FORMAT: 4K UHD
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
(As posted on February 21st, 2013)
Dino De Laurentiis’ expensive update of the beloved sci-fi icon was obviously made to cash in on the success of Star Wars, but the look and feel of the film hews closer to De Laurentiis’ Barbarella than George Lucas’ epic. (The Hawk Men look like close cousins of the angels in Barbarella.) I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I just think the film would’ve been better off if it eschewed the campy tone and told a straight-up slam-bang sci-fi story.
Sam J. Jones is Flash Gordon, a quarterback for the New York Jets. Along with Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), Flash blasts off into space at the behest of crazy scientist Dr. Zarkov (Topol). They arrive at the planet Mongo, which is ruled with an iron fist by the evil Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow). Ming kidnaps Dale and sentences Flash to be executed. Ming’s daughter (Ornella Muti) has the hots for Flash, so she helps him escape. He then gets the help of two warring princes (Timothy Dalton and Brian Blessed) to help crash Ming’s wedding and rescue Dale.
I think the reason Flash Gordon never quite comes to life is because Mike Hodges’ direction is pretty pedestrian. He did some great work with Michael Caine in the coldblooded Get Carter, but I don’t think he had the right sensibilities for Flash Gordon. The insane sets are pretty cool, and the costumes are lavish, but Hodges never finds a way to make it come alive. Hodges’ handling of the action scenes is slightly better. The scene where Flash uses his football skills against Ming’s cronies is either hilarious or awful, depending on your point of view. But Hodges does deliver a pretty cool bullwhip fight on a tilting spiked platform and the Hawk Man attack finale is quite rousing.
Another problem is the character of Flash. Jones certainly looks like a hero, but his performance is pretty bland. He seems too passive and sorta gets lost in the shuffle amid the sets, special effects, and colorful supporting cast.
But even the supporting performances are a mixed bag. Von Sydow is pretty awesome as Ming. Anderson on the other hand makes for a forgettable Dale. And Topol is rather annoying. Most of that had to do with the way Dr. Zarkov was written though. I particularly hated the fact that he would pull a gun on Flash and Dale to make them go in his ship.
The presence of Ornella Muti very nearly saves the entire film. She’s definitely one of the Top Five Hotties of All Time in this flick. The scene where she gets tied up and whipped is Fifty Shades of Awesome. But Ornella is much more than a pretty face and a tight body. She’s a heck of an actress too. I especially liked her comic timing in the scene where she tries to seduce Flash while he’s simultaneously trying to contact Dale telepathically.
But the best thing about the movie is the awesome score by Queen. You’ll have the music stuck in your head for days after. The movie… not so much.
QUICK THOUGHTS:
Flash Gordon probably can’t be classified as a “good” movie, but it’s a fun one. The biggest problem has always been with the hero Flash, who is so bland that he quickly gets lost in a sea of colorful sets, costumes, and supporting characters. That, and the special effects look closer to say Barbarella (another Dino de Laurentiis production) than Star Wars. Still, of the many Star Wars rip-offs released at the time, it remains one of the better cash-ins.
4K UHD NOTES:
You can say what you will about Flash Gordon’s various shortcomings, but it had always been a visual treat. This 4K treatment by Arrow does the film justice. You really get your bang for your buck during the awesome title sequence where the colors and comic panels pop like never before. Since the film is loaded with lush colors and visual pizzazz, you could probably use any given scene as a systems test for your home theater set-up. It looks that good. Queen’s score sounds equally amazing. Of course, the best sight in 4K has to be Ornella Muti. Growl.
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