Maciste, L'Eroe Piu Grande Del Mondo (aka Goliath And The Sins Of Babylon) (1963)

After being conquered by the Babylonian Empire, the country of Nephir must provide 30 virgins per year to be sacrificed to the Babylonian gods. A group of rebels plot to overthrow the country's current leader who is in collaboration with the Babylonians and place its Princess (Jose Greci) on its throne. But first they need a hero ..... enter Goliath (Mark Forest). This piece of peplum is a bit more lavish than the usual Italian sword and sandal offerings. It doesn't look cheesy, the cinematography by Guglielmo Mancori is quite nicely rendered, the production design looks impressive and there's even a spectacular chariot race. While the chariot race here doesn't rival BEN-HUR, it's well done and exciting. Unfortunately, the film also has some lame comic moments, mostly featuring a dwarf (Arnaldo Fabrizio) that just doesn't work. As Goliath, Forest has the muscles but perhaps he would be more imposing if he weren't noticeably so short. Directed with some panache by Michele Lupo. With Giuliano Gemma and Paul Muller.