Hundra (1983)

Beautiful, moving film.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

HUNDRA is another gender-swap variant on CONAN THE BARBARIAN, much like SHE and RED SONJA; the main difference is that this film is absolutely terrible. It's directed by the awful Matt Cimber, whose YELLOW HAIR film was equally dreadful, and like that film it stars non-acting blonde starlet Laurene Landon. This film was shot in Spain and had the dialogue dubbed in afterwards. The plot is a straight copy of that of CONAN, with Hundra's village being massacred while she goes on a rampage of revenge afterwards. But the execution is terrible, and the locations are the only good thing about this. Cimber's reliance on ridiculous, endless slow motion shots during his action sequences is not anyone's idea of good choreography; it's so bad, it's not even funny.

I have several problems with this film. I do not have a problem with women warriors but I do have a problem with them being physically stronger than male warriors in a face to face fight when the women are less massive than a man. Why was the village attacked, just wandering nomads?? Anyway they sure paid a price when they attacked. The entire tribe fought very well and killed a heck of a lot of the attackers. Hundra is the only survivor and she encounters an old seer who tells her she must perpetuate her tribe so she goes in search of a progenitor. Now one person male or female is not going to get it done but this ain't my movie. She comes across a very over acting Tatar type when he camps with his slaves (?). Boy is he a pig!!! She gets rather abused by him to say the least and ends up killing him and freeing the slaves. This is an uneven movie with the ups and downs in the plot and the acting could have been better (when couldn't it usually?). She comes to a city where the high priest seems to rule, an oppressive oaf and things take off from there. They try to to take her to the priest but have a little problem!!! She finds a man she wants to have a child with, goes to the temple because she thinks that is what he is looking for. Well the temple scene just seems to be an orgy. Hey keep the men in line with sex and they will usually do as you want. So she goes to the temple where they try and turn her into a temple slut. Boy does that not work well!! She learns the ways of a temple courtesan to save another plus to get close to the high priest. She has a child which is taken by the priests and they use it to hold her hostage to their god. The scenes in the pit are so chauvinistic it isn't funny. Anyway all ends well as the bad guys die off when Hundra's child is rescued. I like the end where the high priest is torn apart by the courtesans.

Sword-and-Sorcery epic with female lead taking on multiple adventures and fierce battles . Thrilling and stirring movie full of imagination and fantasy that introduces us a brave heroine , female counterpart to Conan , she leads a valiant tribe of women who dares to be free . This is a delightful action/adventure romp set in the Dark Ages , where savage and violent men enslave all women . There appears a valiant warrior woman , her name is Hundra (Laurene Landon) , a Red Sonja-alike , she was born in a tribe of fierce warrior women . Hundra is an archer and sword fighter , whose Amazon tribe was wiped by nasty Vikings in some scenes similarly shot to Conan film . Hundra is superior to any male , woman of beauty , a warrior of strength , a hunter of man . Hundra The Invincible finds her family slain and takes a vow of vendetta until one day she meets her match (Ramiro Oliveros) .This exciting film packs noisy action , adventure, and rip-roaring fights . Dumb images , unintentionally hilarious and lots of amusement and entertainment . Made on a fairly middling scale with passable set design , glimmer photography and excellent musical score . This entertaining picture contains frenetic action , tension , bloody fights , and moving action scenes , including blood , gore and beheading . The film is full of freaks and bemusing situations ; it is quite entertaining because being a laborious and intriguing adventure tale with some unintentional humor . Sympathetic performance by Laurene Landon as Hundra the Invincible , a valiant woman who has been raised to despise the influence of men , she the finest warrior of her people . Laurene Landon executed almost all of her own stunts in the film , the only stunt she didn't carry out was a backwards fall from a high tower . Agreeable support cast full of Spanish actors such as Maria Casal , Luis Lorenzo and Spaghetti usual as Eduardo Fajardo , Fernando Bilbao and Frank Braña . Although all the dialogue and dubbing for this movie proceeded by nice actors was looped in post-production . Colorful and evocative cinematography by John Cabrera . Very derivative special effects , acceptable production design and matte paintings . Impressive musical score composed and conducted by the master Ennio Morricone . The picture was shot in La Pedriza , Manzanares , Madrid , Texas Hollywood-Fort Bravo, Almeria , Spain and ¨Condor¨ fortress , where was filmed several Spaghetti/Paella Western as ¨ Blind man, Massacre at Fort Holman¨, ¨A man called Noon¨ , ¨El Condor¨ and ¨Conan the Barbarian¨ . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Matt Cimber . He has directed all kind of genres , in the mid 70s did three immensely enjoyable blaxploitation pictures : The Black Six (1973) , Lady Cocoa (1975) and the terrifically trashy The Candy Tangerine Man (1975) . Matt made a rare foray into the horror genre with the disturbing psychological shocker The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976) . His next work was based on a Mario Puzo story, a World War II drama A Time to die (1982) starring Rex Harrison and Rod Taylor . Later that year Matt teamed up with Pia Zadora for two films : the underrated Butterfly (1982 ) , Orson Welles last film , and the fun Fake-out (1982) . The following year Matt joined forces with actress Laurene Landon for Hundra (1983) and Yellow Hair & the Pecos Kid (1984) , both of them being shot in Spain with similar cast and technicians . The film will appeal to adventure buffs with enough action to make it worth looking in on . In other words , it seem likely Conan enthusiasts and juvenile viewers will be delighted because thrills, action and adventures are regularly presented and edited to offer the enough impact . Rating : 5,5 ; it's an old-fashioned B film on an acceptable scale and basically enjoyable because of it.

I think people over analyse the film. Laurene Landon was the original action woman of the 80's. She played a wrestler in All the Marlbes and did several more strong woman roles after that.People have also said they don't know why the Amazon tribe was attached at the start. Were they watching the film? The female narrator makes it clear that the men feared the women living a life on their own and either wanted to enslave them or kill them.As for the nudity part. It's obvious is it not? The women were meant to be shown as worthless slaves, pieces of meat for the men to use as they pleased.The one point I'd make is that ALL the men in the film are for the most part shown to be utter pigs and violent to woman. No one seems to have noted that, instead it's "Oh look a naked woman" I don't think I've seen a film where so many groin kicks were administered by one woman! I think it's a film worthy of a remake. There has been a lack of Amazon style films over the last few years. It seems a shame when there are so many good looking muscled women actors (like Cory Everson) out there.