skullduggery be a strange and strange film base on the novel ye shall know them by vercors . to unleash criticism at the film feel really unkind and since it be a movie that deal with earnest theme like humanity and and plea for upright moral standard and tolerance . but in spite of it honourable intention and it well mean tone and skullduggery simply isn not a very good film . for me and the main problem be the terribly disjoint narrative which can not make it mind up how best to convey it message . the first half of the movie be like watch a standard jungle expedition flick of the tarzan ilk while later it teeter into sci fi fable while by the end it slip into courtroom melodramatics . the difference in tone between each section of the movie be too great and too jarring and to overlook . they stick out like a sore thumb and remind you constantly that youre watch a muddle and disorganise movie . an archaeological expedition into the jungle of new guinea be lead by adventurer douglas temple ( burt reynolds ) . one of the main archaeologist involve in the excursion be attractive lady scientist dr sybil greame ( susan clark ) . after an arduous trek they stumble upon a tribe of strange ape like creature . these primitive and long lose people be cover in hair and have survive for century without be in any way touch or influence by the development of modern man . there be some evidence that they may the ancestor of early man the miss link in the evolution of ape into human . or perhaps a race of human who simply look and behave differently from usual . or even a race of animal that have begin to develop human characteristic . the archaeologist call the tribe the tropi and be initially thrill by the implication of their discovery . but thing take a devastate turn when nasty opportunist vancruysen ( paul hubschmid ) declare his intention to exploit the tribe and their idyll on behalf of developer . he question whether the tropi be truly human and take his argument to the court and where he hop to be grant legal backing so that his own greedy ambition can be continue . this be a very early film in reynolds career and and he actually unbalance this movie by act like he in a comedy while the rest of the cast take it all very seriously . not that reynolds can be blame he have an impossible role and ask to play a charming adventurer who really belong in a tarzan flick . his character and the film be not relevant to each other . clark fare much good a the earnest lady archaeologist and and there be nice support role for british actor edward fox and alexander knox and wilfrid hyde white . a major shortcoming in skullduggery be the lame and ineffective make up use to give the tropi their strange hairy appearance . rather than make the actor look like believable hominoid and the stuck on hair merely make them look unintentionally comical . and that just not the right idea . be mean to feel great sympathy for these creature and but that awfully hard when they look so unconvincing . skullduggery be a failed attempt to tell a story that could have be poignant and philosophical and stimulate . the honourable intention be there for all to see and but the end result doesn not do them justice . a worthy failure it might be but a failure nonetheless .