"Jim Haygood" (James Iglehart) is a mercenary from America who has been hired by a corrupt government in Southeast Asia to help put down a revolt. As it so happens his platoon captures the leader of the rebels who goes by the name of "Moncada" and he turns him over to his superiors. He also turns over a young woman for their interrogation as well. Not long afterward he is shocked to hear that Moncada was murdered and the young woman was repeatedly raped and then also killed. When he angrily confronts his superiors things get out of hand and he is imprisoned and informed that he will be executed soon. Having nothing to lose he attempts an escape and manages to take shelter in a room belonging to two young American women by the names of "Vicki" (Lada Edmund Jr.) and "Amanda" (Carol Speed). Unfortunately, the authorities soon raid the room and although both James and Amanda manage to escape into the jungle, Vicki isn't as fortunate and is forcibly taken to a jail cell to be tortured until she gives them the location of where they can find James. Now rather than reveal any more of the story and risk ruining the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this movie had potential but wasn't quite as good as it could have been. For starters the combat scenes were a bit too unrealistic. Additionally, the dialogue could have also used some improvement. Even so this wasn't a terribly bad "blaxploitation" picture and I rate it as just slightly below average.

This one stars James Inglehart who made a memorable appearance as the boxer Randy Black(!) from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He's good value here in a face-like-fizz/chewing-the-scenery kind of way. He plays a mercenary who changes sides and fights for a group of rebels against the evil government. Lots of fun action scenes and some interesting characters like a female rebel who performs a knife throwing act, at one point she says 'I practised with my little brother...I guess that's why I'm an only child'. Priceless banter!

One of the more obscure pictures produced in The Philippines by Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Savage! (or Black Valor, if you're more familiar with the Bingo Home Video release) stars James Inglehart as the titular gun for hire. As the box art informs us, he's 'the toughest, baddest, bravest dude ever to hit the jungle!', and he's certainly the most taciturn. Hired by leering rotter Vic Diaz to help tamp down a righteous local rebellion, Savage switches sides after witnessing the savage rape of a witness and offers his valuable advise to the People's Liberation Army. Inglehart was quite memorable in Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, but director Cirio Santiago doesn't get much of an effort from him here. Dolly bird Carol Speed seems to be having fun though, and Diaz is, as always, great fun. Don Julian's score is suitably funky, though it's a shame The Meadowlarks couldn't contribute.