I could just tell when I heard that crazed cackling from the crones that their faces weren't going to be pretty. Their cauldron tracking device informed me we're going to be treading broadly familiar ground.
On the whole, this was sub-Conan antics in post-Conan style, another muscle bound take on the Joseph Campbell "hero myth" Stone successfully (albiet heavy-handedly) presented in almost comic book style in Conan the Barbarian, that same year. This follows a similar pattern: lone, toned outsider on mission to avenge personal grievance with the aid of similarly predicated cohorts, bravely surpasses assorted fantasy hazards with a bit of self-discovery on the way, before finally vanquishing the evil-doers as fantasy writers know them. Unique selling point: our man has the ability to communicate with animals (a skill he learnt in a cow's uterus!), befriending two mischievous ferrets (his cunning), one immensely strong eagle (his eyes), and a huge *black* tiger (his strength, duh. What did you think?). Add to that the requisite massive blade and a sharp boomerang thing and you've got yourself a slightly offbeat but otherwise genre defining sword and sorcery film.
Entertaining as sword-wielding Barbarians are, I prefer my 80's fantasy heroes to have a bit more charisma than your Singers and your Arnies, relying on wit and intellect over brawn and steel in the face of overwhelming opposition; the Tolkein model of plucky heroism (Dragonslayer is a good example of this with the Galen character). That or a good magic ring.
This film is more fun than Red Sonja and (probably) that old John Norman creation "Gor", but it scores low on the tension front. Dar's nemeses proved unequal and underwhelming, lacking that 'omnipotent threat factor' of the best of the genre. The music was poor and repetitive -redolant of other Italian sword and sorcery scores, plus a hint of Battlestar Gallactica. Adequate special effects, but lighting and camera-work obviously didn't catch the 'beauty' of the landscape so they went for the old tinted-lens look. Needed more monsters and traps (but I think we're talking low budget here).
On the plus side,Tanya Roberts was a suitable damsel in distress/ warrior woman, providing as much distraction as those thieving ferrets. Those eyes!
On the whole, this was sub-Conan antics in post-Conan style, another muscle bound take on the Joseph Campbell "hero myth" Stone successfully (albiet heavy-handedly) presented in almost comic book style in Conan the Barbarian, that same year. This follows a similar pattern: lone, toned outsider on mission to avenge personal grievance with the aid of similarly predicated cohorts, bravely surpasses assorted fantasy hazards with a bit of self-discovery on the way, before finally vanquishing the evil-doers as fantasy writers know them. Unique selling point: our man has the ability to communicate with animals (a skill he learnt in a cow's uterus!), befriending two mischievous ferrets (his cunning), one immensely strong eagle (his eyes), and a huge *black* tiger (his strength, duh. What did you think?). Add to that the requisite massive blade and a sharp boomerang thing and you've got yourself a slightly offbeat but otherwise genre defining sword and sorcery film.
Entertaining as sword-wielding Barbarians are, I prefer my 80's fantasy heroes to have a bit more charisma than your Singers and your Arnies, relying on wit and intellect over brawn and steel in the face of overwhelming opposition; the Tolkein model of plucky heroism (Dragonslayer is a good example of this with the Galen character). That or a good magic ring.
This film is more fun than Red Sonja and (probably) that old John Norman creation "Gor", but it scores low on the tension front. Dar's nemeses proved unequal and underwhelming, lacking that 'omnipotent threat factor' of the best of the genre. The music was poor and repetitive -redolant of other Italian sword and sorcery scores, plus a hint of Battlestar Gallactica. Adequate special effects, but lighting and camera-work obviously didn't catch the 'beauty' of the landscape so they went for the old tinted-lens look. Needed more monsters and traps (but I think we're talking low budget here).
On the plus side,Tanya Roberts was a suitable damsel in distress/ warrior woman, providing as much distraction as those thieving ferrets. Those eyes!