Flash Gordon (1980) User Reviews (349)

The best bad film ever made.

[barnabyrudge · 7/10 · 15 August 2004]

There are films out there that can be described as a guilty pleasure - you know they're quite bad, but somewhere deep down in your heart you can't bring yourself to admit it. Flash Gordon is, in my opinion, the guiltiest pleasure of them all. Cardboard characters, lunatic script, embarrassing dialogue, trashy performances (apart from Max Von Sydow), and hilarious special effects... yet the one thing that comes out in the film's favour is that, despite its seemingly countless faults, it is still irresistibly entertaining.

American football legend Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) and sexy babe Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) are aboard a private flight when a weird red-storm forces them to perform an emergency landing. They crash into the back garden of wacky ex-NASA scientist Hans Zarkov (Topol), an eccentric madman who believes the world is under attack from alien forces and who has built his own spaceship to do battle with the enemy. Astonishingly, it turns out that Zarkov was right - and pretty soon, Flash, Dale and Zarkov find themselves on the planet Mongo, battling against its tyrannical emperor Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow), with a little help from Ming's treacherous daughter (Ornella Muti), her lover Barin (Timothy Dalton), and the winged warrior Vultan (Brian Blessed).

Flash Gordon is an absolutely insane film. The set design is remarkable, as is the costume design, and a pounding rock soundtrack is provided by the group Queen. Performance-wise, everyone seems to be camping it up like an end-of-term pantomime, though Von Sydow somehow seems to give his villain a deliciously sinister edge. Some of the dialogue is so awful that it becomes eminently quotable by virtue of its badness (a few samples: "This Ming is a psycho!"; "That must be some planet you come from!"; and - my favourite - "Freeze! You bloody bastards!") Flash Gordon should be a total disaster - an awful shambles of a film with no redeeming qualities. It isn't. Perhaps we'll never know how or why it works, but it does. So let the dissection of Flash Gordon the movie end here - analyze it no more, just enjoy it!

brilliantly colorful and deliciously campy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 October 2015]

The Emperor Ming (Max von Sydow) is attacking the Earth. Only former NASA scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) seems to have foreseen it. He intends to launch himself in his rocket as a 'counter-attack'. NY Jets star quarterback Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) is taking a commuter flight. He survives the plane crash along with fellow passenger Dale Arden (Melody Anderson). Zarkov tricks the duo into his rocket and launches them into space. They are taken prisoner to find Ming's tyrannical rule over the various kingdoms. Prince Barin (Timothy Dalton) leads the kingdom of Arboria. Hawkman Prince Vultan (Brian Blessed) runs Sky City. Ming's daughter Princess Aura (Ornella Muti) is fascinated with Flash. Ming takes Dale as his concubine.

This is brilliantly colorful and deliciously campy. The Queen soundtrack is second to none. The acting is big but it fits the style. Parts of it goes a bit too slowly. Some scenes are very static. Even the actors move slowly as an old-fashion way to denote drama. Sometimes it needs more energy to maintain the tension. This is an unique vision and a fun watch if you don't take it seriously.

Camp but great fun- a guilty pleasure says I

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 29 March 2010]

Yes, the plot is silly, yes the dialogue is cheesy and yes, some of the special effects are badly done, but nonetheless it is great fun. Like Rocky Horror Picture Show, Congo and Jingle All the Way, Flash Gordon is a sort of guilty pleasure of mine. The costumes are quite extravagant and the sets are exotic. Then you have an irresistibly killer soundtrack from Queen, who also brought us the classics We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody. The direction is pretty good and the acting is surprisingly great. Sam J Jones is bad with his cheesiness but he was fun besides, thank goodness he wasn't bland like Justin Whalin from Dungeons and Dungeons, and Melody Anderson is charming and alluring as Dale. Brian Blessed is very hammy as Vultran but he is great fun regardless and Topol, who was so superb in Fiddler on the Roof, is memorable as Dr Hans Zarkov. And while Ornella Muti is a wonderfully witty and sexy Princess Aura, it is Max Von Sydow who walks away with the picture, pantomime of course but sinister as well and I appreciated that. Overall, not perfect and camp personified, but very enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Cardboard, disposable and tremendous fun

[bob the moo · 30 December 2002]

After a plane crash in extreme weather, Flash Gordon and his travelling companion Dale Arden after abducted by Dr Zarkov to help pilot his spaceship to confront what he believes is an attack from space. Once in space Flash comes faces to face with the cause of the extreme weather, Ming the Merciless and is sentenced to death. Saved from death by Ming's lustful daughter Flash sets out to save his friends and stop Ming with the help of the leaders of the kingdoms.

Even when this was brand new I suspect it looked out dated and a throwback kind of appeal. More than 20 years later this definitely is appreciated as a laugh by about as many people who genuinely enjoy it on it's own merits. The plot is well known to most people I suspect - I know it from the 25 minute b/w 'classic' series that BBC2 repeated in the mornings when I was only a lad in the 80's. But it is easily nutshelled as above. The story moves alone at a good pace despite the poor effects and is actually pretty exciting.

The effects are poor - even for 1980's the back projection is rubbish and the costumes are silly. Compare it to the advances made in Star Wars and stuff years before and it looks weak. However the vision is ambitious and it works well if you accept the weaknesses from the start. Another weakness is the acting from ranges from wooden to just plain hammy. Jones is perfect as Flash, despite being wooden as a tree. He comes over like a 30's matinee idol type, which is just what the fun mood of the film needed. Anderson is awful but again just accept the weaknesses. Von Sydow is good as Ming and Topol is a little unhinged as Zarkov. Blessed hams it up so much you could slice him and serve him with pineapple but he also suits the film well. Dalton, O'Brien, Blue Peter's Peter Duncan and Robbie Coltrane and several other unexpected Brits turn up which is nice.

