Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A fun filled 80's trip
This is one of the greatest early 80's flicks of all time. A real comic book fantasy come to life on the big screen. It's is filled with wonderful performances, from the energetic Sam J. Jones as Flash, the beautiful Melody Anderson as a very convincing Dale Arden, the young Timolthy Dalton (one of the James Bonds) as the Baron, and the unforgettable Max Von Sydow as the pure evil Ming the Merciless. The special effects, even in this day of computer animation, still blow me away. There is a wonderful score by Queen which keeps the movie in full motion. This movie is from my youth and my friends and I always seem to come up with some great quotes from this movie. "Klytus, I'm bored. What play thing can you offer me today?" "Prepare her for our pleasure! " One quick question: Why on earth did they pick Flash to be the quarterback of the NEW YORK JETS?
Rating:  - Goofy but Affectionate Escapism
"Flash Gordon" has more in common with 1968's "Barbarella" than the comic strip hero of the same name, but still manages to deliver many of the goods expected of campy adult fantasy. Sam Jones is a dopey version of Buster Crabbe's dashing serial hero--fittingly, an over-hormoned football star with a heart that works faster than his brain. Lovely Melody Anderson embodies Dale Arden as a spunky 1930's girl-next-door transplated into the plastic, "modern" 1980s, while sultry Ornella Muti, as Princess Aura, is every adolescent boy's imagining of sex. International stars Topol and Max Von Sydow chew up the scenery as astrophysicist Zarkhov and evil Emperor Ming, respectively, and Peter Wyngarde and ex-James Bond Timothy Dalton do dark turns in secondary roles. The story, laced with PG-rated violence and sexual innuendo, is a tongue-in-cheek rehash of the serials, as Ming ravages Earth until our intrepid heroes rocket to his kingdom to set things straight. This time, they find worlds created with the most elaborate visual effects of the day, some convincing, many not, but all strangely beautiful. If you liked the original, you'll see that most of the swipes are gentle and that as juvenile as the script is, the movie is really aimed at grown-ups. A spirited performance by British TV veteran Brian Blessed and a thumping soundtrack by rock supergroup Queen help make this one memorable.
Rating: - An overlooked classic from the 80's
Sometimes certain films end up being much better than they have any right to be. Flash Gordon is one of those films. It is, in fact, and I say this in mortal fear of being mocked and shunned by my peers, one of my all time favotite movies. I can watch this film endlessly, and every time I see it I walk around smiling for the rest of the day... it's just that kind of movie.The cast, first and foremost, is excellent. They work wonders with the material they're given... admittedly this isn't Shakespeare, but it plays remarkably well, with very few cringe-worthy moments. Standout performances include Max Von Sydow as the astoundingly evil Ming, Peter Wyngarde as the almost equally evil Klytus, Brian Blessed as the leader of the Hawkmen, and Topol(?) as an eccentric Dr. Zarkov. Then, of course, there's the absolutely stunning Ornelia Muti as Ming's beautiful daughter Aura... she's wonderful to look at, and has an exotic accent to boot. When I saw this film in the theater as a wee lad, I had quite the childhood crush on Miss Muti... sigh. Anyway, all of the actors seem to be having a grand time with their roles, and it definitely shows. With all due respect to the actors, however, I really think it's the brilliant soundtrack that makes Flash Gordon stand out most in my mind. Queen, near the peak of their popularity, provided a wonderful, throbbing, highly eccentric collection of songs and instrumental bits that fit the film perfectly. I badgered my poor mother to buy me the 8-track, in fact, and then proceeded to play it at every opportunity... a very patient woman, my mother. She probably still hears "dumdumdumdumdumdumDUMDUM **FLASH!!** ah-AHH!..." in her sleep. Sorry, mom. The special effects are actually still pretty impressive, as well... bear in mind, however, that I have a soft spot for 1980's effects. I really miss the days when the answer to "How'd they do that?" wasn't always "With computers." There's a certain mystery to these old effects, and I always respect the effort and creativity that went into making things happen with such limited technology. Sigh... Still, the film is very,very colorful, and there are a LOT of costumes, backgrounds, etc. Everything has a very shiny, surreal sort of look to it, in stark contrast to the realistic, worn-out look of the Star Wars films. It's pretty neat in its own way. In the end, though, Flash Gordon is just plain entertaining. There's hardly ever a dull moment, and the film's almost 2 hour running time goes by in a flash (pun fully intended, with all apologies to the reader). You get a lot of action in those 2 hours... there are laser battles, lots of starships, hand to hand combat on a floating spike disk(?), catfights (in a harem, no less), flame-throwing rings, dominatrix henchladies, evil Space People, a surprising amount of implied sexuality, and the list goes on and on. Just put it in, turn off your brain, and for God's sake HAVE FUN! On a side note, I have to say that the DVD release is a bit disappointing. The five star rating is strictly for the film itself, not for the disc. Although the video and audio quality is fine (easily the best version currently available), there is absolutely nothing in the way of extras. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Not even a trailer, for crying out loud. Here's hoping that someone, perhaps Anchor Bay (king of the cult classic), will have the good sense to release a Special Edition. I would love to see outtakes, trailers, making of bios, commentary, etc. This film certainly deserves better treatment than it's given here. Still, this DVD is currently the best edition of Flash Gordon you're going to find (and it's WIDESCREEN!). Plus, it can be picked up pretty cheaply, if you can actually find it. I wholeheartedly recommend that you search it out, watch it over and over, and then join me in waiting patiently for a collector's edition to come along. Even with its shortcomings, Flash Gordon on DVD most definitely deserves a spot in your collection. Just file it under "Guilty Pleasures." :)
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