Saturday, July 21, 2018

ZAN KING OF THE JUNGLE (1972) **


Before he was in the immortal Blood Freak, Steve Hawkes starred in this cheap Tarzan rip-off as Zan.  Because of his muscular build, Hawkes seems more like Hercules than Tarzan.  Sure, he makes a Tarzan-esque yell, rides on an elephant, swings from a vine, and has a talking parrot for a pet, but he also hurls boulders, lifts heavy gates, and spends a lot of his screen time sleeping; just like Hercules.  That’s not really a criticism; merely an observation.

After Zan saves a beautiful Amazon woman from being sacrificed by a native tribe, he is shot by a poacher.  A drunk prospector nurses him back to health and Zan repays his kindness by giving him gold from a nearby grotto.  When the hunters learn he’s got gold, they kill the prospector and steal his loot.  Zan then sets out to stop the murderers and protect the prospector’s sexy daughter.

Directed by Manuel (The Swamp of the Ravens) Cano and co-written by Umberto (Cannibal Ferox) Lenzi, Zan King of the Jungle is a ho-hum Tarzan knockoff in just about every respect.  One major stumbling block is the fact that Zan kind of gets lost in his own movie.  There are just way too many supporting characters competing for screen time for Hawkes to really make an impression.  In addition to the drunken prospector, there’s a guide (who’s also a drunk) that takes on most of the romantic lead-type of duties.  Even though the heroine is hot, Hawkes seems more interested in the Amazon queen, even though their relationship is extremely platonic.  If they were trying to really capture the flavor of the old Tarzan movies, they should’ve given him a more traditional Jane type of leading lady to play against.

There is at least one memorably nutty scene worth mentioning.  It comes when Zan swims into the underwater grotto to find the gold and participates in a no holds barred cage match with a gorilla (or more precisely, a guy in a gorilla suit).  This scene is a lot of fun and is easily the best part of an otherwise forgettable jungle picture.

Cano and Hawkes later reteamed for a sequel, Tarzan and the Brown Prince. 

AKA:  Tarzan in the Golden Grotto.  AKA:  King of the Jungle.

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