Flash Gordon

This is the story of a brilliant and eccentric scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov, who perceives an anomalous solar eclypse and catastrophic meteor shower to be an "attack" on the earth from malighn otherworldly forces, .. a spunky female reporter named Dale Arden, .. and a heroic quarterback,none other than the title character Flash, who travel to an alien galaxy to confront the dreaded Ming the Merciless, .. the instigator of the destructive assault and ruthless monarch of his homeworld Mongo. The gallant Flash is ultimately compelled to both save the earth from impending destruction and rescue Dale from becoming Mings wedded "concubine" ( "Seize the earth woman and prepare her for our pleasure!!" ) by leading the outlandish denizens of this far-out alternate realm in revolt against the mighty despot and his fiendish forces. They include a race of winged "hawkmen" who reside in a floating city whom Flash rouses into a calvalry and leads, on a "rocket cycle", in a battle against a "war rocket Ajax", and a kingdom of forest men who dwell in trees and play a deadly barbaric game, similar to Russian Roullett, called "try the woodbeast" ( a scorpion-like creature dwelling in a stump in which they take turns sticking their arms ).Although Flash Gordon was made in the aftermath of the trend-setting Star Wars, it is no copy of THAT film. This movie has it's own very distinctive style, visual look, and sense of humor and actually breaks the mold, .. defying many of the conventions that had been established by big SW. If you want to compare this flick to any other movie, it's actually much more similar to Barbarella ( with the campy humor and mild sexuality ),and also has some elements of The Wizard Of Oz. It certainly strikes me as being much more similar to THOSE two particular movies than to big SW.And although a sci-fi / fantasy / adventure movie, this isn't quite what you could call a "kids flick". Rather, it's kind of a sci-fi / fantasy / adventure film for ADULT viewers ( not the boring kind of adult, .. but with a little bit of the ole kid inside ), or that adult viewers can find enjoyable anyway. Though kids can watch and enjoy it too ( for all the neato spaceships, spectacular visuals and far-out ideas ), and there's nothing overtly objectionable in it for them ( it's rated PG ), it does also have this slightly "racy" thematic element which makes it appealing to more "mature"( but again, not TOO "mature" ) viewers, .. . like some voluptuous female bodies clad in scanty costumes( though no outright nudity ), some pretty violent scenes ( particularly a harrowing and very well-staged duel with bullwhips on a wobling disc with a spiked floor and a guy shot through the back of a chair with a laser ),and how the villains in the film have a kind of sexually perverse edge to their character ( exemplified in a rather kinky flogging scene and in lines of dialogue such as "You tortured her didn't you ?!!" ... "Yes! A most interesting girl! I do think that she rather enjoyed it !" , .. . not lines of dialogue you'd hear Darth Vader utter, huh ? ). THAT is what I consider to be the best thing about this movie though, .. . it's that very rare and exceptional kind of film which can appeal to BOTH the kid and the adult! It's not totally juvenile ( like most space adventure or fantasy films tend to be ), yet not totally "adult" either, but a combination of a little of both in the same. And if your the rare type of person who has BOTH the kid and adult in ya, then your just PERFECT for THIS flick !The screenwriting is often clever and funny, . . like when Dr. Zarkov pistol whips a fat assistant, whose reluctant to enter a rocket capsule, and declares "NOW!! ... get your toothbrush and whatever!!". And how Flash is so noble, .. to the point of corniness ( "Promis me that if you kill me you'll team up with Vultan and fight Ming!" .. "It's rational transaction! One life for billions!!" ). Some of the humor is even rather dark edged ( "While you await the ceremony, all monitors will display, for your entertainment, the execution of the traitors." ).The funniest scene, by far, is the hilarious brawl between Flash and Mings goons, which takes place during a "tribute" ceremony and takes the form of a kind of football game ( complete with pep cheering from Dale Arden, "GO FLASH!! GO!!" ) and during which the subjects of Ming get their first taste of defiance ( complete with Vultan, the hawkman, tripping a charging goon ).The visuals are spectacular and often quite striking, particularly during the hawkmen & war rocket Ajax battle sequence,with the vibrant multi-colored alien sky and lasers. And the spacecraft designs are very stylish, quirky and original. Don't believe the dunce reviewers who criticize the effects in this movie as being "cheesy", .. . THEY'VE no doubt had too much CGI crap. The special effects techniques, though perhaps outmoded by todays standards, were actually quite modern and state of the art when this film was made. They're things like mattes, blue screens and miniature models, .. . techniques which were very common then and were used in every other space adventure flick of this era ( including big SW and all it's imitators ). There's also a very neat, stylish and visually striking title & opening credits sequence which uses actual illustrations from the old comic.The rock score by Queen is very effective. It suits the tone and imagery of this film very well and, it should be noted, was quite an unorthodox and adventuresome choice at the time this film was made, which further distinguished it from Star Wars and all it's imitators( as they all used more traditional symphony scores ). The main theme ( "Flash, .. aa ahhhhh!!" ) takes on a kind of humorously reverential quality, .. at times sounding much like an accapella hymm ( "He saved everyone!! .. He saved everyone of us!! .. Every man, every woman, every child!!!" ).

