"The Return of Sandokan" (1996) "Il ritorno di Sandokan" (original title), TV mini-series

Director:

Enzo G. Castellari

Writers:

Adriano Bolzoni
George Eastman
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1996 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Sword Fight | TV Mini-Series | British Colonial | Queen | Character Name In Title

Cast

Kabir Bedi	...	Sandokan
Mandala Tayde	...	Lady Dora Parker
Mathieu Carrière	...	Raska
Romina Power	...	Maharani Surama
Fabio Testi	...	Janez De Gomera
Tobias Hoesl	...	James Guilford
Randi Ingerman	...	Yamira
Vittoria Belvedere	...	Baba
Lorenzo Crespi	...	André de Gomera
Friedrich von Thun	...	Lord Parker
Franco Nero	...	Yogi Azim
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jackie Basehart	...	Sir Burton
Sergio Nicolai
Clive Riche	...	Alfred Higgins

Directed by
Enzo G. Castellari

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Adriano Bolzoni
George Eastman		(as Luigi Montefiori)
Emilio Salgari		story

Produced by
Doris Kirch	....	co-producer
Guido Lombardo	....	producer
Anselmo Parrinello	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Guido De Angelis
Maurizio De Angelis

Cinematography by
Giancarlo Ferrando

Film Editing by
Alfredo Muschietti

Casting by
Cornelia von Braun

Costume Design by
Adriana Berselli

Makeup Department
Maurizio Nardi	....	makeup artist
Jeff Goodwin	....	makeup consultant (uncredited) (1996)

Production Management
Gianfranco Barbagallo	....	production manager
Andrea Costantini	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stefania Girolami Goodwin	....	second unit director
Andrea Girolami	....	assistant director

Stunts
Claudio Pacifico	....	stunt double: Kabir Bedi

Casting Department
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sonoo Mishra	....	assistant costume designer: India
Urmilla Lal Motwani	....	costumes (1996)

Music Department
Claudio Messina	....	score music producer (1996)

Other crew
Gaia Marotta	....	production secretary
Andrea David Quinzi	....	press agent
Melissa Strizzi	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Taurus Film
• Titanus

Distributors

• Sat.1

Also Known As:

"Il ritorno di Sandokan" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

Italy:90 min (4 episodes) | 182 min (2 parts)

Country:

Italy | Germany

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Taurus Film

Movie Connections:

Follows "Sandokan" (1976)

Castellari, Bedi, Testi, Nero - trump aces to win this game

Dora Parker, an English lady/journalist, discovers that the legendary Sandokan is still alive and well, and she wants to write his story. Again, there are many colourful costumes to wear and treacherous enemies to fight. Twenty years after the original "Sandokan" TV series, "Il ritorno di Sandokan" takes us back to the jungle. The star of the show, Kabir Bedi, was meanwhile 50 instead of 30 years of age, but still convincingly explosive with fists and sabre. The cast is excellent, featuring Mathieu Carrière as the evil Raska, Romina Power as the honourable Maharani, Fabio Testi (replacing Philippe Leroy) as Yanez, and director Castellari brought his favorite actor Franco Nero to play a mystic who gets more wise lines by the script than the rest of the actors altogether.

Despite the delay of two decades, the sequel manages pretty well to capture the romantic spirit of the original. It is hindered by the fact Sandokan is on dry land all the time, I was missing the pirate ships on open sea. But under the competent leadership of traditionally minded action director Castellari, this is an entertaining historical adventure like few in the 1990s.