Deathstalker (2025)
Genre: Action / Adventure
Duration: 102 minuten
Country:
United States / Canada
Directed by: Steven Kostanski
Stars: Daniel Bernhardt, Christina Orjalo and Paul Lazenby
IMDb score:
5,7 (2.370)
Releasedate: 15 August 2025
Reviews & comments
filmkul
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- 2511 messages
- 2272 votes
A funny, mediocre fantasy film. The story is familiar from similar films like Krull and Excalibur. The execution is far from original. The film follows the same path as its predecessors: a quest for great evil with some fights and encounters with various creatures along the way. Not very exciting at all. The film's appeal lies in Kostanski's use of traditional effects like stop-motion and rubber suits. The creatures are well-conceived. All this gives the film a big plus, but it remains B-grade. The acting is mediocre. 2.5
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10012 messages
- 4678 votes
This project is full of ambition. With blockbusters, ambition often leads to mediocrity. Just look at the latest Avatar, but in this case, it leads to a result that exceeds expectations (at least mine). Deathstalker has a silly story, and the flow isn't great, but there's also a lot of good things to be said.
It's a clear homage to the Sword & Sorcery films that had their golden age in the 80s. The Dreadites borrow their design from the Slayers from the film Krull (1983), other comparisons can be made with the Conan films, and Doodad and the swamp creatures remind me of Ridley Scott's Legend (1985). It was also brave to work with a lot of practical and makeup effects. That one stop-motion scene with two skeletons fighting gives the action a dated look, but because it's intentional, it fits well. There are also quite a few gore scenes, this is a truly bloody film. There’s a good dose of horror in it with lots of severed heads and limbs.
That lead actor (Bernhardt) is one of those guys I think, "Where do I know him from?" Apparently, he was the hero of the Bloodsport sequels, but it's probably from bit parts in John Wick or Extraction 2 that he looks familiar. I always confuse him with his near-double, Jon Hamm.
No, you shouldn't do it for the story: it's very basic and laughable, but the way this project is designed should almost be inspiring for other directors who want to try something in the fantasy genre. I also think the older users among us (50+) will find this more enjoyable than the younger ones. Conclusion: a very strong attempt in this genre!
Translated from Dutch · View original
blurp194
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- 5543 messages
- 4226 votes
Nice.
As a film in itself, it might not be much more than just okay, but as an ode to the genre, it scores very well—better than the average film it pays tribute to. Visually stunning, it proves that you can create a great image with relatively simple tricks and minimal resources. Likewise, the actors, while not celebrated for their talent, are perfect in their roles. In that case, you've done a very good job as a director. And the soundtrack is also very enjoyable.
Now let's hope for a sequel.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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