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Reviews
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable 5 Stars
Excellent 4 Stars
Good 3 Stars
Poor 2 Stars
Tragic 1 Star

FILM DETAILS
Certificate
PG
Cast
Max Von Sydow
Topol
Brian Blessed
Timothy Dalton.
Directors
Mike Hodges.
Screenwriters
Michael Allin
Lorenzo Semple Jr..
Running Time
minutes

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Flash Gordon
Camp version of the serial fave. Everybody now! Flash! Ahh-ahh!


Plot
When the Earth comes under a series of deadly attacks from outer space, American football star Flash Gordon and travel agent Dale Arden are kidnapped by a scientist and taken to the planet Mungo, origin of the attacks. There, they face the terrifying Emperor Ming...

Review
Flash Gordon
Sometime in the mid-70s, a young George Lucas tried to obtain the rights to Saturday serial superfranchise Flash Gordon with the idea of doing a remake. Thankfully he failed, or neither Star Wars nor this little gem would have ever made it to the screen.Eschewing the portentous epic feel of the Wars entirely, Mike Hodges (Get Carter) goes for comic book campery, with designer Danilo Donati (a Fellini collaborator) replicating the crazy angles, primary colour saturated frames of the comic book source material. Standout scenes include the flight of the Hawkmen, the reception at Ming's court and the Emperor's never-bettered wedding vows.

Max Von Sydow, Brain Blessed and Timothy Dalton act at the intensity of pantomime. Jones (now confined to DTV hell) is perfect as the blond bombshell himself, while the Queen soundtrack ratchets the flamboyance levels up a couple of notches. The question mark after The End, though, promised a sequel that was, alas, not to be.


Extras

Flash Gordon Silver Anniversary Edition Flash Gordon Silver Anniversary Edition
Released: 10 October 2005

Beyond the stock standard original 'Queen' theatrical trailer, consider that the print is remastered in both DTS Audio & Dolby Digital 5.1

There's a pair of new commentaries on this Silver Edition, from director Mike Hodges and Brian Blessed. Mike Hodges is also interviewed.

The photo slideshow has a decent selection of stills and behind-the-scenes shots.

Plus, and possibly best of all, you get the first episode of the original 1940s serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, 'The Purple Death!' Best. Title. Ever!


Verdict
This campy extravaganza has it all - heroes, villains, beautiful women and high stakes. Laughably bad and fantastically good all at once, this is a guilty pleasure that everyone can enjoy.


Reviewed by Adam Smith


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Average user rating for Flash Gordon
Empire Star Rating

Spiffing

Hilarious from start to finish, nothing can top the arrival of the Hawkmen, flying through the air like the monkeys from Wizard of Oz, Brian Blessed with the biggest, cheesiest grin of all time plastered across his face as Queen blare out on the soundtrack. Splendid stuff. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Spacegoat at 09:58, 05 August 2010 | Report This Post


Flash.. AH!

What a chessy yet great movie this is, I can't believe how old it is and you can always enjoy it from the first time to the millionth time. It's so enjoyable with silly backgrounds that look fake and some laughs along the way. The perfomaces are great, some were funny while others were a little stiff and one was darn right wrong! It's a shame there isn't a sequel to this great movie, it would have been fun to see but in all, it's a film that you can enjoy again and again with your family. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by joanna likes films at 15:00, 21 February 2008 | Report This Post



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