Review of
Legend
of the Lost, movie on VHS
Three out of five stars
This movie
follows a plot that is formulaic and generally predictable. There is the legend
of a lost city containing treasure somewhere in the vast Sahara Desert. A man
has received information from his long-lost father about that city and he hires
guide and desert expert Joe January (John Wayne) to guide him to that location.
While he is extremely skeptical about the claims, January is a man that
responds to money, so when it is offered, he accepts.
Sophia Loren
plays a prostitute that is desperate to create a new lifeline for herself and
she is charmed by the passion and drive of the man in search of his father’s
legacy. She wants to go on the journey, but January rejects her plan.
The two men
depart and suddenly a band of desert nomads arrive and leave Loren at their
camp. From this point on, the plot follows a predictable path. Nearly out of
water and nothing of significance in sight, January is ready to turn back when
his hand is forced by an irresponsible action by Loren. The lost city is found
along with the treasure.
Greed and the
love of jewels then asserts itself and the group struggles to survive the
journey back to civilization. There is a climactic scene that ends with a romantic
( in the boy-girl sense) conclusion. Wayne proves that he is not as his best
when playing a romantic leading man, although Loren demonstrates once again
that she is excellent as a desirable hottie that will distract even the most
hardened of adventurers.
The movie is
one to watch when you are not looking for tense, dramatic action or even the
usual Wayne fists and guns. The ending and most of the path there are events
that are easy to predict well in advance.
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