**_The first knockoff of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”_**

Some of the knockoffs were respectable productions, like “High Road to China” and “Romancing the Stone,” but others were ‘B’ movies, such as “King Solomons Mines.” The latter might’ve been a ‘B’ production, yet it was easily the most entertaining of the lot. It’s even more compelling than “Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade” IMHO.

This Italian one was the first of the knockoffs, but it’s a low ‘B’ affair with unconvincing fight scenes and the corresponding laughable sound effects, not to mention the glaring usage of miniatures. Then there’s the blatant use of blackface for the Awoks, the tribe that utilize blow darts.

Yet I enjoyed the camaraderie of the two heroes, an American soldier (David Warbeck) and a Brit Intelligence officer (John Steiner), and blonde Almanta Suska is easy on the eyes in a dual role. These positives are helped by the exotic locations, lotsa action and a smashing finale with a warmhearted epilogue.

So, this is a bad movie, but it’s entertaining enough in its misguided exuberant way to make it watchable if you’re in the mood for escapist adventure fare.

It runs 1h 33m and was shot in Mar 1982 in Palawan, Philippines, with studio stuff done in Rome.

GRADE: C