If you're not sure if this film is for you then watch the first 20 minutes. By that time you'll have seen two key things that sum up the film. Firstly you'll have sat through the extremely cool theme song from Queen. That gets me in the mood every time I hear it! Secondly you'll see a fight with Ming the Merciless' men where Flash takes them on in a form of American Football fighting! Both this scene and the music are a little silly and quite camp but if you like these then the rest of the film will suit you fine.

Personally I love this movie and watch it every repeat I see. It is silly and has plenty of weakness, but more than all these things it is incredibly fun to watch! Sing it with me now - 'FLASH! AH-AH! HE'LL SAVE EVERYONE OF US!'

High Camp but so good looking

[maatmouse-1 · 7/10 · 30 September 2010]

Of all the sci fi films which didn't take themselves way too seriously in the eighties, this is probably the best. Okay, it doesn't have the quasi-religious undertones of Star Wars nor the 'we want to be taken seriously' tone of Lord of the Rings or the cgi'd to hell and back look of nearly every sci-fi film since the 1990s, but it does have one thing: Sam Jones in tight black leather briefs. And that is the whole point of the film. You don't take it seriously.

There is also the plot. Quite simple. Ming the Merciless of the Planet Mongo wants to invade/destroy earth. And Flash, Dale Arden and Doctor Zarkov are the only ones who can stop him. However, they must first negotiate the mad, high camp of Ming's court with its highly coloured and very extravagant costumes, the ridiculous dialogue, moments of rather adult (although I didn't know it at the time) humour and, of course, Max Von Syndow as Ming. Who looks perfect.

Yes, the special effects are interesting and superseded by better stuff, but the high gloss look of the whole thing somehow makes you think it doesn't matter. And the rest of the cast play along admirably, even Tim Dalton, delicious as Prince Barin and the wonderfully, over the top, Brian Blessed playing Vultan.

Its good fun, very silly and makes you feel good. What more is there. This film is why you went to the cinema in the first place.

Flash! Ah-ahh!

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 29 January 2018]

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.

Enjoyable big-budget sci-fi kitsch.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 24 July 2010]

American football star Flash Gordon (Sam Jones), scientist Hans Zarkov (Topol), and pretty estate agent Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) are blasted to the farthest reaches of space to fight Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow), the tyrannical ruler of Mongo, who has been subjecting The Earth to a series of violent attacks in the form of freak weather conditions and terrible catastrophes.

Featuring blond pretty boy Sam Jones in the title role, some of the most garish costumes in the history of cinema, cheesy dialogue galore, a catchy pop/rock soundtrack by Queen, poorly constructed props (and a few rather suggestive looking ones), marvellously hammy performances from a fine collection of cult character actors (including Department S's Richard Wyngarde, Rocky Horror's Richard O'Brien and good old Brian Blessed), and spectacularly ropey special effects (all wires clearly visible), Flash Gordon is quite possibly the most gleefully daft, over-the-top, knowingly tacky, and outrageously flamboyant sci-fi film ever made.

Don't be put off by the fact that the film is perfect for a themed night at the local gay bar, though—Flash Gordon might be camper than a row of tents, as the saying goes, but there really is something for everyone but the most joyless of movie pedants: we get fantastical floating worlds that predate those in Avatar by three decades, there's pet dwarfs, crazy laser battles, a whip-wielding dominatrix, assorted sexy bints in skimpy outfits, and even a little 'gore' (both Ming and his henchman Klytus meet nasty fates)—PLUS for every shot of our hero in a tight T-shirt or leather hot-pants, we get several of the gorgeous Ornella Muti (as Ming's sultry daughter Princess Aura) in her figure hugging red catsuit, easily rivalling Buck Rogers' Erin Gray in the sexy Spandex stakes. Melody Anderson as Dale isn't exactly ugly either, and also gets to wear some very revealing get-ups.

Hell, even Blue Peter fans are catered for, with '80s presenter Peter Duncan appearing as a tree dweller whose hand is attacked by a slimy vacuum cleaner bag with a poisonous sting in its tail. Now that's what I call entertainment!

The power of a story over a budget

[mentalcritic · 7/10 · 26 October 2006]

In 1980, science fiction was undergoing a revival of sorts. Some would argue that it is unfortunate that the science fiction appearing on the big screens of the time were more action-oriented than dramatic in nature. Flash Gordon came at a time when audiences were being trained to expect more and more from their films, with budgets skyrocketing and effects becoming progressively more important than the story. It is therefore somewhat disheartening to see reviewers focusing on how camp or low-fi they perceive it to be. Camp, low-budget, low-fi it is, but it has something that Episode 2 of Star Wars in particular didn't. Namely, it has the ingredients of a rollicking good time. From the awesome soundtrack by Queen to the near-ridiculous action sequences, Flash Gordon is almost the last hurrah in an era where filmmakers were expected to spend at least as much time on script and dialogue as they do eye candy. What makes it all the more interesting is that beyond the basic setup, there almost is no story to speak of.

Beginning with a POV shot from some distant planet, we see how the world we take for granted is suddenly subjected to all sorts of destructive weather patterns by its Emperor. Emperor Ming has decided to shift the orbit of the moon in order to make it collide with Earth, leaving a handful of days before all life on the planet is destroyed. Not one to take this kind of thing lying down, a scientist by the name of Hans Zarkov is busily building a rocket so that he might go to the source of the attacks and reason with them. Coincidentally, a plane carrying football star Flash Gordon and some girl called Dale Arden crash into Zarkov's lab. Tricking them into boarding his rocket, Zarkov takes them on a brief trip to a world so barren one wonders where they find the liquid to sustain themselves. Taken captive and escorted to the Emperor, our heroes bear witness to a society in which Lords of several moons pay tribute to said Emperor. With their lives, if need be. The real fun begins when Ming takes an interest in Dale.

