An interesting and sometimes gripping precursor to the later horrors of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and CANNIBAL FEROX, this unassuming film contains a greater depth than other cannibal adventures in terms of characterisation. Saying that, it also contains a wealth of animal cruelty and graphic gore sequences, but it's an Italian cannibal film so what do you expect? The film succeeds in creating a very tense atmosphere, especially in the scenes where the survivors are escaping through the jungle. The atmosphere is excellent here and is helped by an understated music score, a quiet but thumping beat which seems to sum up the danger and hostility that the characters face. The locations are also really nice, if you totally immerse yourself in this film whilst watching (I mean not having any interruptions, lights dimmed, etc.) then you can really believe that you're there.The film also succeeds due to unexpectedly strong acting on behalf of the man who plays Robert. At times you feel really sorry for him when the bad things happen and you can totally believe that he's bordering on madness at the end. The expression on his face when he eats the human heart is totally realistic, he shows pain, fear, like he doesn't know who he is anymore. It's sort of like a character study of this man, showing him as a normal person who gradually descends to the same level as the cannibals, after being stripped, humiliated and finally eating human flesh. Foschi is totally sympathetic in his role. He is also given good support by Ivan Rassimov (EATEN ALIVE), once again the "whipping boy" of the cannibal film and who is also a sympathetic character. The cannibals themselves are believable, as Foschi says, they don't see eating people as repulsive or strange, it's just the way they are. In terms of blood and guts there isn't the excess of other offerings, but there are a few nasty moments to either watch out for or avoid, depending on your preference.On the down side, this film also contains some unsettling real-life animal cruelty. I don't know how the makers of these films got away with this, but as one poster said "life is cheap" when you're in these areas. A snake eats a lizard, and a crocodile is gutted and eaten and believe me, no special effects could make these events so realistic. So you'd better have a strong stomach if you're going to stick with this. All in all though, if you can get past these setbacks, then you'll find a neat little film with a lot of depth to its characters as well as action, adventure and intrigue. A disturbing but well thought out venture into the jungle; I give it the thumbs up.

(I avoid giving anything away unlike some other reviews. Best to see this gem unspoiled but do heed warnings.) I was expecting a film sort of like Cannibal Holocaust, an exploitation cannibal film probably with gratuitous gore, plenty of nudity, dumb story, dumber acting, explicit animal cruelty, unconvincing natives in loincloths, chintzy budget, and uh lessee really dumb story and dumber acting and oh I uh already mentioned that. I read some reviews, which I fortunately forgot before I finally saw it a year or two after I had gotten it. Since Cannibal Holocaust is the one we hear about so much, I figured a weak distant cousin to it and well since I didn't like Cannibal Holocaust that is why I waited so long to watch this one. Anyway I have some recommendations. If seeing human bodies ripped open (which I trust are not real ones) and eaten cooked or raw is repugnant, or if seeing full male and female nudity (adults and children) at some length turns you off, or if seeing live animals bashed and sliced open (which really does seem real) angers you, then pass on this one. You won't like it. But if those sorts of things stimulate and excite you, then read on. My personal take of course but the natives are what I would call refreshingly convincing, the story neither dumb nor predicable, and the acting not bad at all, at least not what one expects from such a title and it is a real cannibal film. Enough people get ripped open and eaten so you don't forget that point. No patty cake sissy film that does not deliver. By all means, absolutely get the Shriek Show label version or whatever version that has the entire film - many versions eviscerate it and ruin it, and that is perhaps why we don't hear so much about it. And don't read other write-ups and reviews, certainly not the synopsis in Wikipedia, which will spoil it for you. You may very well find this wonderful gem worthwhile, particularly if you are hardened against gore and snuffing animals like me, but if you do not heed my warnings and watch it anyway and hate it, don't blame me. You have been warned. I give it 10 stars, Note that only about 10% have done so. I should also mention the girl native, actress Me Me Lai. Nice, really nice.

Ruggero Deodato contributed the undeniably most brilliant film to the Cannibal sub-genre with his unequaled masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust" of 1980. While "L'Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" aka. "Jungle Holocaust" of 1977 does not reach the brilliance of Deodato's masterpiece of three years later, this is still a highly atmospheric and at times stunning film that lovers of Italian cult cinema and sleaze should not miss. The aka. Title "The Last Cannibal World" is the correct translation of the original title and yet the title "Jungle Holocaust" fits the film very well. Like hardly another film, "Jungle Holocaust" accomplishes to show the jungle itself as hostile, unmerciful and menacing, and the film creates an atmosphere that is uniquely claustrophobic for a film entirely playing in nature. It is not only the cannibals here that are blood thirsty and primitive - the most grim thing in "Jungle Holocaust" is the pitiless jungle itself. While the film is of course ultra-violent and often disturbing, it is a bit tamer compared to other genre entries such as "Cannibal Holocaust" or "Cannibal Ferox", and often resembles a traditional adventure film - with the difference that this is filled with constant enormous sleaze and nauseating gore.A group of four people have to land their plane somewhere in the middle of the Amazon jungle, one of them, a man called Robert (Massimo Foschi) is captured by a tribe of cannibals who still live like people in the stone age. His only hope to escape the savages, who eat human flesh, is a beautiful tribeswoman (Me Me Lai)...The film makes a pretty good point about how a civilized man can be driven absolutely savage by being thrown into a world ruled by savagery. Even though the nauseating gore is not quite as omnipresent as it is the case with "Cannibal Holocaust" or Umberto Lenzi's "Cannibal Ferox" and "Mangiati Vivi", "Jungle Holocaust" is certainly not for the squeamish. The acts of violence are cruel and whenever gore is shown it is extremely nauseating. Bloodlust, mutilations, and, well... Cannibalism - it is all there and all shown in explicit detail. Animal protectors should also avoid the film, which arguably features more real animal killings than any other Cannibal movie. The sleaze level is also extremely high, Me Me Lai is the sexiest savage girl ever to appear on screen and she is naked throughout the movie (sometimes she's wearing a loincloth). Massimo Foschi delivers a very good leading performance, and the cast furthermore includes Italian Exploitation cult-actor Ivan Rassimov. As far as I am considered, this film is not nearly as memorable as "Cannibal Holocaust", which stands out as the unmatched masterpiece of the Italian Cannibal sub-genre, but "L'Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" is still an immensely atmospheric with some ingenious aspects that I highly recommend to all my fellow lovers of Italian Horror and exploitation cinema!

