GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

cal reid Mesoamerica the age of Hunac Ceel a Mayan tyrant who seeks to conquer all other tribes in Mexico. Young king Balam takes his people across the gulf of Mexico to lead his people away from the danger , however upon arrival in what will become North America they are confronted by hostile native Americans who do not want intruders in their land. A lost gem of a movie it features outstanding acting , sets and costumes and the soundtrack is pure genius by Elmer Bernstien. Yul Brynner offers excellent charisma in the role of Chief Black Eagle however for me the real show stealer has to be George Chakiris as king Balam , young and handsome with great charisma and great hair he suits the role of the king perfectly and Shirley Anne Field as his beloved also gives a shining performance. One of the best epics if not the best , right up there with Spartacus and Cleopatra and a great film in general.

vic-232 I haven't seen the trailer for this movie, but I'm sure the words "Cast of Thousands" must have splashed across the screen in giant red letters."Kings of the Sun" is a costume melodrama with all the declaiming, strutting around, and general overacting characteristic of all the other costume melodramas produced in the late fifties and early sixties. The setting in pre-Columbian America doesn't really do all that much to distinguish it from the biblical epics filmed in the same period, and Yul Brynner's portrayal of an Indian chief is pretty much the same as his portrayal of an Egyptian pharaoh.Neither George Chakiris as the Maya king nor love interest Shirley Ann Field bear any resemblance at all to Mayans, of course, but nobody in 1963 would have expected they would. As a matter of fact, Chakiris's hairdo was sufficiently reminiscent of Frankie Avalon's to distract me the whole way through. Still, there's a nice score by the great Elmer Bernstein.Those who enjoy the genre will probably find some satisfaction in "Kings of the Sun," but certainly would be much happier with "The Ten Commandments" or "Spartacus."

Nazi_Fighter_David "Kings of the Sun" is the story of a civilization burst into full flower… In their profound desire to win favor from the deities, the Mayans made human sacrifice the keystone of their religion… Keeping the Buddhist monk hairstyle as his trademark, Brynner easily steals the show with his virile personality, distinctive look, speech and mannerism… He is Black Eagle, the barbarian chief who comes to the defense of the Mayans… George Chakiris plays Balam, the jaguar, king and son of kings to the ninth generation… Although in spite of being young and brave and untried, Chakiris lacks the heroic stature with which the role might have been satisfied… Shirley Anne Field is the delicate Ixchel who would never leave Black Eagle except if he ever used to tell her that he loved her… Richard Basehart is the high priest who tried to make the king understand that he cannot bring this new life to his people without giving a life… For a thousand years they've been bound by this law… The gods cannot be cheated… Leo Gordon is the tyrant Hunac Kell… His strength is a sword of metal and the Mayans are powerless against it… Filmed beautifully in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán – Mexico, J. Lee Thompson's motion picture is colorful and highly entertaining

fireball92614 I saw this film when I was a teenager, and I loved it. I thought all three main actors and actress are superb. The story line is great, and the setting is beautiful. Like one of the previous reviewer said that I can watch it over and over again. Unfortunately, when I last saw it on TV, VCR was not available yet, and I don't think it's ever re-released in VCR or DVD format. I have been searching for it for a long time. But I have not seen it since late 1970's, and I have not seen it on American TV at all since 1980's. I feel it's a shame that people overlook this movie. I really hope someone somewhere would re-release it. I just hope the film is still around.