W2TCH

China Gate (1957)

1957 • 1h 37m • Drama, Action • NR
On October 4, 2026
#49864
49864th by Pulse movie online
1.5PULSEPulse MeterOur daily Pulse Meter measures public activity and popularity signals across the web.How it works →

All reviews

CinemaSerf on China Gate

6/10 · Sep 8, 2022

The story unfolds in the waning days of French Indochina, centering on a band of mercenaries tasked with infiltrating hostile lands to destroy an arms depot. A local smuggler known as "Lucky Legs" (Angie Dickinson) agrees to assist them, but only if they commit to ensuring her son’s safety in America; once that assurance is given, this somewhat haphazard team begins their journey. Action sequences are infrequent throughout the film; instead, it largely serves as a study of a collection of rather objectionable characters revealing a spectrum of unpleasant personality flaws. Gene Barry ("Sgt. Brock"), who plays the father of her child, also portrays a racist individual and leads the group deeper into peril as their authority starts to crumble due to internal prejudices and biases. I’m never quite sure why Angie Dickinson was considered a star. The name seems fitting here, but her acting feels awkward, and there's absolutely no spark between her character and the repellent "Brock." It's baffling how they ever became parents. While the jungle setting creates a sense of confinement as they approach their objective, and her calculated dealings with the cunning “Maj. Cham” (Lee Van Cleef) do briefly energize the narrative, overall it feels mechanical and foreseeable. This would be perfect for a drive-in movie on a day when you weren’t fully engaged.

Source on TMDB