Ultimo Mondo Cannibale, or maybe Jungle Holocaust, Last Cannibal World or simply Cannibal as it's also known amongst English speaking audiences, starts as Robert Harper (Massimo Foschi) the owner of an oil company & his friend Rolf (Ivan Rassimov) land on an island called Mindanao expecting to be greeted by a team of people scouting for oil. While landing the plane is damaged & loses a wheel, the runway is overgrown & the camp completely deserted. Upon exploration of the surrounding area Robert & Rolf witness native cannibals feasting on human remains & put two & two together & decide to leave Mindanao as soon as possible but while the pilot Charlie (Sheik Razak Shikur) fixed the plane it is too late to take off, during the night Charlie's woman Swan (Judy Rosly) disappears & the next day Cahrlie, Robert & Rolf search for her. Charlie is killed by a native booby trap & Robert & Rolf become hopelessly lost, somehow they have to survive the harsh brutal reality & perils of the jungle as well as the cannibal natives...This Italian production was directed by Ruggero Deodato & is perhaps my absolute favourite Italian cannibal flick. The script by Tito Carpi, Gianfranco Clerici & Renzo Genta is apparently based on a true story although I would suspect that's highly debatable, anyway I will openly & freely admit right now that I love Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (I like the Last Cannibal World re-title) complete with all it's unpleasantness. For a start I think this has as strong a story as any other cannibal film, I also think it's my favourite story from all the Italian cannibal films. The basic premise of civilised man having to survive in the brutal jungle is just great & it's brilliantly portrayed here, it's a very harsh & unforgiving film just like nature itself & I just liked the whole primitive stone-age survival story & it's a lot more interesting & entertaining than many other Italian cannibal films. However Ultimo Mondo Cannibale doesn't disappoint in the nastiness stakes either, there's as graphic scenes of cannibalism as in any film I've seen, there's plenty of controversial animal killings, there's rape, murder, gore, torture & loads of nudity to offend those with weak constitutions or sensibilities. It moves along at a great pace, there's not much dialogue as this is a film where the story is told through actions rather than talk & I think it's a highly watchable dirty nasty little exploitation flick the likes of which they don't/can't/won't make anymore, unfortunately...Director Deodato does a good job & Ultimo Mondo Cannibale is more than just a Cannibal Holocaust (1980) rehearsal, I actually prefer this film to Deodato's supposed classic. Deodato uses the harsh thick jungle to good effect, he manages to make the jungle & everything it a real threat as there is a real sense of hopelessness surrounding Robert & his situation. I love the location which was the Philippines in Malaysia & they make for a brilliant backdrop in which the gory action takes place. The native cannibals themselves actually look like a real tribe untouched by modern civilisation. There is a lot of male & female nudity in Ultimo Mondo Cannibale from both old & young. There are some top gore scenes in this, probably about as graphic a cannibal sequences ever shown including decapitations, disembowelling, flesh eating, a scene when some natives arm is eaten down to the bone by ants, mutilated bodies & limbs as well as the expected animal killings which include a snake eating a lizard, a snake eating a bat, a snake having it's head bashed in & a crocodile being killed & gutted. A lot of people complain about the real animal death's in these cannibal flicks, personally I think a lot of these people are hypocrite's & a large percentage probably eat meat for which an animal has to be killed & it's as simple & straight forward as that. I mean I just think these people are cowards & have an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude, I bet there's more suffering in slaughterhouses throughout the world in one day than in all the Italian cannibal flicks put together.Technically the film is great, I love the way it's shot with really nice 2:35:1 widescreen cinematography that showcases the jungle locations. The acting is very strong here with Foschi standing out, Me Me Lai would go on to appear in Umberto Lenzi's cannibal flick Eaten Alive (1980) as would Ivan Rassimov who also appeared in the very first Italian cannibal flick Deep River Savages (1972).Ultimo Mondo Cannibale is my my favourite of all the Italian cannibal films, I just think the mixture of the extreme gore & violence coupled with the strong acting & engaging story beats everything else in this short lived sub genre the Italians had all to themselves. I thought it was brilliant but it certainly isn't a film for everyone, particularly not for those with a nervous disposition or who are squeamish. Economy conscious director Umberto Lenzi edited huge chunks of this into his own Eaten Alive which is probably why he casted two of it's stars as well.