Interest is putting it mildly. In a classic script oversight, Ming decides within a moment of first seeing her that he wants Dale to do with as he will. Flash is naturally not one to take such things lying down, so he begins attacking Ming's guards with a series of offensive football-style strikes. This gets the attention of several Lords who have been awaiting the right moment to overthrow Ming, but the fight is lost before it has begun, for obvious reasons. Overpowered, Flash is sentenced to execution, and thus the first of many bondage-like outfits is seen. I am not one to cry out "gay" when I see two men express a powerful bond, but several people I have watched the film with now agree that Flash Gordon has one of the biggest gay, or S&M, themes going in 1980s film. Not that this is particularly important, but the amount of leather underwear and tights on display would have made the Village People blush. Of course, this is all just one adult subtext that will go right over the head of the children in the audience.

One commendable feature of Flash Gordon is the death scenes. Aiming a film at children and dispatching characters in a violent fashion is always a tricky business. This adaptation gets around the issue by showing the alien creatures melting after they are killed. The manner in which this is filmed would probably get Flash Gordon a more restrictive rating if it were released for the first time today. It reminds me in part of a description in Repo Man. Eyes, skin, even bones melt in a manner that tells us how alien the villains are in a way that all the prosthetics in the world cannot. Roger Ebert was right on the money when he wrote that Flash Gordon "is cheerfully willing to look as phony as it is". That he didn't mean it as a criticism shows that he got what the film was about. During action sequences, it assaults the senses and almost bullies the viewer into forgetting that what they are seeing is anything but real. During extended moments of dialogue, it flat out orders you to not take it seriously.

Making it all the funnier is that producer Dino De Laurentiis, that famed bankrupt-wannabe, thought the whole story was serious. As director Mike Hodges phrased it, anyone who watches the film will find that factoid "rather curious". Sam Jones is absolutely terrible as the titular hero, and yet it works because a certain idiocy is what the character requires. Really, the whole thing reeks of being rushed into production, and then rushed to theatre screens, which probably sealed its financial doom. Hodges apparently had to work with a crew whose language he did not speak, with a script that wasn't finished, and no storyboards to boot. Having seen the finished product on DVD after all these years, I have to confess that my respect for Hodges has gone right through the roof in light of this. Forget Flash - Hodges is the one who can rightfully claim to be king of the impossible. Anyway, when all is said and done, Flash Gordon is representative of the direction cinema might well have been better off taking.

For these reasons and more, I gave Flash Gordon circa 1980 a seven out of ten. Excitement and adventure always beat a big budget, as this film proves.

A 1930's Comic Strip Brought Perfectly To Life

[colleran-2 · 10/10 · 28 September 2004]

Flash Gordon is one of the most perfectly realized films De Laurentiis made, and it is disappointing that so few have recognized it for what it is; a 1930's comic strip brought perfectly to life. The fact that it is so accurate a realization of America's hopes and fears during the 1930's may help to explain why it has been dismissed so readily as, at best, mere camp, and at worst, a vulgar cinematic catastrophe: Today's audiences are too removed from that decade to catch the references. A classic example of America's view of Asia during the 1930's can be found in Dale Arden's confrontation with Princess Aura just prior to her wedding to Ming. Aura is trying to convince Dale to slip a poison into Ming's "Power Potion" but Dale tells Aura she can't because she's given Ming her word to "try to be a good wife if [Ming] would spare Zarkov and Baron. He vowed he would." Aura, shocked at her naiveté, shouts, "My father has never kept a vow in his life!" To which Dale responds, "I can't help that Aura. Keeping our word is one of the things that make us better than you." Flash Gordon is filled with this type of wonderful 1930's fun, and this fun is only enhanced by the decision to use bad actors in roles that would only benefit from the lack of skill, as well as Oscar-caliber actors in the most demanding roles. Max Von Sydow is an obvious example of the latter, but the hidden gems come in the form of Mariangela Melato, Brian Blessed, and Ornella Muti. Melato does an outstanding job as Klytus's reptilian, but beautiful, second in command when she flawlessly delivers lines like, "Confess, and we won't hurt you anymore.

We don't like doing this at all!" And Ornella Muti is simply unbelievable as Ming's gorgeous but deadly daughter. Replying to Flash's query as to whether he can use the telepathy machine to contact Dale with a perfectly candid, "If I showed you how. But I'm not going to." Add to these amazing actors the costumes and sets that are obvious homages to the original comic's drawings and you have a movie that is as surprising as it is delightful. Enjoy!

Crazy But Fun

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 1 October 2013]

No other film is like this one, as Sam J. Jones plays the title character, based on the famous comic strip and early Saturday morning serials with Buster Crabbe. Max Von Sydow is the evil Ming the Merciless, ruler of Mongo, who is trying to destroy Earth because he is bored. Melody Anderson is Dale Arden, in love with Flash and coveted by Ming. Topol is Dr. Hans Zarkhov, whose rocket ship took the three of them to Mongo in the first place. Brian Blessed is extremely enthusiastic as Prince Vultan, Pre-James Bond Timothy Dalton is quite serious as Prince Barin, rival of Vultan, and in love with Ming's ultra sensuous daughter Princess Aura(Ornella Muti) All will converge in the exciting finale where Flash must save the day.

Crazy film is nonetheless great fun, no point in taking this seriously, since everything about it is intentionally over the top, punctuated by a soaring score and incredible sets and costumes. Not to be over thought or have all kinds of subtext in it, just sit back and enjoy!

Hotpants in Hotspace - The turbo-powered love rocket story

[j30bell · 5/10 · 31 January 2005]

A blonde, whip-wielding man in red PVC hotpants. A sultry brunette temptresses in a (red PVC) catsuit. A dastardly skullcapped villain with a penchant for S'n'M. A horny, malevolent robot-man called Klytus (a cross between coitus and clitoris?) with a penchant for young ladies. A phallic war rocket Ajax looking like a model 747 decked out with spikes and fins. No: this isn't a 1990s porn extravaganza; this is Flash Gordon – the early 80s camp comic classic.

