The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

"I will allow you to live as long as you serve me. Betray me, and I will joyfully send you back to rot in hell.", 30 August 2015

If you had asked me in 1982, I would have probably told you that The Sword and the Sorcerer was one of the greatest achievements in motion picture history. I loved it! Everything about it was just so cool. Re-watching it this many years later, I still enjoyed the movie, but not as much as I once did. 

First off, this has to be one of the better fantasy movies made in an attempt to cash in on the success of Conan. It actually has a budget, mostly good acting, reasonably entertaining special effects, and some nice tension and atmosphere. So many of the Conan cash-ins were made with little or no budget - and it usually showed. Some were fun, but they looked cheap. The acting here is a step above the normal early 80s fantasy movie. I always enjoy Richard Lynch and his Cromwell is perfectly nasty. Another big plus for The Sword and the Sorcerer is the character Xusia. His resurrection and later return are two of the film's highlights. Nicely done and creepy to boot.

But as I said, I didn't find the movie quite as enjoyable as I once did. My main problem is Lee Horsley as Talon. He's a decent enough actor, but here, he seems horribly miscast. He's just not right for the role. And then there's that sword. I loved it 1982, but now I see how ridiculous it looks. A real sword like that one would weigh a ton and be unusable. Very unwieldy looking thing. 

Still, it's definitely a fun movie and worth at least a 6/10 if you like early 80s fantasy movies.

6/10