4K HDR nirvana. When the studio doing the 4K scan loves it's work, this is what you get. Probably one of the most colorful movies since The Wizard of Oz, few cinematic works were designed as well for 4K restoration and beefed up sound as thus flick. Beautiful film grain, deep saturated colors and blacks, and just a rockin' movie experience from the first second to the end of the credits.

“Gordon is alive?!?”

4k video quality as good as 720p. Plastic case not steelbook. But for 22 dollars its not bad.

Great movie something from my child hood

I loved this movie growing up, thought it was the best.. But dang, adulthood changes that.. reality is it's a hot mess, poorly written, and completely more cheesy than a can of spray cheese.Hence why the 6 rating.. Yes, there are only 5 stars, but this deserves one more.

I would give the movie itself five stars, but the DVD and Blu-Ray presentation are not as strong. The 1980 Flash Gordon movie is one of the funnest romps in the space opera I have ever experienced. Much more true to the Saturday morning serial kind of sci-fi that Star Wars was paying homage to. There is an inherent camp value that this movie never forgets and it just makes the film a joy to watch. Plus the soundtrack from Queen just ups the fun factor even more. You would think this combination of music and content would make for a very campy film, but not necessarily. While the movie definitely knows it's roots and is having fun with that you really can't call Flash Gordon a cheesy B-movie.The Savior of the Universe (SotU) Edition DVD lacks the very energetic commentary by Brian Blessed (plus production stills and other static extras) that the European Silver Anniversary Edition DVD and even lacks the commentary by Same Jones and Melody Anderson made for an International Edition (that of course we never saw in the U.S). In spite of that you do get a remastered film with 2.35:1 anomorphic widescreen, 5.1 Dolby Surround and the movie trailer (none of the European releases had that). While the SotU edition was remastered and looked a ton better than the previous releases it wasn't perfect. While background matte effects are noticeable they are easily forgiven considering the sharper picture, but there were certain matted special effects blocks used on the spacecraft that were painfully obvious in the remaster. Either they didn't bother to digitally clean them up or it wasn't technically possible. Audio also sounded rather thin considering this was supposed to be digitally remastered.Another thing that bugs me is SatU DVD is set in an impressive and slightly oversized case, but when you open it up all you get is the DVD and the pencil art insert from Alex Ross. No booklet detailing any info on the movie... not even a single page chapter list. Yeah, Yeah... most of you would say "but the remastered movie is what's important" but considering the sendup (and packaging) I would expect at least something more than just a disk and a sketch. I have seen movies with far less noteriety get more in their packaging than this.Where the Savior of the Universe Edition improves upon the previous U.S. release significantly the Blu-Ray edition really stands out heads and tails above the rest. The visual difference is breathtaking. Details and textures come out that I have never seen before (and I was one of those kids who played the VHS of this film to death). Some scenes show so much clarity you would be hard pressed to think they were done recently. I think the sets that were done to be interiors stand out more for some reason so it's not really inconsistent mastering. The special effects problems that were very obvious in the SotU Edition are still there, but the matte blocks are far less noticeable with some cleaned up entirely. Audio is stand out amazing. Don't bother looking for any noticeable surround, but then again this movie was done in stereo. Now it's in crystal clear, deep and full stereo. No more 'thin' soundtrack.The packaging for the Flash Gordon Blu-Ray is identical to any other single disk Blu-Ray you may find. That makes it a lot easier to fit in with the rest of your collection unlike the SatU Edition's oversized box. You