OK, as far as I was able to discern watching this in Italian, of which I understand about 40%, and from tallying what's on screen with several poorly auto-translated synopses, what we have here is a pretty fanciful account of events surrounding the fall of Constantinople loosely based on a popular 14th century poem, so any bearing on real events or indeed the work it is based on would appear to be rather coincidental.
The story, written and directed by Pietro Francisci (Hercules), centres on Guerrin Mescino (Gino Leurini), a servant of unknown parentage working in the court of the Emperor, and carrying on an illicit affair with his headstrong daughter Elisenda (Leonora Ruffo), who has a habit of bursting into operatic song.
After anonymously defending the Princess's honour in a rather unfair joust he rides off in search of the truth surrounding his birth (no prizes for guessing the that he's really born of nobility), but when she is kidnapped he of course comes to the rescue.
The villains come in the form of invading Turkish King Murad (Cesare Fantoni) and his four sons including Selim (his real-life son Sergio) and vicious bug-eyed Pinamonte (hammy Giacomo Giuradei).
Thrown into the mix you also have a few fantastical elements including a wizard (Gian Paolo Rosmino), a glamorous sorceress (Tamara Lees), plus a giant and a large killer crocodile, all of which are thrown in and so quickly dispatched that they barely register.
It manages to be fairly entertaining despite making little sense, clearly having a middling budget and veering a little uncomfortably between broad comedy and some quite unpleasant violence with the odd romantic interlude, racing rather hurriedly to it's predictable happy ending while spending a little too much time on early plot development and too little on the "wonderful adventures" of the title.
For more of my peplum reviews check out my "Peplum Paradise" lists on IMDb.
The story, written and directed by Pietro Francisci (Hercules), centres on Guerrin Mescino (Gino Leurini), a servant of unknown parentage working in the court of the Emperor, and carrying on an illicit affair with his headstrong daughter Elisenda (Leonora Ruffo), who has a habit of bursting into operatic song.
After anonymously defending the Princess's honour in a rather unfair joust he rides off in search of the truth surrounding his birth (no prizes for guessing the that he's really born of nobility), but when she is kidnapped he of course comes to the rescue.
The villains come in the form of invading Turkish King Murad (Cesare Fantoni) and his four sons including Selim (his real-life son Sergio) and vicious bug-eyed Pinamonte (hammy Giacomo Giuradei).
Thrown into the mix you also have a few fantastical elements including a wizard (Gian Paolo Rosmino), a glamorous sorceress (Tamara Lees), plus a giant and a large killer crocodile, all of which are thrown in and so quickly dispatched that they barely register.
It manages to be fairly entertaining despite making little sense, clearly having a middling budget and veering a little uncomfortably between broad comedy and some quite unpleasant violence with the odd romantic interlude, racing rather hurriedly to it's predictable happy ending while spending a little too much time on early plot development and too little on the "wonderful adventures" of the title.
For more of my peplum reviews check out my "Peplum Paradise" lists on IMDb.