review for Adventures in Iraq on AllMovie

Thoroughly routine and nothing more, Adventures in Iraq is at least notable for its actual designation of Iraq as its setting, something not frequently done in films of this era. Indeed, the U.S. government even expressed some qualms about this, as they were afraid of offending Arab allies during World War II. That fact is far more interesting than anything that occurs in Iraq's screenplay, which lifts a great deal of the earlier Green Goddess intact. The plot is overly familiar and not especially believable. Dialogue is of the cliched and stilted variety, and the characters have stock written all over them. David Ross Lederman's by the book direction doesn't help matters; it keeps things moving at a reasonable clip, but accomplishes little else. Of the cast, only Paul Cavanaugh makes a real impression. His is not an especially good performance, but it's done with relish and flair, and that counts for a lot in Iraq. The rest of the cast is rather dull. Production values are rather low, with an excessive use of stock footage.