still get nothing special as far as any booklets or liner notes. Also you no longer get the art insert from the previous release. So still nothing really special on that front.Both the SotU Edition and the Blu-Ray release have identical features with just a little irrelevant extras added to the Blu-Ray What you get on both is two featurettes. One is from Alex Ross (the guy who painted the DVD cover) on how much he loves the movie. He actually does a really good job of making his featurette much like an analysis of the movie and would have worked great as narration for a documentary. Instead you just get Alex in a chair with a few movie clips thrown in here and there. The other featurette is called Writing a Classic by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr.The Blu-Ray exclusives are just BDLive and some annoying streaming ticker that will give you "news" from Universal Pictures. If your Blu-Ray player isn't connected online you may be able to spare yourself the latest in invasive advertising. The movie case promises exclusive content from the BDLive features, but none of it is related to Flash Gordon. Currently all you get are more promotional tidbits for other movies. You know what guys? This would be a great place to add those freakin' commentaries you keep leaving out.I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't just add the European edition commentaries to the Blu-Ray release and maybe add the new things to sweeten the pot. But to have a Blu-Ray missing some cool bonus material that's already out there? Not the smartest move in my book.So which edition should you get? If you have a Blu-Ray player definitely the Blu-Ray edition. It is the best remaster visually and sonically by far of any edition, European or otherwise. If you REALLY want that Alex Ross pencil insert exclusive to the SotU Edition then you may have to make a choice or double dip. Unfortunately there is no definitive edition for Flash Gordon, but the current winner in at least presentation of the film is Blu-Ray.

I've been told (and assumed) for years how B-rated cheesy this movie was I figured it was famous for blowing all the budget on Queen doing the music.It's graphics are fairly dated, and it's no Star Wars, but it was better than decent. Except for the enormous luck, and the fact it's hardly believable the main character was actually worthy of the hullabaloo, it was pleasantly charming.

While the plot is obviously ridiculous and the leading actor absolutely useless, this space opera of the early 80s has by now become a cult classic. The script is abysmally bad even for a comic book adaption, the colours and design of the grandiose sets and costumes are bizarrely over the top, but the cast is - with the notable exception of the hero and his damsel in distress - outstanding, and the musical score by Queen is one of the most memorable of the decade.Gordon's alive and he has 14 hours to save the world. Or something. Yes, it's idiotic, but the entertainment value is enormous. There's Topol as somewhat demented scientist, Max von Sydow as the the evil emperor Ming the Merciless, the bewitching Ornella Muti as his rebellious daughter whose engagement to Prince Barin is sometimes on, then off again. Barin is played by a young Timothy Dalton, as dashing as Erroll Flynn in his prime. But the most memorable (and absurd) character in this must surely be Brian Blessed's winged birdman Voltan. As to the planet Mongo, they didn't even try to create anything scientific looking. They just went with psychedelic sets and artwork. Bravo! Watch it, enjoy the magnificent soundtrack and laugh, laugh, laugh.Possibly more entertaining than the film itself is the commentary by Brian Blessed, which is one of the extra features on the Silver Anniversary Edition, and which has by now gained the same cult status among fans as the film itself. Absolutely priceless!Extra features of the Silver Anniversary Edition DVD (which has English subtitles for the hard of hearing) include: - Brian Blessed Audio Commentary - Mike Hodges (director) Commentary - Mike Hodges Interview - Original Theatrical Trailer - Photo Slideshow - First Episode of the Original 1940 Serial

