Fluke_Skywalker Plot; New York Jets quarterback Flash Gordon and his companions are whisked away to Mongo to do battle with the villainous Ming the Merciless. George Lucas famously tried to get the rights to make a Flash Gordon film before having to settle for making his own version which he called Star Wars. Looking at the original Star Wars today it's fun to imagine what his version of Flash Gordon might've been like. My guess is nothing like this. Released the same year as the Empire Strikes Back, 1980's Flash Gordon is stylistically a galaxy far, far away from that galaxy far, far away. High camp is the recipe here, and it's delicious.Dazzling sets, garish costumes, over the top performances and a rock opera soundtrack fuel this rocket ride to the planet Mongo. It's easy to see why it was initially dismissed upon release, but distance gives us perspective, and from this vantage point Flash Gordon is ridiculous... and ridiculously fun.

UofSciFi by some of the reviews I've read, it looks like it doesn't take too much to entertain many of you.This was another one of Universal Studios' late 1970's attempts to throw another out a sci-fi adventure to ride the profiting coat tails of the Star Wars phenomenon that was still red hot. (Other big budget attempts by Universal Studios to ride the coat tails of Star Wars were Battlestar Galactica & Buck Rodgers in the 25 Century- of which both were double released as both a Television Show and Theatrical Movie). The only thing that Univeral Studios did different with Flash Gordon was that they never crossed it over from the big screen and into a TV series like they had done with Buck Rodgers & Battlestar Galactica.Queen's music soundtrack is as silly as this movie.The Good news is that I really believe that somewhere down the road (several years from now) someone is going to re-do this into a major big budget remake, with glorious space battles, great visual effects and lot and lots of action....The Bad new is that was what this 1980 version was supposed to be exactly what I described that the future version should be... and this movie fails on many many levels.The acting is terrible, the plot is okay(could have been better) the action is comical, music stinks and the special effects are the equivalent to a low budget film. - What were they thinking??So what was Universal Studios thinking?? - well I already answered that question with my first paragraph, they(Universal Studios) were thinking that had to get a sci-fi adventure film out into the market as quick as possible to ride the coat tails of the success of Star Wars an turn over a quick and easy profit, Universal Studios only purchased rights to the use name Flash Gordon because of its name recognition (they had done the same thing with Buck Rodgers in 1979)In 1980 Flash Gordon was not the first time in the late 70's/early 80's that Universal Studios tried to ride the coat tails of Star Wars. What is interesting is that it would be their last attempt to do it. After Flash Gordon was released in 1980 it was apparent that Universal Studios were never going to have their own Star Wars.Universal Studios attempts to ride the coat tails of the success of Star Wars1978 Battlestar Galactica (perhaps their best and most noble effort- in some ways it was better than star wars)1979 Buck Rodger in the 25th Century (pure plot less outer space disco)1980 Flash Gordon (you already know)1980 Galactica 1980 (why, O lord Why did they make this god awful show?)1981 Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century (it was revised for season two, only aired on the BBC in Great Britain - it was canceled in the U.S. in 1979

elshikh4 May God forgive George Lucas for Star Wars (1977). Its success led to such a huge wave of follow-ups, imitators, and wannabes, from America and out of it, written directly to cinema or based on old work, good or miserably bad ! Flash Gordon (1980) is one of those movies, produced by American-English money, based on old 1930s comics, and for the most part.. not miserably bad.While it has bases to launch a saga of its own, it doesn't realize itself as an enjoyable blockbuster, or strong sequel-worthy movie. And I have 2 accused of that crime !If this script has a mark, then it has to be that a lot of its events happen SUDDENLY. For instance, while the hero and the heroine travel by a plane, they find themselves SUDDENLY in a Russian scientist home, and within 2 minutes they find themselves SUDDENLY in planet Mongo !!! While the Vultan's kingdom explodes, and the lead wants desperately to escape, he SUDDENLY finds a rocket cycle, which he SUDDENLY knows how to drive ??!! While the heroine – who knew the lead since hours ago – wants to tell him a story, he interrupts her saying fondly : "Save it for our kids" ??!! So he SUDDENLY loves her now, wants to marry her, and she SUDDENLY accepts ?!!! I won't say more, I'll only add : "..and so on" ! For the second accused, I must recall the scene of defeating the evil guy. It doesn't exist in the first place, since the mighty and merciless Emperor Ming is finished without a proper fight. It's shown as random as a sneeze !! Later I knew that there was a swordfight between Flash and The Emperor, however due to numerous production problems that plagued the movie—it was canceled. This explains also the abundance of primitive smoky backgrounds, mostly terrible green screen effects, and obvious – 1950s movies like – miniature models. Clearly, there wasn't a budget for any Star Wars kind of respectable, or acceptable, visual effects !I believe producer Dino De Laurentiis wanted a cheap Star Wars saga, and with the matters getting worse, the ambition changed to campy fun, especially with a hell of plastic electronics and metal customs, fisheye lens from director Mike Hodges's side, all covered with tons of gloss provided by director of photography Gilbert Taylor (who was the DOP of Star Wars itself !). So, as you see, poor writing, as well as poor production, killed the movie's seriousness, even as entertaining action adventure, and randomness just ruled. You read things like how Sam J. Jones, as Flash Gordon, improvised the moment where he jumps into the camera screaming "YEAH!", as nobody could figure out how to end the movie ! That's why Hodges called it eventually "The only improvised $27-million movie ever made" !Speaking of that $27-million, where did they go ?? I'll tell you. To the sole perfect thing in this movie: The Colors. They mastered that element to the max, where the viewing turned into a journey into huge sparkling diamond, filled with seas of glittering red and yellow. To my surprise, I discovered that the psychedelic color effects throughout the Ming universe were accomplished by swirling multicolored dyes through creatively-lit tanks of water. OK, they should have called it "Flashy Gordon" instead !As for more pros, Melody Anderson and Ornella Muti are marvelous beauties from the 1980s, an era where the movie girls were innocent and extremely sexy too. I loved watching the all serious Max von Sydow as an over the top cartoon-ish evil guy. Despite not having a long screen time, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin stole the show from Sam J. Jones as the title character. The idea of enthusiastic and hip "Queen" songs is so creative, but they looked strange in the middle of that camp festival (which enhanced the movie's campy nature though !). And I won't lie, some of the adventurous spirit, which the movie apparently was based on and dreamed of, attracted me despite how that dream wasn't completely fulfilled after all. Flash Gordon (1980) couldn't score highly at the box office, hence so long to the whole six sequels franchise which all the main actors were signed for, or at least part 2 which the last shot hints at. It is a mix of bright colors and loud naivety, and the real criminal is disappointing poorness. It feels like very dazzling suit, that when you approach it, you'll see how it's shabby, to the extent of having holes in it !

