Plunder of the Sun is frequently criticized as ripping off both The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Maltese Falcon, and with more than a little justification. The influences are obvious, and it's a shame that Plunder doesn't reach the same level as its inspirations. Still, Plunder is an entertaining film. It's not because of its screenplay, which is messy and occasionally confusing and which features a cast of characters about whom it is hard to care. What makes Plunder work is its star and, even more importantly, its location shooting. The shots inside the actual ancient ruins (and elsewhere in Mexico, for that matter) are often stunning, and they do give Plunder a look and atmosphere that are hard to beat. In fact, the visuals often take the place of character in this film -- a good thing, considering how cardboard some of the people are. Leading man Glenn Ford hasn't been given any more real depth than the others, but his star quality manages to overcome that little detail, and he manages to find enough to "play" to make his scenes interesting. If director John Farrow can't make the screenplay move into high gear, he does move things along as best as he can, and he makes sure that Ford is kept busy and onscreen as much as possible. And when all else fails, he can always fall back on those exteriors.