What a film! Sorry, I mean what a film? It's impossible to convey the qualities of this film in a short review. Indeed, I'm not entirely sure I understand on what level (or planet) this film works. Mainly I think it works because everyone is having such fun, from the gloriously camp Max Von Sydow (my all time hero) to Queen (who seem not so much responsible for the soundtrack as the spiritual progenitors for the film itself).

I should mention that I have fond memories of this film from childhood. I remember sneaking downstairs to watch it late at night aged about 8. From that moment, my childhood fantasies usually came (so to speak) in the form of Princess Aura (Ornella Muti and the now famous red catsuit). I should also point out that the film has very few other obvious things (apart from exuberance) going for it. It is possibly one of the daftest films ever made, only slightly redeemed by the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously – note the Houdini reference and the casting of Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan as proof of this, not that you'll need any proof after five minutes of watching it. Indeed, the only ones who don't seem to be enjoying themselves are the humourless Timothy Dalton and the limp-wristed, wet as a haddock Melody Anderson proving once and for all that rampant Euro totty spank the ass (so to speak) of all American girls.

Anyway, I digress. Flash Gordon is essentially a pantomime with an all-star cast (for Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, think Sir Ian McKellem as Widow Twanky). Viewed objectively it's a moderately, if not abjectly awful film. If you just unhook your critical consciousness for 90 minutes you are sure to be rewarded by a high camp, high-energy slice of high grade Camembert. And Mistress Muti – she's still a kind of magic! 5/10

If Star Wars & the original Batman TV series had a kid, it would be... FLASH! Ahh-AHHH

[rooprect · 8/10 · 9 August 2017]

Geez, I think my title summed up everything that needs to be said. "Flash Gordon" has all the sci-fi and action as "Star Wars" but blended with an unapologetic campiness and comic bookishness like the iconic 60s Batman series. Throw into the mix, um, QUEEN doing the soundtrack, and you've got yourself an experience that will never happen again.

You might be thinking the blend I just described is as ill-advised as putting pineapple on pizza (seriously does anyone really like that?), but actually the blend is perfect if we take a quick look at the decade that this film wraps up, the 70s. The 70s was the decade of the rock opera: The Who's "Tommy", the doo-wopper "Grease", Motown's "The Wiz", the punkish "Rocky Horror" and bunches of others that swept the box office. While "Flash Gordon" isn't a musical, as defined by characters breaking out into song & dance, the vibe of the movie spells rock opera with a capital Rock. In plain terms this means a very tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top, theatrical and colorful spectacle that is not to be taken as a straightforward drama. If you can grasp that concept, I guarantee you'll love this flick.

The plot? Who cares. Something about saving the universe, I'm sure. But it doesn't matter because, like a good roller coaster ride, or like a good adventurous vacation, we don't care how it's mapped out. We just get a thrill out of each individual twist & turn, each scene, each surprise, and all the while we're taking mental notes of all the horribly awesome lines we can quote to our friends and annoy them for months afterwards.

A serious note about the acting. This production drew the talents of some of the finest actors of stage & screen, and for them to be able to play such campy characters is a testament to their true expertise. I'm talking dramatic & Shakespearean legends like Brian Blessed, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, not to mention the incomparable personality of Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) and the show-stealing, sexually repressed Ornella Muti as the Emperor's daughter--whose mere presence would've kicked the MPAA rating from PG to PG-13 if that designation had existed back then. Even if you don't recognize any of these people, you'll find each one of them to be unforgettable.

"Flash Gordon" is a film that has no equal. You could say it's a distant cousin to 1968's "Barbarella" (another wtf experience that shouldn't be missed), but really it's beyond compare. So hurry up and see this movie ...you only have 14 hours to save the earth!

Cinema breakthrough....

[rickyricardomokwena · 7/10 · 19 March 2014]

This is the film that sparked a lot of visual influence in many cinema motion pictures today.The original Flash Gordon in the thirties inspired "George Lucas's" 'Star Wars' franchise.Compared to the technology used at the present this will just make you laugh off the visual effects and costumes used in this movie.But if you rewind to the early 80's and recall how cinema was at the time you will really appreciate this piece of art.

The one noticeable major accomplishment of this movie that the audience can't ignore is the fact that a lot of movies were built from this such as 'Masters of the Universe' which was released in 1987 and loosely based on a range of toys and a cartoon series.If you look closely you will see that 'He-Man' or rather 'Prince Adam' is a re-incarnation of 'Flash Gordon'.The only difference being that 'He-Man' is more muscular and less of a ladies man.

There are certain traces of 'Krull' released in 1983 and 'Star Wars :The Empire Strikes Back' of which both took off a few bites bite from 'Flash Gordon'and 'Predator' released in 1987 as well .The other remarkable discovery of this film is the fact that the character of 'Leonidas' played by 'Gerard Butler' from '300' was a full impersonation of 'Prince Vultan' played by 'Brian Blessed'.The imitation was to such an extent that the look and feel of 'Leonidas' character was entirely based on the 'Prince Vultan' character complete with the beard, scruffy and commanding voice of 'Brain Blessed' with quotes such as 'let the combat begin,to the death' which made '300' a huge success.

'Flash Gordon' hate it or love it, but they are all here and it paved the way for many sci-fi classics of the 80's.Although the plot was not so prevailing and at times too silly with 'Sam Jones' in the lead role as 'Flash Gordon'coming off as rather too cheesy and soft.It almost indirectly displays too much sexuality in an attempt to stir up some romance which was unnecessary and makes the character of the sex-crazed 'Princes Aura' played by the forever stunning 'Ornella Muti' a bit too offensive and annoying.

