Ator l'invincibile 2 (1984)

User Rating:

1.7/10   

Director:

Joe D'Amato

Writer:

Joe D'Amato (writer)

Release Date:

15 February 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

A pure action fantasy where good, strength and exotic beauty battle evil.

Plot:

Muscle-bound Ator and his mute Asian sidekick travel from the ends of the Earth to save his aged mentor from the evil mustachioed Zor.

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Barbarian | Giant Snake | Weapon | Kidnapping

Cast

Miles O'Keeffe	...	Ator
Lisa Foster	...	Mila
David Brandon	...	Zor (as David Cain Haughton)
Charles Borromel	...	Akronas
Kiro Wehara	...	Thong (as Chen Wong)
Robert Black	...	High Priest
Donald Hodson	...	Village Elder
Stephan Soffer
Nello Pazzafini	...	Wallon (as Ned Steinberg)
Osiride Pevarello	...	Sander (as Hershel Curtis)
Sandra Carle	...	Old Woman
Nancy Hall	...	1st Maiden
Linette Ray	...	2nd Maiden
Robert Karshin	...	1st Youth
Andy Stradly	...	2nd Youth

Also Known As:

Ator the Invincible (USA) (literal English title)
Ator, the Blade Master
Cave Dwellers (USA) (TV title)
The Blade Master (USA)
The Return

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (video premiere) | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Company:

Metaxa Corporation

Trivia:

According to the director, the film was made without a script and almost entirely improvised. There was not enough time to write one as O'Keeffe had been contracted to star in a certain number of films for D'Amato by a certain date, meaning this film was rushed into production and shot in only two weeks.

Goofs:

Continuity: In a wide shot Ator is just about to land his hang glider in a field but in the closeup he lands on top of the castle.

Quotes:

Ator: Thong, the fish is ready!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Being from Another Planet (#5.5)" (1992)

A poor movie from a badly treated genre

There are plenty of reviews that describe this movie as the worst ever made. For sure there are plenty of mistakes: lackluster acting, rather boring and cliched and at times paradoxical script, and the stock B-movie sound and "special" effects. As noted, there are plenty of glosses of plot, making _Cave Dwellers_ a tissue of fantasy film, especially in comparison with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, this movie is not the worst movie ever. Most, if not all, (including this review) of these reviews are written by fans of MSTK3. Therefore, many of these reviews are pretty much summaries of the MSTK3 episode of _Cave Dwellers_.

In the episode, Joel, Tom Servo, and Crow remark to the Mad Scientists that this is the worst movie ever sent to them. Of course, loyal fans have taken this quote and ran with it. I have found this movie endearing-not in a way that one finds _Forrest Gump_ endearing-but in the effort put into this movie by some the cast. Also, this movie is laughable without its MSTK3 treatment. That is because _Cave Dwellers_ does not take itself seriously, and it is not trying to import into its viewers some sort of righteous theme. For all of the monster puppets, medieval hang gliding, and continuity lapses-this movie does not advertise to be any more that what it is, a shallow depiction of a rather shallow genre.

Likewise, I can't bring myself to hate Miles O'Keeffe or Lisa Foster. Instead this hatred is for Coleman Francis, Tony Cardoza, Jennifer Lopez, Arch Hall, Jr., and so on.