Flash Gordon (1980)

[Neville]

How I loved this one as a kid! I fell in love inmediately with the Evil Princess (who wouldn't! well, only Flash) and everything else rocked! That music, the ugly design production (looks like Dino deLaurentis had this new-rich problem: all his movies have this ugly-yes-but-so-esxpensive look) and the all-star cast... what a pity we all grow old.

[General Reaper]

Got the DVD the other week. Best £9.99 I spent! At first when I was younger I wasnt to keen on watching the film but after hearing the soundtrack(Queen) I knew I had to see it. And I did! And I Loved it! The soundtrack, the action sequences (football fight) andthe dialogue (Gordons Alive?!) I may also point out that Brian Blessed (Prince Vultan) comes from my home town! A true yorkshireman! If you never seen this film see it as soon as it comes on tv! You wont be disapointed!

[Swamprat]

Live action cartoon! I remember Siskel and Ebert's review of it...one of them explained that the guy who made it was told to "Cash In" on the Star Wars bandwagon that was rolling full force at the time, but they only gave him a fraction of the money needed to compete with the then state-of-the-art effects and techniques used by George Lucas. So the guy did what he could...a state of the art parody of the sci-fi craze shot in a blaze of over the top camp and good humor. It's a great little movie! Like the Wizard Of OZ, a total fantasy in bright color and fantastic charactures. I hate Wizard Of OZ, but I loved this little gem when it came out and I still enjoy it. Think of it as the original serial if they would've had a lot of 1930s money to spend on the filming. This is what Flash Gorden would have been like. One of the worst short comings in American film making is our tendecy to throw money at the story. Plot holes? Throw special effects($) in there! Character problems? Get a real star($)! Weak story? Get that guy($) who remade the Titanic boat picture last year!...American movie makers rarely ever put much real effort or faith in real story telling or construction. This was a small, but complete story. And there was no way to afford the Hollywood A-picture treatment for it. The guy who made it shot for pure parody and hit the bullseye. It went over a lot of people's heads...the general American movie fan doesn't recognize classical structures applied to film. Our movies are usually funny or they ain't. Pure parody or good satire is totally lost on the bulk of mainstream American ticket buyers...that's why so few films made within such classical structures are ever seen. Flash Gordon is a minor one...but never the less a fine example a good film maker making a fine parody of a good old fashioned type story. I'd buy a copy of this one, it's a fun film, and it's a fine example of "Doing your best with what you have."

[Jo]

I have to agree, this is the most fantastic "so bad it's good" movie ever made... in the history of the universe. I'm currently educating my slightly skeptical though willing to learn friend about its merits, though I am getting some rather strange looks and sarcastic comments. At least she's willing to learn!

[paul]

Flash Gordan is undeniably the best sci-fi film ever produced. The costumes, characters, and variety of worlds created are amazing! This movie is one big piece of eye-candy that deserves 5 slimes, I mean, 5 stars. Queen rocks the house in this flick like you fly blind on a rocket cycle. Its all about united clans that overthrow a tyrant who travels in falic spaceships. His daughter is smokin' hot I might add! If you have not seen Flash Gordan, buy it on DVD because you will anyway. hallucinagins optional.

[Richard]

I love this movie, and anything else from the Delaurentis family. I was inspired enough to go out and buy the single (7 inch vinyl) of the Flash theme, backed by that energetic crowd pleaser, 'Football Fight'. Never did get around to buying the album though, which I regret.

[david]

Awwwww, this one is almost too good to be in the bad
pile. It's not quite Repo Man in status, but I argue for
an upgrade to five drips.

[AlphaWoolf]

"Pathetic earthlings!  Who can save you now?!"

Ah, "Flash Gordon"!  The second pillar in my "Films other people hate, but I love, made in 1980" (see "Xanadu" for the other).  This was my birthday movie at the tender year of 14.  Unlike "Xanadu", I make no excuses for my love of this gem today.  It was great then, it is great now.

If you can buy the opening sequence where Ming toys with the Earth via a machine with "Tornado" and "Earthquake" buttons, you're set for the rest of the film.  If you think that's stupid, well, I pity you because you'll be wasting your time watching the rest of the movie.  Fall on your sword.

Simply put, this version of FG is awesome.  The art design and execution in this movie is second-to-none.  A variety of strong actors bring depth to other-wise two-dimensional characters, in particular Max Von Sydow as Ming.  Ming is *such* a bad@ass in this movie, not the stiff old Fu Manchu character from the original serials.  The bad guys in this movie *really* enjoy being bad guys.  Kudos to Brian Blessed (the part was *made* for him!) and the never-comfortable-looking Timothy Dalton, too.  The pace keeps you reeling from one death-defying situation to the next.  The optical effects are flawed by some blue-screen ghosting, but I forgive them because they work for the story.  Better these than some crappy CGI effects.  Oh, and the score by Queen.  Wow.  It completely fits the over-the-top energy of this film.  Dig the evil guitar version of the wedding march music (dig the vows too)!  That "football" sequence will really get you going, but my favorite melding of action, visuals, and sound is the Hawkmen's assault on Skycruiser Ajax.  Detonate the mine!  Great stuff!

Hats off to that crazy DeLaurentis family, because a movie like this could never have been done by Hollywood.  Sure, Sam Jones could've been better.  Yeah, the Hawkmen are wearing plastic wings.  So what?  "Flash Gordon" is one my favorite films, ever.  Period.  Fall on your sword.

The End?

[IIxVADERxII]

I must have seen this movie 15-20 times as a kid. I used to watch it in our basement/den and just kick it by myself when I was bored. I guess I really liked this movie and still do. I mean come on, the part where he stuck his hand in that blob thing and all the 50 bagillion other things that happen in the story line. Flying swordsman (hawk-people) lasers, aircraft (weird ones). WORMS!!!!!!!!! No! NOT THE WORMMMMMSSS! Oh, oh, the flying jet skies, hot hail. OF coarse Ming the Merciless. One of my older brothers actually bought me the old record LP soundtrack for the movie too. I have a Virtual Fx 3D Converter and I think I am going to buy the DVD so I can watch it in 3D. You can get Virtual Fx 2D 3D Kits here: www.BuyPcMods.com

[Some old dude]

Yes, this flick was so ridiculous it was great! Your review made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes! Honestly, the effort they put in to mimick the look of the old serials and comics gave it just the right appearance for the corny dialogue and action. The music by Queen was wonderful. I missed this when it was first released (I guess it was buried by The Empire Strikes Back that year), but I'm glad I saw it recently. Thanks for the website!

[tessai]

FLASH!!!! aooooa saviour of the universe damdamdadamdam something. Hehehe i just have a sort of love/hate relatioship with that flick because its so corny and on the same time so cool . Just pure 50s science fiction gallore

[Easye]

This is just a great, stupid movie. It had the lamest special effects, worst acting and yet you still love watching it. I have to go out and get the DVD. I saw this for the first time like 15 years ago and I still think the evil princess is the hottest babe I've ever seen.

[Robert]

Excellent soundtrack...actually has sound bites laced throughout so you can sorta/kinda place where the music goes.  No need, really.  Love the music anyway.

Cheesy? perhaps.  Fun? Absolutely.

A great lazy weekend afternoon movie.

[David]

Excellent soundtrack, excellent plot, (mostly) good acting and a lot of fun. This is a classic movie that unfortunately has become a bit dated and unknown to younger audiences.
Has its cheesy and low-budget moments but all-in-all a truly great movie. 4/5

[Fionan]

I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but Baron's right hand man, the bald guy, was Richard Obrien.  Riff Raff from rocky Horror.

Fionan