All was not lost and fans were treated to some astonishment by the soundtrack being provided by the band 'Queen' which was iconic rock band in the 80'.The winning factor is that 'Flash Gordon' was a great movie during its time and the filmmakers wanted to achieve something they were not capable of because of technology back then. But they did it anyway and instead of getting an awful disastrous piece of work what emerged was a motion picture that changed the history of science-fiction movies.

Audiences may not love it now but if they think back and recall life in the early eighties they will begin to appreciated 'Flash Gordon' for what its worth.

A 1980 version of a 1940 serial and a wonderful guilty pleasure.

[kdryan · 4/10 · 15 September 2001]

This a definitely one of my guilty pleasure movies. You know, the movies you secretly love to watch but would be too embarrassed to tell your friends about. People think this is a dumb movie and it really is. But it is not trying to be Schindler's List here. DeLaurentis was unabashedly paying homage to the Flash Gordon of the 40's and he succeeded wonderfully. The costumes, the spaceships, the characters are all strictly in keeping with the golden age of Sci-Fi. So sit back, check your mind at the door, and look back on what kids must have felt watching the original Flash Gordon.

Packed with memorable moments, characters and dialogue. Gordon's Alive!

[amesmonde · 11 February 2012]

A football player is tricked to travel the planet Mongo and finds himself forging friendships while fighting a tyrant, Ming the Merciless, to save Earth.

Lacking the production values and execution of the comparable Star Wars, Flash Gordon retains its comic-strip and Saturday morning matinée serial feel, possibly thanks to a troubled production and Lorenzo Semple Jr. screenplay.

Peter Wyngarde plays masked villain Klytus elegantly creepy (possibly and inspiration for He-Man's Skeletor) and with Mariangela Melato Kala's (oddly He-Man borrows another character this time Evil-Lynn) leads the assault while The Emperor Ming played subtly by  Max von Sydow takes a back seat. It's this distance between the protagonist and antagonist that hampers the film but on the other hand it's works to its credit allowing an array of colourful characters to line the screen including Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan who's delivers a barrage of classic lines while Timothy Dalton to graces the screen as dashing Errol Flynn alike Prince Barin.

Flash's love interest Dale Arden is played by Melody Anderson Dale is the perfect 1950's style every day New Yorker. Flash lacks Charisma, history may have been different should Kurt Russell had committed.  Either way Sam J. Jones Flash Gordon does the job. There's tones of familiar faces including UK's Richard O'Brien, Robbie Coltrane and Blue Peter's Peter Duncan. Sultry Ornella Muti is perfect as Ming's daughter Princess Aura nevertheless there's no doubt Topol steals every scene as unhinged science 'genius'  Dr. Hans Zarkov.

While characters arcs change pacer than Queen's memorable pumping and notable soundtrack amongst themes of forging friendships, suicide, death, sacrifice and resurrection to name a few there's spaceships, poisonous creatures, red-clad guards and enough sequins to start a cabaret show all the things you'd expect from a science fiction.  Beneath the bright and lustre costumes there's a dark and rebel subtext. 

Director Mike Hodges gives us many stand out scenes including a battle to the death on a remote control tilting platform with retractable spikes, an American football inspired fight, a space shuttle assault, gooey spider-monster and girls cat fight. There's also some nice touches during Zarkov and prince escape that stay in the mind.  The effects are a mixed bag with projection and composites heavy utilised, again it gives it's that hammy serial feel but hampers Flash's longevity as a rounded work of art. Even so it packs in so many memorable characters, lines and moments that it retains a must seem charm.

Flash Gordon is flawed as much as the actor title role, it never fully explores the characters, yet, it's well defined and still is a lot of fun. Gordon's alive!

20 years don't make a difference

[stiv-7 · 7/10 · 25 October 2000]

Some childhood obsessions stay with you for life, and Flash would have to be one of them. In fact, Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica began a lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy in all of its good (and especially) bad forms. The above summary isn't really accurate; 20 years don't make a difference to how much I like this film, but they have changed my reasons for liking it. With hindsight, I've discovered exactly who Lorenzo Semple Jr. is, and now, fully understanding the camp elements of this film, I can still enjoy it, but on a completely new level. As for complaints about the acting of Sam Jones (who did much worse in the abysmal firefighter series Code Red) and Melody Anderson, you hire actors for what they can do, not what they can't. This is why Keanu Reeves was perfect for The Matrix, and why Arnold Schwarzenegger was perfect for The Terminator. Jones and Anderson serve the same purpose for Semple as Adam West and Burt Ward did in the Batman series; who better than someone sadly lacking in acting skills to deliver a completely ludicrous line with a straight face? Unless your name is Charlton Heston, experienced actors have a difficult time with it. Anyways, I digress. The things that first attracted me to this film still do it for me, and that would be the production values and special effects, not to mention the great soundtrack by Queen (I actually had a friend consider using Brian May's arrangement of the Wedding March at his wedding; his mother, of course, ixnayed it). This is still a great looking movie, even by today's standards, which makes me wonder if DeLaurentiis was in on the joke the whole time. All in all, a lot of fun, unless you get offended by less than faithful revisions, in which case I have to wonder about your upbringing.

Visually and Aurally Dazzling Update of the 1930's Serials

[dglink · 7/10 · 27 August 2016]

Colorful, silly fun, at times campy, Mike Hodges's 1980 "Flash Gordon" is among those movies that are less than the sum of their parts. Made on shoe-string budgets with C-picture performers and crew for young undemanding viewers, the original 1930's Flash Gordon serials are unintentionally funny to adults today. To recapture the innocence and naivete of those movies with a big budget and trained actors is a difficult task, although Hodges's "Flash Gordon" makes a decent attempt. Lorenzo Semple's screenplay tracks the original serials fairly well; Flash and Dale Arden are taken aboard Doctor Hans Zarkov's spacecraft and flown to the planet Mongo, where they battle Emperor Ming the Merciless to save the Earth. Semple's script has enough classic bad dialog to satisfy seekers of camp; "I love you Flash, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth." However, the difference between Semple's script and the original series is that Semple knew he was writing bad dialog, while the writers of the serial were unintentionally hilarious.

