Overall Rating
  Awesome: 71.76%
Worth A Look: 9.41%
Average: 10.59%
Pretty Bad: 5.88%
Total Crap: 2.35%
4 reviews, 61 user ratings
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| Flash Gordon |
by Scott Weinberg
"Mention this movie to anyone over 25 and watch what happens."
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Trashy, campy, silly, and wild. Flash Gordon is brilliant. The cast is perfect. The soundtrack by Queen? Classic. The costumes and set design look like they fell out of the comic strip. It has bizarre dialogue, lots of crazy action, weirdo aliens, gross monsters, nutty escapes, and my personal favorite: The villain who ends up fighting with the good guys.I saw this when I was 10 years old as the second half of a double feature with Popeye. I think that was the day I began loving movies. To those who may dismiss Flash Gordon as anything less than great, let me offer my simple movie philosophy: How well does a movie do what it sets out to do? Flash Gordon succeeds by this measure considerably. The scenes that are silly and campy and corny? They're meant to be like that. Director Mike Hodges would later go on to direct movies like A Prayer Before Dying and Morons from Outer Space, so it's safe to say this is his best film to date. Every detail is perfect from the drinks served in Ming's palace to the creepy tree monster (in a pretty damn intense scene).
The cast members all seem well aware of what's going on also, which helps a great deal. Our hero Flash (Sam Jones, destined to a life of softcore cable movies) is always brave and ever-prepared. His damsel, Dale (Melody Anderson, looking helpless and vacuous, which is her strong suit, I think). Dr. Zarkov is played by The Fiddler himself in a role so over-the-top and wild-eyed, you can't help but love him. Pre-Bond Timothy Dalton and big, hairy Brian Blessed show up as two princes, along with a metal-faced henchman named Klytus who is so cruel and evil, it's a great joy when he's slain and his eyeballs melt all over the floor. But Ming. Ming is played by Max von Sydow so perfectly, you love every scene he's in. He pulled out all his Grinch moves on this one, and he oozes a nasty vibe.
Basically Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov blast into outer space on a cute little homemade rocketship, they fall asleep (and Flash cops a little boobie-feel), and wake up on some freaky disco planet and hop out to look around. Not surprised at all they can breathe the atmosphere, they quickly meet some nasty guards. A gun is produced and we learn that guns on this planet do not shoot bullets, but a laser-powered metal glove that strangles and pins the enemy to the ground. How's that for advanced technology? ("Look out! He's got a board with a nail through it!")
The newcomers are then brought to court in front of Ming. When Flash is attacked, he breaks into sudden football mode and begins tossing this giant green egg at bad guys, as Dale does her cheerleading in the background. ("Go, Flash, Go!") After much ballyhoo, our heroes are separated. Flash goes through A LOT of trouble and icky adventures while Dale and the loony Doc wait for him to rescue them.
A thrilling and tight sci-fi adventure. Something that's just simple fun done in an imaginative and entertaining fashion. The kind of movie that is remembered well by many movie fans, and it is clear to see why. Flash Gordon is a movie that was made with attention and a loving eye for detail and mood. The action sequences are extremely well-done, and the special effects hold up pretty well, even today. Done with a perfect combination of corn, affection, action and even a little Kapowza, to keep the kids interested.A special mention goes out to Ornella Muti, who plays Ming's daughter, Aura. Not only is she sexy in her tight (and loopy) costumes, but her accent is awesome. ("No, not the bore worms!") If you can't find something in your heart in Flash Gordon to like, I question if you really like movies at all.
 del.icio.us 
link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=2153&reviewer=128
originally posted: 10/19/99 20:00:50
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USA
05-Dec-1980 (PG)
DVD: 06-May-1998
UK
02-Jul-1980 (PG)
Australia
02-Jul-1980 (PG)
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