hellraiser7 This film is another childhood gem of mine, I got into this film when I was into the animated show "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" at the time I never even heard about the comic book series "Flash Gordon". Watching this film I was just blown away and it was easy to see why this comic series was so popular, as it has just this rich mythology and has set the standard for the space opera subgenere as it's pulp sci-fi style has been echoed in "Star Wars", "Guardians of the Galexy", "He-Man", comic series "Saga" you name it "Flash Gordon" still lives on to this day.I really like the dialog, there are a lot of memorable and colorful lines, it's almost like some of the kind of dialog you would sometimes hear in the TV shows "The Tick" or even the 60's "Batman". Some of what they say can be so deliciously bad that it really makes you both laugh and groan at the same time, it fits with the kind of feel this film is getting at where you don't take things completely seriously as this film is more concerned about having fun.I like the characters it's true that their not exactly deep characters but characters in the pulp comics at the time were never really three dimensional they were really more just there to serve their functions which is exactly what they are but do it well all the same.Timathy Dalton one of my favorite actors is solid as Prince Baron, he's basically a Robin Hood like protagonist. Brian Blesed is just excellent as Vultan whom was one of my favorite characters in the comic, I just love how he's tough but he has sort of this playful nature and cheerful and mischievous energy to him. This character is my favorite in this film as he has some of the best lines and delivery of them.The actress that plays Princess Aura is hot, I actually had a crush on her when I was a kid, she has both physicality and persona to boot; she is another favorite character in the comics as she has a interesting character arc. She's not evil just naive, a bit spoiled and blind to her father's actions; once things go south for her she does what is right for both herself and others, in a way the arc is sort of a coming of age tale.Max Von Zetow one of my favorite actors is great as Ming the Merceless, from the look of him which is perfect as if he came straight out of the comics but also just persona wise as he is the classic villain archetype that is terribly and colorfully vein and cruel. He motives are rather simple and shallow yet blackly funny as he just wants to destroy Earth out of sick amusement because he's simply bored.Even like the subordinate villain Klitus whom is played by Peter Winsagarde whom I remember from the TV show "The Prisoner" which is cool since that's one of my favorite shows. But I really like the mask he wears as he literally looks like Doctor Doom from "The Fantastic Four" comics and his voice just fits like a glove as it just conveys cold sophistication and cruelty.However this film just like in the original comic series we're all really in it for the adventure and that's exactly what this film delivers to us excapeous fun. It's all really style over toping substance and this film has tons of that.The production value is just excellent because everything is practical from the set pieces, effects, costumes you name it. It's also no doubt one of the most colorful films ever as this film is just vibrant with it as much as the film "Sin City". It perfectly captured part of the broad universe of Mongo from the buildings, different planets, technology, ships you name it it's all there you have to just see to believe.And there is some solid action, from one of my favorite one on one battles on a moving and boobytraped platform. The tree beast test which is basically Russian roulette, that always kept me on the edge of my seat. And the big raid on the sky ajack one of my favorite battles of all time which was awesome it was pretty much a swashbuckler battle with all the hawk men swooping in, laser guns and cannons bursting left and right and that music.Of course my very favorite thing about the film is the music, this film is one of my favorite scores/soundtracks of all time composed by one of my favorite bands "Queen". Some say this film is sort of a rock opera and it sort of is as their music truly plays a big part throughout the film. From the big battle at the end which was just exciting and got me pumped down to that theme song which is one of my favorite themes of all time as it just has that exciting, adventurous and epic tune to it.The only bad thing to me was that this film didn't become a franchise which was too bad, I would of loved to of seen Flash and company go on another adventure that way we could see more of the Mongo universe as well as other aliens like the fan favorite "The Lion Men" whom unfortunately were M.I.A. in this film. May'be if they do a revival movie or TV show (a good one) we'll have those things.If your a fan of the comic series or just a fan of sci-fi then this film is worth a ride. Flash Gordon is a blast.Rating: 3 and a half stars