princess. "Why didn't you consecrate her to the SONS of the Gods?" Romulus ruefully retorts, referring to his self-proclaimed title as the son of Mars. The whole film is stuffed with similarly over-ripe exchanges. Some of the crowd scenes and battle sequences betray the film's ultra-low budget, but there are a handful of decent moments amid the morass – the kidnapping of the Sabine women is enjoyably handled, and the climactic clash between the Sabinians and Romans (prematurely aborted at the discovery of a baby's birth which unites the bloodline of both kingdoms) is competently done. In other aspects the film is something of an embarrassment, especially its cringeworthy attempts to inject humour via a short-sighted Roman ambassador whose visual impairment results in numerous zany pratfalls. Overall, there can be no serious argument that Romulus And The Sabines has genuine artistic merit, nor that it is a neglected gem, but strictly on a curiosity level it has a degree of charm and interest.

childish, heroic in few moments but not impressive. testimony of a time , in which blockbusters are skin for historical subjects, it is seductive only for cast. and for ambiguous intentions of director. sure, Roger Moore or Jean Marais are perfect names for epic but, in same time, important source of frustration. because the beautiful story is a strange mixture of feminism, myths, jokes and love story. all in same place, maybe the public is master of choices. the tale is thin, the fight scenes - nice, the beauty - not spectacular but interesting for understand sensitivity of a time. but the central error is its role of page from a movie type. after so many films inspired by Antiquity it is difficult to be happy at meeting with "Il ratto delle sabine". not for the force of the other creations - it is not Spartacus or Ben Hur - but for the ambition of director to say all in not well manner.

Roger Moore (of "The Saint" and 007 fame) toplines this all but forgotten Sword and Sandal excursion, assaying the role of Romulus, the founder of Rome. As King, his mission is to find women for his ragtag (and nearly 100% male) congregation of Roman "citizens".So what does he do? He sets his sites on a vestal virgin from nearly Sabinia, along with as many unattached women he can round up. Successful in corraling an army of lasses, he presides over their pairing off with his host of horny men (this is where the raping starts, I guess, although most of the captured women seem happy with the prospect of hitting the sack in no time flat with their new mates).But the men of Sabinia, deprived of their wenches, mount an attack against Rome to rescue the damsels, leading to a conflagration of swordplay as the film winds it's way towards conclusion.Yet another poorly dubbed Italian Peblum, one of hundreds produced in the late 50's and early 60's in the wake of the success of "Hercules" starring Steve Reeves. This one is mostly bereft of action, replaced instead with much wooing and pseudo lovemaking. Several of the ladies appear quite fetching, however, as their bosoms heave with desire in their low cut frocks.Not much to recommend it, other than the guilty pleasure of watching a future James Bond, in his salad days, slumming about the Italian countryside.