The Giant of Marathon Reviews

Though his character is patterned after the famous Greek marathon runner of 490 BC, who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greeks' defeat of the Persians, here Reeves is a pretty-boy hunk who muscles the Persian armed forces out of Athens. Don't count on any 26-mile foot races in this one; Olympian Reeves uses a horse to go from Athens to Sparta in order to recruit more Spartan musclemen to defend Athens against Varga's Persians. The Athenians have been betrayed by Fantoni, who, with the help of the ravishing Rocca, has sold them out. Rocca's romantic regard for Reeves makes her change hats again, and she informs the hero of the plot. Fantoni kills her. It's too late, though: Reeves has learned that the Persians--here's a switch--are going to attack the Greeks from the rear. With a small but brave band of bodybuilders, he routs the wretches and sinks their fleet just as the Spartans gallop in to clean up. Reeves wins the divine Demongeot and Athens is saved. This is a gory, overwrought spectacle, directed by the usually subtle Jacques Tourneur. Thankfully, he returned to the US after this picture. Some striking underwater photography (thanks to those Totalscope lenses) puts some zest into the otherwise standard naval battles.