That difference in intention also applies to the actors; Buster Crabbe and company played the serials dead-pan straight, and those in the remake who play their parts equally straight come off best. The under-demanding role of Flash requires the skills of a Razzie Award Winning thespian, and, Sam J. Jones won a Razzie nomination for his work herein. Although not a super hero in the modern sense, the blonde hunk, who sports nothing but leather trunks in one scene, physically fills the role, and Jones manages to deliver his lines with a convincing lack of conviction as the dim, but well meaning Flash. However, the movie's scene-stealer is Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless; appropriately garbed and made-up as the evil emperor, Von Sydow plays the role with majesty and menace, which is all the more fun. Unfortunately, Topol as Doctor Zarkov, does not follow Von Sydow's example and winks and smiles as the mad scientist, telegraphing to viewers that he is in on the joke. But Brian Blessed as the winged Prince Vultan, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin, and, especially, the delicious Peter Wyngarde as Klytus deliver their lines as though penned by the Bard himself. Although Mariangela Melato is a memorable Kala, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden should have been in the running for a Razzie alongside Jones, which is intended as a compliment.

Besides Von Sydow, the film's other scene-stealer is designer Danilo Donati, who provided the lavish Fellini-esque costumes and sets. While Donati's work tends to emphasize red and gold, which may not be to everyone's taste, his outlandish designs are as entertaining as anything on display and certainly light years beyond those of the 1930's serials. If Donati or another anonymous designer created the Art-Deco spaceships, he or she too deserves kudos as do the creators of the appropriately tacky and obvious special effects, which beautifully evoke the primitive work of the 1930's serials. As contemporary and important as the art direction is the pulsating score by Queen that punctuates the action and enhances the excitement. While "Flash Gordon" is not the high camp perhaps intended, the film has a cult following and enough outstanding attributes to satisfy main-stream audiences. Led by Max Von Sydow's iconic Ming the Merciless, Queen's pounding music, and Danilo Donati's dazzling designs, "Flash Gordon" may not be to everybody's taste, but should be savored by all at least once, just for the sheer fun of it all.

The best guilty pleasure of them all

[azeemnavarro · 7/10 · 15 September 2019]

Yes, Flash Gordon is campy, and chessy, and trashy...it may be a lot of things, but most importantly, it is fun. You have to take in consideration what the movie tries to be: a homage of the original 1930's comic strips. And while I haven't read them, I totally get the vibe and I know it succeeds wonderfully. Knowing that, I can't really criticize the cardboard characters, the stupid premise, the hilarious effects..because that's the only approach a movie like this should have. Flash Gordon is the most innocent and likable hero ever, and an unrecognizable Max von Sydow gives a terrific performance as Ming the Merciless; everyone else is pretty much terrible, but they were having fun, and that's what it matters to me. I have to also praise the soundtrack, made by no other but Queen. Can you think of a more appropiate band for a job like this? Queen itself it's campy and self-aware, that's why their music fits so perfectly with the film. Flash theme is even more memorable than most of their songs from the 80's and 90's. I have to admit that the movie don't always overcome it's silliness and that the pacing suffers a lot throught, those being my only real complaints. Flash Gordon is far from being perfect, but it has a lot of heart, and I can't help but love it.

Enjoyable Rubbish Best Remembered For Its Theme Song

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 10 April 2005]

Director Mike Hodges directed the ultra bleak Brit classic GET CARTER so he seems a very strange choice to direct a big budget fantasy movie , and long before the final credits you do realise that he's almost a bad choice as director , I mean look at the two leads playing Flash and Dale . Is it any surprise that they didn't star in anymore movies that anyone has heard of ? I should also point out that Brian Blessed reverts to his typecast role of being a large shouting man with a beard while Prince Barin is a Welshman who challenges a BLUE PETER presenter to find a muddy balloon in a tree trunk and shouts dialogue like " FREEZE YOU BLUDDY BESTUDS " in a ridiculous manner

That's why I said Hodges " is almost a bad choice as director " and not Hodges " is a bad choice as director " because his unfamiliarity of the subject matter works in the audiences favour though perhaps not the director's . Just how much less enjoyable would this movie have been if it wasn't for the loud acting , the garish colour contrasts , the not very convincing special effects ? Agreed it's total rubbish but it's also totally entertaining rubbish enhanced by its very intrusive score by Queen . Dum dum dum dum dum Flash aargh saviour of the universe

It all works in this case

[patrick.hunter · 10/10 · 3 August 2000]

Some people aren't too fond of this version; it failed at the box office and many fans hate the camp, which, for me, works in this case. Unlike the Christopher Reeves SUPERMAN and others, the camp makes fun of the heroes, and not the villains (some of us like to take our villains seriously, and do not like them to made to look silly, thank you very much).

The filmmakers were obviously aware of, and aimed to incorporate, everything attached to Flash Gordon---from Raymond's comic strip, to the old Universal serials, to the semi-pornographic parody "Flesh Gordon," to even the post-STAR WARS mythology that audiences in the eighties would expect. Surprisingly, for such a diverse melange, it actually works.

Unlike the other space movies of the time, this film emphasized sets and costumes rather than visual effects, and as a result its overall look dates less than many spaceoperas of the late seventies/early eighties. For those who dismiss it--and there are many--be aware that there are also many of us who love it and have re-watched more than you. It's deligtfully rewatchable and nowadays is an indisputable example of what is termed a cult film.

Well...that was different...

