Flash A-aah!

I think I saw this a while ago, certainly I’ve seen bits of it. As has Peter and Al and Paul, so read their thoughts.

A weirdo is picking on the earth, and only one mad scientist knows what to do! And that is kidnap two people and take them away to the planet Mongo!! Where they encounter Ming The Merciless!!! And a bunch of other strange characters. Fortunately, Flash Gordon makes all the ladies hot for him, so the princess helps him to escape and off they go to Timothy Dalton land where they play pickaboo with a scorpion creature thing (which is about the only scene I remember properly. Then off to Birdman island where they learn of the Power of Friendship, which is immediately forgotten when Dr Doom turns up (seriously Klytus is one Latveria away from being that villain), and Klytus immediately wins. Then Flash and Birdmen sacrifice themselves so that Flash can sacrifice himself to stop the wedding of the century. And defeat Ming in a rather pathetic way (yeah, that’s really dumb). Hurray!

My main one word review: Cartoony. Certainly fitting considering that this was indeed a comic strip originally, but with the bright colours, overly done sets, and over the top performances, the cartoony nature influences everything. Which rather makes it hard to take seriously. Fine, this isn’t something that is trying to be a philosophical treatise, but still it needs some gravitas to pull this off, and doesn’t come anywhere near it. Some of the effects are good… but most, to me, are a failure. Maybe too early to meet production’s vision?

Topol has the best role as mad Zarkov, and looks to be having the most fun. On the other hand, while Melody Anderson has the leading role as Dale, the character goes from nearly a strong woman to simpering helpless creature in a matter of minutes. And she, of course, has a cat fight with Ornelia Muti as Princess Aura. Keeping to the original subject matter and its treatment of women, eh? And there are some other well known people in this as well.

Basically, this was best left as nostalgia memories rather than as something to be viewed again.

And because one must:


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