This is a good little film from the Corman Company with director-of- all-trades William Witney at the helm. If you go in expecting exploitation - and not some serious counterpart to its big brother Papillon - you're likely to enjoy it more.
The key to its success for me is that Witney really builds up the characters during the first half hour of the film. You come to like these guys, and Richard Ely plays a great 'fancy boy'! After this, the action really zips along, and Witney doesn't pull any punches: this is exploitation, and it's sex, violence and gore galore.
There are some silly moments of course, but for me they added to the fun. And, like all great exploitation movies, there's a message or two in the underbelly, which isn't out of place, nor too distracting from the on-screen action.
Definitely worth checking out.
The key to its success for me is that Witney really builds up the characters during the first half hour of the film. You come to like these guys, and Richard Ely plays a great 'fancy boy'! After this, the action really zips along, and Witney doesn't pull any punches: this is exploitation, and it's sex, violence and gore galore.
There are some silly moments of course, but for me they added to the fun. And, like all great exploitation movies, there's a message or two in the underbelly, which isn't out of place, nor too distracting from the on-screen action.
Definitely worth checking out.