[ThunderingTim · 7/10 · 4 June 2017]

So the other day my buddy and I got together for our monthly beer, cola, pizza and movie night. After regaling him with stories of my utter failure in life, work and love we selected this movie. I had never seen it, though I knew the Queen song of course, and for him it had been quite a while.

It was.....quite the experience, to put it mildly. This flick is utterly bonkers. The acting is atrocious at times, especially the lead Hawkman (yes you read that correctly) who clearly doesn't take it serious; the set design and costumes are way, way over the top (it looks like colorblind aliens are holding a gay pride/carnival where everyone looks as ridiculous as is humanly...well...I guess...alienly possible; the editing and directing falls and fails and flails all over the place; the plot, if I may use that word ever so boldly, is so full with plot holes large enough to swallow a pyramid and coincidences that makes you want to throw stuff at the screen.

Yet......is this movie a prime example of "so bad it becomes good again"? You know what, I'm bound to think it is. I was fully entertained and flabbergasted along the way. You can see what's going to happen from a mile away but for once it didn't bother me. It's just so over the top, harmless, trashy, cliché ridden, camp, low budget with big dreams that I cannot help but approve of this movie.

Sure, a few annoyances. That may seem an endless list for a movie like this but since I like campy movies and its worst attributes actually make you laugh the most and that's never a bad thing, only a few things stand out.

Flash is such a goodie, softie, plastic hero it doesn't always work in his favor. I also didn't like how basically everyone (Flash, the Emperor, the princess, Dale) all fall in love within two minutes. The movie makes it seem (I don't know the comics) as if Flash and Dale are total strangers, meeting on the plane, yet she professes her love for him almost immediately. The Emperor falls for Dale the second he sees her. The Princess, well, she kisses just about everyone, but she's Ming's daughter and nearly engaged, but one look at Flash's Goldilocks and she aids a revolution.

I also didn't care much for the mad scientist guy, who basically kidnaps them but also forms a strong bond; who isn't the slightest bit amazed at the alien cultures but does seem to feel superior; who gets an extremely high dose of brainwash that does nothing without any explanation.

I also would have liked a little more Queen since they took the music department under their wings. I like the titular song but we get little else. Oh yeah, for some reason the aliens play the Bridal March but it's the Brian May version.

Richard O'Brien is severely underused. Max von Sydow appears, half way through the movie, to have decided he doesn't want to be there anymore. I also didn't really care for Timothy Dalton's character's sudden turn to Flash's side. Some scenes appear to be missing, most noticeably the capture of the Princess by the general guy (though he is pretty cool, sort of Doctor Doom's gay cousin).

Worst of all is, of course, the American Football scene. The chapter is even called just that, making it the odd one out in a series of bombastic chapter titles. It's actually slightly embarrassing seeing him make a play as if one the field, and even more embarrassing that all of Ming's subordinate leaders seem to help him. Hawkman again does worse here, disabling people and then looking innocently away, even though it's blatantly obvious, utterly without motivation, completely out of the blue, and rather ridiculous to oppose the Emperor openly and then do all but whistle innocently.

CONCLUSION

Well it was definitely an experience and I must say I laughed or goggled most of the time. Sure there are more problems than I could count and sometimes I hoped Flash would meat his Maker, but this movie almost gleefully bathes in campy nonsense and as such cannot really be judged by the same standards as normal movies, if there is such a thing. In the end, even if it comes rather too swift, I did enjoy it more than I disliked it, and I was glad to have watched it...I guess. Flawed beyond even what Ed Wood would consider a bad movie it has a harmless charm, and attracts through sheer and colorful weirdness. In conclusion, I feel this movie should be on every serious movie buff's menu, just so you can see for yourself what happens when a flimsy script, horrible acting, charming chaos, bight colors and a one-song soundtrack meet in a drug induced delirium in a misty back alley and is then put on a disk for your pleasure. An objective review would conclude with a 2/10 but I'm not about the delicate details of movie making, I review solely on the basis of how much it either moved or amused me. It didn't move me, but it also didn't move me closer to my inevitable suicide. An experience. 7/10

Flash Gordon to the rescue!

[logue02 · 5/10 · 3 May 2011]

Flash Gordon (1980) staring, Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon, and Melody Anderson as the beautiful Dale Arden, is a remake or updated version of the 1930's comic strip Flash Gordon. The film starts out flashing filmed images of a man-made scientific piece of equipment designed to create catastrophic events like Hurricanes, Tornados and Floods. The theme of the movie is focused on saving Earth, from being destroyed, but we are initially led to believe it is from a mad scientist known as Dr. Hans Zarkov played by Topol. Zarkov is viewed as threat by the terrible Emperor Ming ( Max Von Skydow) who lives on another planet in the galaxy. Ming skyjacks the air bus that Flash and Dale are operating, along with capturing them in the accompaniment of Zarkov and here is where the film takes on its major animation.

While still focusing on saving Earth, now from Enperor Ming, Zarkov, befriends Flash and together they set in motion the idea of saving the planet Earth from his plan of destruction. Emperor Ming views Dr. Zarkov as a threat to his kingdom, and wants his memory wiped clean back to his birth, but he manages to manipulate the process to keep his own thoughts safeguarded. This is your typical hero type of movie that saves the day, where Flash Gordon is the hero, originated from a comic strip just as Superman or Spiderman are turned into superhuman form in film, so is Flash Gordon.

Maintaining the theme it becomes a battle of who will rule the galaxy, as the beings from Emperor Mings galaxy begin to lose ground against the three humans who eventually gain the trust of some of Ming's own people. Ming's galaxy is still divided by the different class of citizens, like the winged citizens, versus the others. Each battles for their own identity within the kingdom to begin with, and now you throw humans into the mix. None are quick to take sides with the humans to overthrow the terrible Emperor Ming but in the end, this is exactly what happens. Earth is saved from Ming's destruction, and Ming's kingdom is turned over to his daughter and her husband, after the destruction of Emperor Ming.

