Der Tiger Akbar (1951) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
2 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
Beauty and the Beast
sol121822 May 2010
***SPOILERS*** Better then you would have expected "King Kong" like movie involving beautiful tiger trainer Juieta played by pretty blond German actress Friedi Hardt in her first movie appearance who had developed a life long affection for the star of her circus act the ferocious 500 pound Bengal Tiger Akbar whom only she could control.

It's when fellow circus performer elephant and lion trainer Johnny, Harry Piel, got romantically involved with Juieta that the feeling jilted big cat Akbar started to lose his cool and love for Juieta who brought him up since he was a cub or kitten. It's in fact Johnny who realizes how dangerous Akbar had become in his killer like attitude towards himself that he soon turns against his life long friend and handler the beautiful Juieta for her, in Akbar's mind, betraying him. It's when both Johnny and her were to get married under the big top that Juieta planned to have the by now uncontrollable and dangerous Akbar put back into her act without her future husband Johnny's, who's dead set against it, knowledge.

***MAJOR SPOILERS*** With Juieta now all alone with a trio of Bengal Tigers locked in their cage Akbar is lead in to be the anchor in a tiger pyramid act that had taken the German City of Colone's circus by storm. With Johnny desperately trying to stop the act Akbar instead of following is masters, Juieta, orders suddenly strung on her from off his platform viciously mauling Juieta! With Juieta later dying in Johnnys arms he's now determined to make Akbar pay for taking her away from him.

***MAJOR MAJOR SPOILER*** Johnny going into the tiger's cage, in what obviously is a suicide attempt, to take on the maddened and kill crazy Akbar with nothing more then his bear hands soon realizes that Akbar now totally tamed and non-aggressive is even more hurt in what he did to Juieta then even Johnny is in him being angry at Akbar for doing it! In a heart rendering final sequence a both tearful Akbar and Johnny make peace with each other in them knowing that in some way they both were responsible for Juieta tragic death. Akbar in mindlessly attacking and killing her and Johnny in, by having Juieta fall in love with him, driving him to it!
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Akbar and Johnny
JohnSeal2 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
There isn't an ounce of drama or suspense in this circus set feature about a love triangle between a man, a woman, and a big cat. The first hour consists of stars Harry Piel (almost 60 at the time) and Friedl Hardt (a little over 30) making goo-goo eyes at each other in between extended big top set pieces; once something happens, the film suddenly skids to its bizarre conclusion. Perhaps the problem is the American cut of Der Tiger Akbar: IMDb lists the film at a robust two hours and two minutes, while the Alpha DVD clocks in a little over seventy minutes. Did something get lost in translation, or end up on the cutting room floor at US distributor Banner Pictures? No idea, but what's left is a nonsensical mess.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed