Review of The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) by Richard C — 05 Jul 2006

The story line here is a familiar one for fantasy buffs - Evil leader wants more power so kills rival leader. Son of deceased King vows vengeance. Many years pass and said son is now skilled warrior who single-handily slaughters opposing army and beds distressed maiden. However, there are a number of aspects here that ensures this film is more enjoyable than the standard fare.

Firstly, there is the ridiculously unwieldly 3 bladed sword which not only shatters metal but can also shoot out its blades! Secondly, the main hero isn't played by a dense block of wood (a la DEATHSTALKER) but instead carries an air of Errol Flynn style swashbuckling mixed with a dash of Indiana Jones rogue charm (well that maybe pushing it but you get the idea). Credit is also due to whoever came up with the idea of him still being able to after being crucified! Finally even though the film runs for a 100 minutes it doesn't drag, obviously the director understood that he was making a tongue-in-cheek action movie rather than a sociological drama... The female lead also goes against the grain in that she spends more time kneeing men in the groin rather than shedding her clothes every 5 minutes.

There are some drawbacks, the main one being the under use of Richard Moll's character and the meandering plot but overall this is a decent piece of fantasy cinema. Worth a look.