The hero is none other than Flash Gordon, as is emphasized in the end, with a human gesture of saying Thanks. The hero saves the day, galaxy and Earth. Not bad for a days work!

If you think its bad you're missing the point

[NYCfilmFan · 10/10 · 1 August 2003]

I loved this movie when i was about seven, and I enjoy it even more on the same childish level today. This is a movie that doesnt ask you to suspend belief or insult your intelligence, because it is so blatantly make believe right up front. I truly believe that the makers of this movie set out to make an over the top hammy piece of cinema. I dont think anyone can argue that, in that respect, they succeeded. I admit that Sam J. Jones is a terrible actor (even dubbed) but it lends it self nicely to the fact that flash just isnt that bright. And whether intentional or not, the bad acting in this film just helps it pull off the cheesiness to perfection. No movie with lines such as "I love you! But we only have fourteen hours left to save the earth!" could be considered a serious dramatic entity. Frankly I find the approach that this movie takes to be refreshing, especialy when compared with some ridiculously plotted movies, that while good in their own right, insult our inteligence by taking themselves seriously (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc). My advise to anyone watching this movie is to not expect Gone With the Wind or Casablanca. Just have fun! And dont hold the absurdity and cheesiness of this movie against it, because its intentional, and done beautifuly!

A Gorgeous Trashy Flashy Rockfest!

[nbwritersinbox · 7/10 · 12 July 2014]

In the 80s, De Laurentis made vibrant, adventurous movies.

Despite a "B Movie" feel, the production values are high throughout 111 minutes of retro-driven, sci-fi packed entertainment, complimented by a rocking soundtrack delivered by chart-topping superband: Queen.

You can either dismiss Flash as juvenile eye-candy, or marvel in its over-the-top glory. Revisiting the movie, I tend towards the latter. The costumes look gorgeous, the settings have a dream-like atmosphere. The production team go that extra mile to emulate the colorful, original comic books, too.

Often criticized for hammy acting: I'll mention Topol, Timothy Dalton and ravishing Ornella Muti who do their best to transform Flash into a classy, trashy tour de force. I think they succeed.

"Please don't... my mind is all I have... I've spent my whole life trying to fill it." Unbelievably camp sci-fi adventure.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 28 December 2005]

Flash Gordon starts in outer space as Emperor Ming the merciless ruler of the universe (Max von Sydow) decides it would be a huge source of amusement to himself to slowly destroy Earth. With his array of sophisticated technology he causes Earthquakes, typhoons, hot hail & sends the moon out of it's orbit & speeding towards Earth. The plane New York Jets quarterback Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) & estate agent Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) are flying in crash lands in the laboratory of ex Nasa space scientist Dr. Hans Zarkow (Topol) who, at gunpoint, forces Flash & Dale into a homemade spaceship which he intends to use to fly to a planet called Mongo & save Earth. Dr. Zarkow explains that he has, for years, anticipated an alien attack on Earth & has been preparing for just such an occasion. Once on Mongo they are taken prisoner by Ming & Klytus (Peter Wyngarde) head of the secret police & sentenced to death by public execution. Helped by Ming's daughter Princess Aura (Ornella Muti) Flash decides he must find a way to escape, defeat Ming & save Earth before it's too late!

This English production was directed by Mike Hodges & is very camp, silly & hard not to laugh at but at the same time provides buckets of entertainment. The script by Lorenzo Semple Jr., based on the comic strip by Alex Raymond, is hilariously bad. Some of the dialogue in this thing is priceless, it really is. The character's have all the subtly & depth of a pantomime, they are about as clichéd as you can get as well, the evil Emporer, the hero who brings everyone together & saves the day, the attractive dim female who falls for the hero, the evil character who turns good in the end, the Prince, the rebellion & a whole other host of sci-fi clichés. The story itself is just ridiculous, those wedding vows at the end are funny while despite being ruler of the entire Universe Ming & the people of Mongo decide to pinch our 'here comes the bride' wedding march music & it's convenient that everyone helpfully speaks English. The ending is made me cringe as lifelong enemies suddenly become best buddies & the Hawkmen spell out the words 'Thanks' & 'Flash' in the sky! Everything about Flash Gordon is just so campy, embarrassing to watch & badly thought out but I still had great times with it. The best way to describe Flash Gordon is as entertaining crap.

Hodges was apparently the eighth director chosen, which wouldn't exactly fill me with confidence in that there were seven director's ahead of me on a list all of whom declined. The film is an amazing visual spectacle throughout, the garish art-deco inspired production design, costumes & props by the Italian Danilo Donati are the real star of Flash Gordon. The extravagant sets & production design to the multi coloured costumes & I don't know why but I kept thinking that Ming's rocket-ships looked like a penis with wings! There is little in the way of actual excitement, the action & fight scenes are a bit uninspired.

With a budget of about $35,000,000 Flash Gordon was a well funded film so it comes as a surprise that the special effects are so rotten, the blue screen stuff & the flying Hawkmen in particular look awful, they hardly flap their wings & some not at all. I mean do you know how much they would have to flap them to even get off the ground?! Personally I hated the music by Queen & especially the Flash Gordon song but someone out there may like it. The campy Brian Blessed as Vultan is an absolute hoot to watch, Timothy Dalton as Barin seems to be taking things too seriously, Jones is awful as Gordon, Sydow as Ming overacts with the best of them while a special mention goes to Mariangela Melato as the evil General Kala whom I though was a bit of a babe until she melted into a puddle of goo.

Flash Gordon is not a film I can recommend if your looking for some exciting, serious sci-fi action. Flash Gordon is a film I can recommend if your looking for campy, big budget fun with some of the funniest dialogue in a sci-fi film ever. Mind numbingly bad but at the same time wonderfully entertaining, you decide which one is more important.