Flash Gordon

Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max Von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, Richard O'Brien, Robbie Coltrane
Directed by: Mike Hodges
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
1980

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A football player (Sam J. Jones) is transported to an alien world, where he joins a resistance fighting against the tyranny of a despot determined to destroy Earth.

Review:
Tim: You know, Flash Gordon isn't a bad movie. It probably should have been. True, it's not exactly good, either. But, the whole concept is a bit ridiculous and the film was released in 1980. It could have easily been a trainwreck. While ridiculous at times, the movie is surprisingly epic, entertaining, and at times, fun. The movie definitely has too many flaws, but I wasn't convinced it would be decent, going in. This is both a disappointment and at least a slight surprise.

I was familiar with the character of Flash Gordon by name and reputation only. I appreciated getting to know this inadvertent galactic hero. I'm not sure I entirely buy into his worth as a character. He's a football player who tries to save the Earth. Some of this might be due to the wooden, forgettable performance by Sam J. Jones. Maybe he looks the part, but his performance left a lot to be desired. There were multiple scenes where his performance is truly cringe-worthy. Younger viewers watching this may not be swayed by his bad acting, but I certainly was. Truthfully, I found the character of Flash Gordon about as bland as the actor playing him. The movie is helped immensely by its supporting characters.

Melody Anderson doesn't give a good performance, either. She has her moments and her character was slightly more interesting- she finds herself in some tough predicaments. I loved seeing Max Von Sydow as Emperor Ming. There's an endless amount of problems with his portrayal, but I understand the world was (unfortunately) different in 1980. Still, seeing an accomplished actor like Sydow putting effort into this character does help the film. Ming is ludicrous, but at least he's memorable. The same can be said for Timothy Dalton. I can't imagine he was thoroughly proud of his performance, but it's solid, it's effective. He makes Prince Barin a worthwhile character. Ornella Muti wasn't great, either, but she had nice moments sprinkled throughout the film. Topol was fine, but too over-the-top. I actually loved Brian Blessed here. His performance is filled with energy and charisma, his grin lighting up the screen. Any time his character got to do anything, I was pleased. He was one of the best parts of the film, undoubtedly. As a whole, I don't think anyone could call this a "great" or even an especially "good" cast, but it's not bad.

I was impressed by the epic quality of this movie. This is a broad space-faring adventure. The visual effects are dated, but still somewhat impressive. Some of the sequences of the spaceships and the places they ventured to were actually quite beautiful. I liked the visuals of the flying men and the movie throws so many interesting and unique sights before us. None of them are especially great, but I did appreciate the quantity of what we see. Mike Hodges doesn't do the best job of directing, but he manages to make this 1 hour, 51 minute film feel bigger than it is. The costumes, the makeup and hairstyling, it all is intriguing and adds up to a more entertaining film than I expected.

Now, while the technical aspects were slightly better than anticipated, I still can't claim this is a good movie. The whole thing feels totally ridiculous. I never cared about Flash Gordon in the slightest. Besides being human and fighting against people wanting to destroy Earth, why would we feel even the smallest investment in him as a character? He's dull. The supporting characters were slightly more interesting, but none of them are given enough character development. This is a film made by adults focused on younger viewers who believed you had to dumb everything down, make it cartoonish if you wanted to appeal to younger viewers. This is definitely not just a "kids" movie, but the whole thing needed a bit more seriousness, a tiny bit of gravitas. Sydow brings that a bit, but the rest of the movie is lacking.

In the end, Flash Gordon surprises in some areas, but ultimately disappoints. I'm glad I watched the movie and I had fun at times, but it's not a film I have any desire to revisit. It's okay, it's perfectly decent, but it's definitely a one-and-done for me. If you grew up in the early 80s, I'm sure nostalgia makes many people like this movie much more. That's fine, I have no memory of seeing this when I was young. I probably did, but was too young to remember it. It's decent, but nothing special.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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