Kings of the Sun
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Movie Reviews of Kings of the Sun
Movie Review: KINGS OF THE SUN -finally gets its chance to shine!
Summary: 5 Stars
Having been given a home video release years earlier in Asia of all places, KINGS OF THE SUN finally arrives on these shores. If you're expecting plenty of extras and a really pristine print, unfortunately this is not the case as noted by other reviewers. But we do have a great action/adventure from British director J. Lee Thompson fresh off completing TARAS BULBA with the same star Yul Brynner. Now theres plenty of stunt action in this picture with hundreds of extras and so on, but the added bonus is the pulsating music score of master maestro Elmer Bernstein. In fact as he said himself on a TCM TV screening with Robert Osborne, it's his most requested score by his loyal fans. He was about to re-record the score before he died, but it never happened.
Shot on location on the beaches of Mazatlan and at the Mayan city of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan of Mexico back in 1963, you just know that there are plenty of beach resort hotels spoiling the same views these days. It's a B-movie story that is livened by the action, music, great photography of Joe MacDonald and the uncredited narration of James Coburn, years before he found a retirement career voicing commercials.
It's Yul Brynner's picture for sure and it's his last iconic period piece prior to finally playing the robot gunslinger in WESTWORLD. George Chakiris is passable coming off WEST SIDE STORY, but Shirley Anne Field and her heavy British accent is way miscast. Still THE GUNS OF NAVARONE director Thompson, keeps your attention with the widescreen layout and detail of the scenes.
I personally remember seeing this in London upon it's intial release and I loved it then. So much so, that I saw it three or four times in the theatre.
Movie Review: Matinee splendor
Summary: 5 Stars
It is so wonderful for MGM/United Artist to bring this matinee adventure to dvd. Some of us at the age of 10, remember seeing previews on television on a movie that looks so cool to see. Well this was one of them. I remember cutting grass to get the 75 cents to go to the Roxy Theatre to see this film. I was not disapointed. Again, with this new DVD, I am not disapointed. The Elmer Bernstien music opens up and a great smile comes on my face. The DVD transfer is spectacular and the colors vibrant. Yul Brynner strolls across the screen with tough and gentle masculinity. The action of the film is epic and contained perfectly within it's 2:35 wideescreen lens. This movie was played with Steve Reeves film "The Slave" aka "Son of Spartacus". We must have stayed all day at the Roxy...it was 9:00pm when we walked home. A day well spent and a day to remember. So will you...if you can remember.Movie Review: The Maya on the Big Screen
Summary: 5 Stars
Kings of the Sun has a lot of historic maybes. According to my reading on Ancient Mexico, there was a conqueror named Hunac Ceel(but I don't think he died somewhere on the Texas-Louisania coast). The time period looks around 800-1000AD, and there were temple mounds along the Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri rivers at about that time. Those cultures received at least some influence from the south. Maybe a refugee group of Maya did reach the Gulf Coast. The movie ends with a hint that was indeed the case. The Maya also conducted a coastal trade along the Gulf using canoes with 30-50 rowers, so the story has some factual basis(although using sails is in dispute).
I first saw this movie when it was released in 1963, and it started a personal interest in the Maya and other groups in preColumbian America. I was really happy to finally get a copy.
Movie Review: FINALLY
Summary: 5 Stars
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOVIE FOR SO LONG". THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND SAY EL CID ( WHICH IS ALSO "FINALLY" COMING TO DVD IN JAN ) WHICH WAS AVAILABLE ON OTHER FORMATS, I'VE NEVER SEEN KINGS OF THE SUN AVAILABLE ON VHS OR LASERDISC, AND REMEMBER IT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND WATCHED IT MANY TIMES ON TV. THIS IS A FINE ADVENTURE AND EVEN WITH ANY HISTORICAL COMPLAINTS IT IS WELL ACTED BY ALL ESPECIALLY MR. YUL BRYNER AND MR. GEORGE CHAKRIS. ALSO IN WIDESCREEN AT LAST. I'M NOT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY ABOUT THE STORY BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE IT ALL, ACTION, LOVE, EMOTIONS, MORAL REVELATIONS, EVERYTHING. I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL SOON ENOUGH, BECAUSE I JUST SAY, BUY IT. REALLY, FINALLY!Movie Review: classic, but not heard much of
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always liked this movie but could never find it. Course Amazon was happy to oblige me. It's a different sort of movie. One that talks and shows life in america's before columbus. The acting was fine for the movie, the blood and gore was not up to mordern standards but what do you expect from an older period movie. I thought it was great. The best part was no bad language or foul words that didn't exist in those days. It's kinda nice not having to listen to 4 letter words that do not inprove a movie. If Mel Gibson directed this film it would be filled with such language. History buffs might like this movie. Yul B. still has his favorite stride in this movie. LOL