Brave and noble Samson (a likable performance by the handsome and muscular Alan Steel) fights pirates as a soldier in the royal army. Samson wants to marry fair maiden Rosita (lovely Rosalba Neri), but her haughty governor father disapproves. Moreover, the cunning and duplicitous Rodrigo Sanchez (a deliciously slimy Pierro Lulli) joins forces with the wicked the Black Pirate (nicely essayed with lip-smacking relish by Andrea Aureli) to thwart Samson. Director Luigi Capuano, working from an eventful and engrossing script by Arpad De Riso and Piero Pierotti, delivers a hugely entertaining period action/adventure yarn that benefits greatly from a steady pace, solid acting from a sound cast, a robust, rousing score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, plenty of exciting and well-staged action set pieces (the rough'n'ready swordfights and mano-a-mano physical confrontations are both quite stirring), a jaunty, yet serious tone, fairly lavish production values (the sets and costumes are pretty impressive), a pointed and incisive criticism of class distinction and discrimination, a flavorsome evocation of the period, and a winning bunch of vivid characters (the heroes are spirited and appealing while the bad guys are suitably mean and hateful). A fun flick.
Review of Sansone contro il corsaro nero
