Another entry in Lionsgate's series of boxed set releases of catalogue titles, the Sophia Loren 4-Film Collection includes several international entries to the beauty's filmography. The choices provide some interesting films but some of the selections are a bit suspect for anyone interested specifically in Loren.

Beginning with 1954's "Attila", we're treated to a big-scale historical epic from Pietro Francisci (the man who gave us "Hercules Unchained"!). Being an unabashed fan of the old sword and sandal films, it's hard not to have a pretty consistent grin for the full length of the film's 100 minute running time. After all, we're given Anthony Quinn as Attila the Hun with Irene Papas as his wife in very, very flashy Technicolor. Throw in Ms. Loren as Honoria, the sister to Valentinian III who proposes to become Attila's bride, tempting him as she moves herself into a position of power.

Yeah, it's a bad movie in the strictest sense of the term. The script is uneven and lacks tension to the extent that even the grand battle scenes fall completely flat. There's a camp appeal, though, that survives and is something to be admired five decades later. It's also a nice glimpse at Loren -- still very early in her career -- who, though clearly sold on sex appeal, holds her own as an actress against Quinn.

The same year then gives us "Carosello Napoletano" which is both a major plus and minus for the collection. On the plus side, it's a big, big musical filled with all kinds of amazing numbers. On the minus side, though, the film barely has anything to do with Sophia Loren. Her role is so small and she short of vanishes into the two hour running time. If you're looking at this set for Loren-content, that's a drawback and if you're a fan of grand musicals, it's a shame you have to buy three other films to get this one.

The storyline involves a traveling Italian vagrant who explores the city of Naples, looking back on its illustrious history though intricately choreographed sequences. It's impressive for both the sound quality as well as the picture. The transfer is bright and clear and -- despite it's sort of misplacement in a Sophia Loren collection -- it's good to have this one on DVD.

Next up is 1962's "Madame Sans-Gêne", an oft-remade French film based on the stage play of the same name. Released at the height of Loren's popularity, this one casts her as a laundress working for a young (and not yet legendary) Napoleon. Because of her strong manner, she rises in the social ranks is is given the name "Madame Sans-Gêne",  ("Miss Without-Embarrassment"). This one wasn't quite up to my liking. There's probably a lot to offer for fans of period pieces as you can really see the costuming budget on-screen. It definitely delivers on the Loren front, though, unlike some of the other films in the set.

The real winner here is 1970's "I Girasoli" from renowned director Vittorio De Sica. Not only did Loren work with De Sica over and over, she also worked with her co-star Marcello Mastroianni in about a dozen other features. This one has the pair cast as Giovanna and Antonio, an Italian couple during World War II. Antonio, a soldier, goes missing after a battle in Russia and Giovanna makes her way to find him. Though certainly not on the same level as "The Bicycle Thieves" or "Umberto D.", "I Girasoli" is a solid work and the performances are nuanced enough that you really get a sense for Loren's talent, especially compared to her younger cast-for-beauty roles.

Unlike all the other releases I've seen in this series, this one actually includes an extra! Sadly, it sort of falls in the "why did they even bother?" category. We get an 18-minute documentary on Loren called "Sophia Loren: La Diva Popolana". It's pretty loosely strung together from footage from all the films included in the set as well as a number of still photos with narration. It's definitely not a strong effort and -- if you're interested in learning about Loren -- you'd do just as well in checking out her Wikipedia entry.

My ongoing complaint with this series is the packaging; I'd much prefer slim-cases (which, I know, is tricky because some films share a single disc) but I'd like anything that makes use of the original artwork. What we have is a bright red puffy plastic case (exactly like the Catherine Deneuve set) with Loren's face dead-center. It's a silly idea, but it does, admittedly, give it a special look.

All in all, this is a set that is pretty entertaining for the low MSRP but not really one that gives you the best sense of Sophia Loren herself; That is, a truly talented beauty who could move effortlessly between genres, languages and through time itself. In her 70's and still acting, Loren is truly a legend of cinema.