I was born in the year it released to cinemas and I can remember seeing it once on TV. I was 9 years old at the most and of course, the scene that I’ve always remembered is Peter Duncan of Blue Peter fame being stung by some scorpion thing in a tree stump. I must have been much younger than 9 because I didn’t really understand why Peter Duncan was in a movie!!!Fast forward to 40 years old and I’m re-watching as a Star Wars fanatic and Star Trek sympathiser. Plus I love the likes of Ghostbusters and Guardians of the Galaxy.At first I was taken aback by the quality of the comic imagery in the intro. It’s so crisp I wish they used more of it somehow. That crispness follows through into the image quality of the movie in general. I know nothing of cinematography, but having grown up watching the films I mentioned earlier, I’m used to a certain look. Flash Gordon is totally unlike anything I’ve seen before.The picture quality is so crisp it looks very raw and the sets are vast, expansive even. It’s totally got a theatrical vibe to it. Like a film that was made in 1970 but for some reason wasn’t released until 1980.I’ve watched it three times now, once with the commentary and the commentary helps massively for someone coming to it virtually from scratch. It’s really growing on me. Yes, it’s a bit hammy and the fighting is a bit lame, but for each slightly poor moment there’s Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton and those wonderful background effects. Also, Max Von Sydow is fantastic as Ming.Overall, this will become a favourite but it will take a bit longer because it’s so different to what I grew up on.Also, the music is legendary, of course.

This takes me back to seeing this film with my father at the Cinema when it came out in the 1980s so it brings nothing but happy memories for me so am glad I have this on DVD to relive the magic of this film.Sam J Jones plays Flash Gordon who along with Professor Zarkov and Dale Arden are transported into the universe after a freak storm and end up in the world according to evil ruler Ming the Merciless who strikes fear and terror to those who come into contact with him.We have Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, Richard O'Brien and a little cameo from ex Blue Peter Presenter Peter Duncan who appear in this lavish story based on the 1930s serial that starred Buster Crabbe and the soundtrack to this film was done by Queen and you can tell that it is them.Brian Blessed does commentary and tells anecdotes on this DVD and it is very entertaining to listen to.There is also a classic episode starring Buster Crabbe to watch and you can go back and watch the film to see the vibrance and the colour against the black and white serial.A must buy if you loved this film growing up and a throwback to when the 80s had the best entertainment in films, music and tv.

Some of us remember when this first came out in the cinema and the entire audience cheered when Flash leaped into the air to celebrate his victory. This was always enormous fun, but has become a kitsch classic for very good reason. The costumes and set designs do much to recall the gloriously daft splendours of the original Saturday morning shows, everyone plays it for all they are worth, the music is infectious, the script is irrestistibly quotable. I defy anyone not to be cheered up by this marvellous piece of innocent silliness. Yes, Sam Jones isn't the world's best actor, but his very woodenness has become iconic now, and does actually fit with his clean-cut all-American hero character. Brian Blessed pretty much caricatures himself, but everyone loves him doing it, and Max von Sydow was born to play the evil Emperor of the Universe. Various serious actors keep their faces miraculously straight at all the right times but it's clear that everyone is having a splendid time. It's camp, it's daft, it's joy, it's a must-see.

This movie is a classic remake of the early series of the same name run in cinema's in the 40's and 50's. Plus an early appearance courtesy of Brian Blessed as the Baron of the bird people and Timothy Dalton as another baron.All on all it is a great film and would enhance anyone's collection with the soundtrack done by Queen, what more. could you want from a film.The plot is simple. The evil ming the merciless plans on joining earth to his evil empire. Flash Gordon ( a top sportsman in his field) aims to stop him, with the help of prince Baron (timothy Dalton), and prince Voltan (Brian Blessed).Its a good, funny in places, example of its kind.