Amazons (1986)

Director:

Alejandro Sessa

Writer:

Charles Saunders (writer)

Release Date:

29 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

An epic from the dark ages about the legendary lost tribe of warrior women! The girls fly into danger...

Plot Keywords:

Swordswoman | Magic | Crossbow | Amazon | Sword And Sorcery

Cast

Ty Randolph	...	Dyala (as Windsor Taylor Randolph)
Penelope Reed	...	Tashi
Joseph Whipp	...	Kalungo
Danitza Kingsley	...	Tshingi
Wolfram Hoechst	...	Mallin
Jacques Arndt	...	High Priest
Charles Finch	...	Timar
Francisco Cocuzza	...	Balgur (as Frank Cocza)
Santiago Mallo	...	Halfhead
Anita Larronde	...	Emerald Queen (as Annie Larronde)
Armando Capo	...	Habron (as Armand Capó)
Maria Fournery	...	Vishti (as Mary Fournery)
Noëlle Balfour	...	Lali
Esther Velázquez	...	Azundati
Marcos Woinsky	...	Arban (as Marc Woinsky)

Also Known As:

Amazon (USA) (working title)
Amazonas (Argentina)

Runtime:

Germany:87 min | USA:76 min

Country:

Argentina

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Norway:18 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baires Studios, Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Aries Films International

Sexploitation with a standard fantasy theme – but far from the worst you'll see.

The title suggests this is likely to be about women who fight with swords. That's certainly the case, but when we see that they do this wearing boots and bikinis (while their male allies and opponents of course dress far more modestly) it's fairly obvious what kind of movie this is. In fact it's a standard Conan-style fantasy. A powerful wizard-warrior is invading and two young Amazons are sent on a quest for a magic sword – the only thing which can defeat him. There's not a whole lot of originality in this theme, and not much elsewhere either, but there is a surprise or two, and the shape-shifting lioness is a nice touch.

The budget is very low, the special effects laughable, the acting poor across the board, the direction clumsy and the dialog always predictable. The fight scenes need a Cory Yuen makeover – even the martial arts trained (and splendidly named!) Windsor Taylor Randolph, who plays Dyala, the lead Amazon, is unconvincing as a swordswoman. But the story, though unoriginal, is good enough to maintain some interest and excitement.

This movie isn't about any of that though. It's about bare female skin, the bikini-clad Amazons, and various women they need to rescue, who keep ending up naked. There's even a brief sex scene. Some of the bodies on display, particularly the truly gorgeous Penelope Reed as Dyala's sidekick, are athletic rather than soft starlet types and, while the nudity is always gratuitous, it's definitely not unpleasant.

Anyone who enjoys a corny fantasy quest with tough women and isn't put off by the exploitation side, should have fun watching this.