The mightiest adventurer of them all! In this sumptuous sword-and-sandal feast, Rory Calhoun (Apache Territory, The Colossus of Rhodes) stars as Marco Polo, the legendary 13th-century explorer who journeys to China with the aim of expanding world trade. There he meets Princess Amuroy, amorously played by Yôko Tani (The Savage Innocents, Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World), and an old hermit who has just invented gunpowder. With this explosive new “magic,” Marco builds a special cannon and spearheads a rebellion against an evil warlord. Directed by Piero Pierotti (Hercules and the Masked Rider) with additional scenes by Hugo Fregonese (The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse), it’s an epic, action-packed peplum adventure in sweeping CinemaScope and eye-popping Technicolor.

For thoughts on Marco Polo, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/GklBQOIHPaE?t=2040]

Video Quality

Marco Polo debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 from a 4K restoration. If you listen to the commentary, you will understand that this film has been a rarity for most audiences, so now that we have an official release fans are going to be thrilled. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have all been cleaned up substantially with overall clarity and detail looking excellent. You may still spot a minor speck or two, but this is by far the best the film has probably ever looked.

The presentation is striking throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being very strong. Colors are well saturated with the bright hues of the setting and costumes coming through. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with no major instances of crush that we spotted. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with a pleasantly refined look rather than a clumpy mess. This presentation is a top tier effort which should please anyone who has been impatiently waiting for this.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix in dubbed English that sounds pretty dynamic throughout this epic. Much like the video side of the equation, the audio track avoids nearly all instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. Dialogue holds up firmly, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. Everything is presented with clarity and a strong fidelity as it fills the room. This track does everything it needs to do appropriately well. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas delivers a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the history and the relative scarcity of the film, the different version created by AIP, the alternate dubbing options, the background of various creative figures attached to the film, some of the flaws of the narrative, the history and reception of the picture, details about the shooting locations and more.

Trailers: The three-and-a-half minute trailer is provided for Marco Polo. There are also trailers provided for Buccaneer’s Girl, Son Of Ali Baba, The Revolt Of The Slaves and Cartouche.

Final Thoughts

Marco Polo falls in line with the sword-and-sandals epics that were especially popular in the mid 20th century. This particular film does not seem to break any specific new ground, but it plays within the genre very capably. Rory Calhoun delivers a strong central performance which gets you invested in the character more than the script does. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation and a really thorough commentary track. If you are a fan of the genre, you will have yourself a good time with this. Recommended

Marco Polo is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.