Epic costumer about two Viking brothers, Harald : Cameron Mitchell, and, Guntar: George Ardisson, are back after 10-year journey, to Norway and find out their father was assassinated and usurped the throne by a nasty tyrant usurper, Sveno : Edmund Purdom. Both brothers attempt to take vengeance on Sveno, but things go wrong when Guntar is imprisoned and really tortured, as Harold designs a plan to free him. Roaming in from the Sea!! Brawling! Boisterous! Barbaric!
Well-done in comic-book level costume adventure, concerning Vikings battling for power and glory in the 9th Century, but without historical perspective . Nice Viking Epic with noisy action, moving drama , violent fights, swordplay and impressive battles . Although full of stupid historical mistakes and unbelievable events, the picture results to be entertaining enough. Stars two tarnished Hollywood actors as Cameron Mitchell and Edmund Purdom. Cameron Mitchell is fine as the Viking He Man posing himself as a Danish Ambassador and undercover entering at the impregnable enemy fortress. While here stands out Edmund Purdom delivering a histrionic acting by imitating Laurence Olivier's Richard III. Furthermore, regular famliar faces from Spaghetti, Peplum and other Italian subgenres such as : George Ardisson, Mario Feliciani, Andrea Aureli, Nando Tamberlani, Nello Pazzafini, PieroLuli and usual fencing master Benito Stefanelli. And two beautiful damsels in distresses : Isabelle Corey, Helene Remy.
Shot in same locations from WWII, Anzio, where took place the famous battle and American disembark, there being set the fabulous Viking battle on the fortress and rightly photographed by cameraman Enzo Serafin. As well as rousing and moving musical score by Roberto Nicolosi. The motion picture was professionally directed with verve and muscle by Giacomo Gentilomo, though containing some flaws and following in the wake of The Vikings by Richard Fleischer. Gentilomo was an Italian craftsman who direxted various Peplum and adventure movies as. Hawk of the Nile, Sigfrido, Knight without a country, Goliath and the Vampires, Charge of the Black Lancers, Slaves girls of Sheba, Battle of the Spartans, Maciste against the Moon Men. Rating 6/10. Acceptable and passable, attractive battle scenes, colorful photography and locations make the movie a decent entertainment.
This basic epic costumer belong to Vikings sub-genre, such as : the classic The Vikings 1958 with Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, "The Long Ships" 1963 by Jack Cardiff with Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Erik the Conqueror 1961 by Mario Bava also starred by Cameron Mitchell, George Ardisson, "Knives of the Avenger" 1966 by Mario Bava with Cameron Mitchell, Fausto Tozzi, "The Norseman" 1978 by Charles B Pierce with Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, "The Viking Queen" 1966 by Don Chaffey with Don Murray, Andrew Keir, "The Viking Sagas" 1995 with Ralph Moeller, among others.
