Ilsa is back. How and why? Who the hell knows, but she is, and she is now working for sheiks in the desert, and taking great pleasure in doing so. And she also hasn’t aged a bit since World War II. The delicious Dyanne Thorne also returns to the role she perfect in the former “She-Wolf of the SS,” and the dubious reclaiming of the character is entertaining. Ilsa now works for Arab sheiks overseeing their affairs in weapons and also, there’s the torture. What would an Ilsa movie be without the torture? One of the most ridiculous aspects of this sequel is that Ilsa is here, hasn’t aged a bit, and is untouched. This isn’t a different actress in a questionable sequel, and Ilsa is here in all her glory. Why is this so irritating?
Simply because the original film took place in World War II and this seems to have come decades later, while Ilsa was killed in “She-Wolf of the SS.” She found herself in the climax strapped to a bed, and shot in the face by a random Nazi. And yet, here she is. I haven’t seen such a gaping plot hole since the return of Thom Matthews and James Karen in “Return of the Living Dead 2.” It’s a sloppy alteration, but that’s only the half of it. That is swept aside from “Haremkeeper of the Oil Sheiks” and it’s utterly toned down nature. The gruesome torture, and passionate sex scenes are all but mild, and the departure is in favor of a more commercialized sum, that really doesn’t live up to its promises. Thorne is still great as Ilsa, the exotic monster we can’t help but love and hate, and she chews the scenery with the best of them.
This time, Ilsa is overseeing the distribution of three prisoners she forces into sexual slavery, all the while preparing her camp for the arrival of important superiors. She’s also managed to use the women prisoners to her advantage turning a few into soldiers for her female army and posing a pure threat to anyone who crosses her. Ilsa is once again a victim of her own ego, a vain maniac who deems herself indestructible, and pays for that in kind. Sadly, the centerpiece isn’t Ilsa. She’s much more secondary to the plot of preparing the harem girls for the guests arriving into the palace, as well as the spectacle of the sex slaves being sold off and altered for their buyers. “
Haremkeeper” is a weaker sequel, with the plot much more steeped in action than actual exploitation, and even borders on camp. It makes sure to flaunt as much goofy sequences as possible including an exploding vagina, two nude black karate fighting women, and an awfully dull plot featuring Arabs attempting to overthrow Ilsa. Thorne is as easy on the eyes as ever, and she’s as despicable and likable in Ilsa’s skin as ever, it’s just a shame this movie makes zero sense in the long run. But that caveat is miniscule compared to the toned down gore and sex, as well as an action oriented plot that’s hardly exciting.