The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure
Duration: 100 minuten
Alternative title: De Wraak der Barbaren
Country:
United States
Directed by: Albert Pyun
Stars: Lee Horsley, Richard Lynch and Kathleen Beller
IMDb score:
5,5 (8.834)
Releasedate: 1 April 1982
The Sword and the Sorcerer plot
"A kingdom ruled by evil. A princess enslaved by passion. A warrior driven by justice."
The diabolical mage Xusia has been dead in his grave for over a thousand years when the evil warlord Titus Cromwell brings him back to life with the help of a witch. Cromwell needs the wizard for his war against the peace-loving people of King Richard. Using Xusia's dark magic, Cromwell manages to conquer the realm and wipe out the entire royal family. But young Prince Talon escapes the massacre and returns years later as a barbarian mercenary with only one goal in mind: revenge.
Actors and actresses
Talon
Alana
Mikah
Machelli
Cromwell
Xusia
Rodrigo
Verdugo
Malia
Elizabeth
Reviews & comments
rep_robert
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- 27523 messages
- 4096 votes
A somewhat lackluster film, partly due to the lackluster acting and the lack of beautiful sets. Everything feels too small-scale, and it never becomes truly grand, or gives you the feeling of a high-budget movie. For an adventure film like this, I consider this a necessary element, as the film is otherwise limited to hand-to-hand combat (bland choreography and off-screen kills) in tight spaces. The epic feel the film aims to convey through its story, music, and dialogue is completely lost in the film itself.
The result: a long and boring sit through a film that wants so much to be epic, but isn't.
1.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
rcuppen79
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- 717 messages
- 1632 votes
Fantasy films were incredibly popular in the 1980s. Several films, particularly in the sword and sorcery genre, were released that are now considered cult classics within the genre. These include films like Conan the Barbarian, Excalibur, and Willow. The Sword and the Sorcerer also has a large fan base, but it doesn't quite reach the level of the aforementioned films. The story is too monotonous, the pacing too slow, and the acting too mediocre. Lee Horsley is decent as the bold hero Talon, and Richard Lynch is also consistently reliable as the eternal villain. The rest of the cast, however, performs rather stiffly. The film does look a bit cheap at times, but fans of the fantasy genre will undoubtedly still enjoy it.
In America, the film was a remarkable success at the time, grossing $36 million. The film ended with the promise of a sequel, titled Tales of the Ancient Empire. However, it wasn't until 2010 that this sequel actually materialized, without any of the original cast. The Sword and the Sorcerer also marked the film debut of director Albert Pyun, who later directed several B-movies such as Cyborg, Nemesis, and the sequel Tales of the Ancient Empire.
Translated from Dutch · View original
80&90’s Nostalgia
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- 543 messages
- 600 votes
Seen on 4K by 101BlackLabel, the same transfer from Shout. As Bas already mentioned, not a great upgrade, lots of grain and dark images.
The film itself isn't great either. Despite the simple story, it still feels clunky. The fights felt a bit stiff, and what bothered me most was the cheerful, heroic music; it didn't suit the film at all. It's also a bit of a strange film; it all comes across as a bit silly and childish, but there are also some brutal scenes. One scene features a stone circle used to sharpen swords, where someone's head is held up, and someone's head is literally cut in half. I also noticed the sexist undertones, with not only the men but also the women eager to get down. The only positives are the opening scene with the resurrection of the dark wizard in the cave, the subsequent fight with the shooting swords, and the finale with the transformation.
All in all, a film to quickly forget.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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