The film begins with an extremely beautiful and well-coiffed Eleanor Parker going up river by boat in South America. In addition to th natives, she is escorted by William Conrad (TV's "Cannon" and radio's "Marshall Dillon"). His being cast was odd, as he really couldn't effect a decent Spanish accent plus it was unusual seeing him in a film of the era where he wasn't the "heavy", so to speak.
When Parker arrives to see the man she married sight unseen, he turns out to be a very grumpy and ill-mannered plantation owner in the middle of the Amazon (Charlton Heston). From the onset, his nasty disposition ruins any chance for them to make a go of the marriage, but beautiful Parker tries her best. Frankly, considering how gorgeous she was and how she often wore boudoir clothes, I was wondering if Heston's character was supposed to be gay--it just made sense why he was so full of hate and disdain for her.
Eventually, into this horrid new life comes "Marabunta"--an evil plague of ants who eat EVERYTHING in their path. This may seem silly to some viewers, but such attacks on all life by ants are well documented. Somehow, working through all this brings out the best in Heston and in the end, he is able to stop being such a big jerk and give Parker all the good lovin'she so desperately wants.
This movie nearly merited a 7, so overall it was a good film. The problem is that in parts it is very exciting and interesting, while in others it sags a bit--particularly because Heston's character is unnecessarily boorish and mean in the first half of the film. Still, if you can wade through this silly over-characterization, the film does improve and it better than just another time-passer. Plus, the ant invasion scenes are at times amazing to watch.
When Parker arrives to see the man she married sight unseen, he turns out to be a very grumpy and ill-mannered plantation owner in the middle of the Amazon (Charlton Heston). From the onset, his nasty disposition ruins any chance for them to make a go of the marriage, but beautiful Parker tries her best. Frankly, considering how gorgeous she was and how she often wore boudoir clothes, I was wondering if Heston's character was supposed to be gay--it just made sense why he was so full of hate and disdain for her.
Eventually, into this horrid new life comes "Marabunta"--an evil plague of ants who eat EVERYTHING in their path. This may seem silly to some viewers, but such attacks on all life by ants are well documented. Somehow, working through all this brings out the best in Heston and in the end, he is able to stop being such a big jerk and give Parker all the good lovin'she so desperately wants.
This movie nearly merited a 7, so overall it was a good film. The problem is that in parts it is very exciting and interesting, while in others it sags a bit--particularly because Heston's character is unnecessarily boorish and mean in the first half of the film. Still, if you can wade through this silly over-characterization, the film does improve and it better than just another time-passer. Plus, the ant invasion scenes are at times amazing to watch.