You can't make another 'Spartacus' or 'Ben Hur' by simply hiring a baker's dozen of actors, giving them a dreadful script, and flying them off to Yugoslavia. The only actor who looks remotely like a Mongol is Omar Sharif. Michael Hordern, Robert Morley, and Kenneth Cope will forever be English. Funniest of all the Brits is James Mason who sounds exactly like Kenneth Williams as Chou En Ginsburg, MA (failed), in 'Round the Horne.' And at least KW never had to wear stage dentures in order to produce a silly Chinese accent or to get a laugh. Eli Wallach as the Shah of Samarkand looks like a bit-player in a Bronx production of 'Aladdin.' And the less said about Telly Savalas the better. 'Genghis Khan' is far worse than 'Taras Bulba' and funnier than most 'historical' Carry On films. In the first half, the film is shot with such a shortage of light that one is mercifully unable to see what is happening. The sound is bad, too, which is another plus.

Omar Sharif stars as Temujin the mongol lord who soon becomes conqueror of half the world. A radical take on actual historical events ( meaning they are completely inaccurate) shows the Mongol in a rather better light than most of the world would view him. His rise from enslavement by Stephen Boyd to leader of a mighty army is done with style and grand spectacle. The sets for peking in the film are excellent and have a sense of supreme stature and beauty as would befit an epic like this. The performances are good , charismatic , mostly from Boyd and Sharif who play off each other well. The only criticisms of this film is the comic performance of Mason as china's ambassador and the script at times is rather flimsy and wooden but can work in its favor to make the film more fun and enjoyable. Not a film to recommend but certainly fun if you are in the mood. To enjoy it however it will require turning a blind eye to the large mistakes. Not a great film but certainly gets a high score for most of it's good points.

It's easy to be critical of these hokey old sword 'n' sandal epics, but some of 'em still give a good turn even today. 'El Cid' is one I particularly enjoy watching.'Genghis Khan', however, simply doesn't cut it.And it's not because the man doesn't feature much in western history books. After all; neither does the 'Cid'. Somehow the elements of the movie just never seem to mesh. We see any number of set-piece battles out in the middle of nowhere, non of them particularly exciting. Young Khan's imprisonment and escape is performed like a conjuring trick rather than a long wished-for aspiration. His romance is peremptory and lacking any passion. The whole thing has a 'story-by-numbers' feel to it.And as to the casting? Well... Exotic-looking Omar Sharif was obviously chosen as a sop to female fans. Micheal Hordern offers some wobbly gravitas. Telly Savalas makes a plausible rough-neck of just about any culture or vintage. Ever-reliable Woody Strode gets another chance to show off his fine physique. But as to the rest? Robert Morley as a Chinese Emperor? You've got to be kidding! And James Mason must have blushed crimson afterwards to see what an abortive oriental he presented. What a complete waste of his inspirational voice. But who's this? Kenneth Cope of 'Randall & Hopkirk Deceased'? As I live and breath! And the list goes on: Eli Wallach, another trans-culture villain trying but ultimately failing. And finally, butchy Mr Boyd reprising his Ben Hur villainy for all he's worth.I'm not interested in historical fidelity. Who cares, unless you're a student. Just give me a good story well told and I'll buy it. But not this. It's a tired, tepid, unremarkable curtain-call to the age of ancient 'epics'.

I haven't seen this in years, but I remember it has some exciting battles, some good acting by Omar Sharif, Michael Hordern and Stephen Boyd, some great acting by James Mason and Robert Morley. I guessing that none of the actors were Mongolian or Chinese. Historically inaccurate, but kind of fun, sort of like some of Erroll Flynn's movies, like "The Charge of the Light Brigade". In recorded history, Genghis Khan was a murderous, merciless tyrant, not the idealist he's seen as in this picture, just wanting to unite all the tribes and live their lives out riding around on their horses not being bothered by the meddling Chinese. Even with all that said, it has some spectacular action and some interesting scenes that do have some historical veracity.