Story: Paul Gordon (Donald Woods) has ventured to the jungle with his wife Ruth (Marjorie Lord) and son David (Tommy Ivo), to take in the sights and go on some big game hunts. Or at least he tries to, but Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) keeps bumping his hunts off track and as if that wasn’t enough, young David is over the moon about the jungle boy’s presence. Much to his father’s dismay, David begins to spend time with Bomba, who teaches him about loincloths, wild animals, and even ancient treasure. The latter lands David in trouble when some jungle guides decide to pillage a sacred site within a volcano, since they know David knows the location of the site. This leads to the guides kidnapping David and hoping to sack the sacred area for valuables, but can Bomba stop them before they abscond with the riches?

Entertainment Value: This third installment in the Bomba franchise is inconsistent, but manages to deliver a solid adventure once the wheels start turning. I found the first two-thirds or so of The Lost Volcano to be watchable, but rather forgettable. The pace is on the slower side and while Bomba’s stories with the family are passable, it doesn’t capture the jungle magic the series is known for. Even so, the storyline is set up well enough and while perhaps a touch dull at times, that set up pays off once the final act arrives. At that point, the movie goes for broke and throws out one adventure set piece after another, for a fantastic final run. This includes Bomba in his full glory doing battle against both man and nature, as well as the titular volcano finale. Seeing Bomba against a crocodile was a lot of fun, especially since his opponent seems to be stuffed and doesn’t move. The volcano scene is fun as well and while these are cheap productions, the series remains rock solid. I had fun with The Lost Volcano and while it starts off slow, the last act is enough to warrant a recommendation.

Now an experienced Bomba, Johnny Sheffield turns in his third effort in the series’ title role and as usual, provides a solid performance. I think he looks like a jungle boy should and his speech patterns make him seem unfamiliar with the language, but still smart as well. The delivery can be stilted at times, but that just adds to the fun and b movie vibes. He really comes to life when the movie allows him to, dialing up what starts off as a nondescript turn into a fun, charismatic performance. Sheffield rises to the challenge when given an action scene, but sadly as I mentioned above, that only happens toward the finale in this case. Even so, Sheffield is fun to watch as Bomba and this is another solid effort. The cast also includes Donald Woods, Tommy Ivo, and Marjorie Lord. Although the fake crocodile does steal the show.

Use this Amazon link to check out Bomba the Jungle Boy and help support my site!