6/10
Entertaining Italian/Spanish co-production with great loads of action and violence
29 October 2005
This Spaghetti/Paella adventure tells how a Tuareg (Mark Harmon) receives an important fugitive (Luis Prendes) who is given water and refuge . Soldiers (Aldo Sambrell , Alfonso Sabato) from the new Arab government arrive and demand to be turned over to them . The warrior refuses and soldiers breaking the hospitality's Tuareg law . Harmon sets out in pursuit for executing a relentless revenge against military that broke the sacred laws of hospitality . The Tuareg mounts his camel and rides off to rescue his abducted guest .

From the beginning to end the action-packed is unstopped , including spectacular shootouts where explode and die a lot of people , being a little bit violent . In the film there is thriller , suspense , emotion , frenetic action , fast-moving and that's why being amusing enough . It follows the best tradition of the Hollywood desert adventures of the Thirties and Forties . The picture has breathtaking outdoors in gorgeous cinematography , and well photographed by John Cabrera , it's splendidly reflected on the spellbinding Sahara desert landscapes , though actually shot in desert of Tabernas , Almeria , where in past decades several Spaghetti/Paella Westerns were shot . Mark Harmon is fine as a tough and cold Arab , doing one army man taking down nasty enemies . A varied support cast is mostly formed by secondaries from Spaghetti Western , such as : Aldo Sambrell (Leone's Western) , Ennio Girolami (director's brother) , Claudia Gravy and Ken Wood . The picture is based on homonymous novel by successful Spanish author , Alberto Vazquez Figueroa , who gets numerous cinematic adaptations (Ebony , Manaos , The Iguana , Ocean , Rottweiler) . Special mention for musical score by Riz Ortalani , it is exciting and atmospheric. .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Enzo G. Castellari that had many hit-smashes in the action cinema and Spaghetti , in fact the film is like an Italian Western developed on the desolate desert . He made several Westerns as ¨ Johnny Hamlet¨ , ¨Kill them everybody and came back alone¨ , ¨Seven Winchester for a massacre¨, and spoof : ¨Onion Colt¨ and in similar style ¨Tedeum¨ . His masterpiece was ¨Keoma¨. Some of them are serious , others are goofy and plenty of slapstick and slapdash . The pic will appeal to Eurotrash fans and Italian-Spaniard productions enthusiasts . Rating : Mediocre but entertaining .
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