The Beastmaster (1982)

The Beastmaster is a film that, to me, was an instant classic. This movie had everything a young boy of the 80's could want. Action, swords, high fantasy, magic, an awesome hero, a sexy love interest (played by future Bond Girl Tanya Roberts), and really bad-ass villains. This was the kind of movie that you reenacted on the playground at school, the kind you acted out with your action figures. I can't tell you how many times me and my friends would play out the adventure of The Beastmaster!for more go to: https://latetothegame.blog/2017/09/28/key-movies-of-my-life-the- beastmaster-1982/

This was one of the VHS movies my 2 young sons would watch over and over again. I have to admit I ended up watching it myself more than once, and not just because of the gloriously attractive Tanya Roberts.No great acting here, no snappy dialog or stunning morality tale. Just a beefcake guy with some very cute animal sidekicks and a nice hunk of arm candy duking it out with evil forces.Rip Torn and John Amos show off their significant acting chops to add a little legitimacy, but what everyone wants to see are the animals kicking butt and saving the day. Bulging biceps and bosoms are always great accessories. Hey, if I were 8 or 10 years old I would have loved it too.Maybe kids today would prefer the modern animation and CGI, but it might be worth a shot.

This schlocky slice of sword and sorcery entertainment comes from the man who brought us PHANTASM - and it's full of the same cheap cheeriness as in that film. As far as fantasy films go, it's not half bad, with plenty of action and exploitation to keep things moving along steadily. While lacking the visceral excess of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, it has all the key ingredients for these '80s adventure larks, including a black sidekick, monsters, a muscle-bound hero in a loincloth, some cheesy special effects and a baddie wizard who lives at the top of a giant stone staircase. Okay, so this film is a rip-off, but it's a good one at that.It also has a refreshing twist in the tale: our hero is telepathically able to control animals, and has a number of sidekicks. An eagle is handy for flying into his enemies' faces and spying, his (surprisingly tame) black tiger is useful for mauling baddies, and his two pet ferrets live in a satchel and steal stuff. The magical elements are primitive yet memorable, and include a ring with an eyeball in it - what more could you want? There's a race of SWAMP THING-like creatures who act as giant Venus Flytraps and dissolve their prey; some incredibly cheesy brute men with glowing green eyes who run around and kill things; a few hideous witches here and there for good measure, and of course lots of cruel warriors with evil-looking helmets whom our hero battles.The acting? Pretty much as you'd expect. Sub-par compared to mainstream films, i.e. just about non-existent, yet typical for your average barbarian flick. Marc Singer (you might recognise him as one of the leads in V) is suitably lean and muscular as the warrior, although his acting skills leave something to be desired, bless him. Tanya Roberts displays little acting talent, instead plenty of flesh; while Rip Torn goes over the top to make an enjoyably hammy villain. John Amos, who you might recognise from DIE HARD 2, fits the stereotyped role of a black sidekick just fine. Strangely enough, the cute animal stars manage to act their human counterparts off the screen every time...With plenty of action, ranging from sword fights to punch ups, an impressive array of sets and scenery, and some natty costumes, you could do a lot worse than THE BEASTMASTER. Two sequels predictably followed in the '90s, both of which have received a lot of flack - but they sound right up my street.

To begin this review I'm going to talk about The Dark Knight Rises – a film I really enjoyed, so I gave it 8/10. And, in case you haven't already noticed, I'm also giving Beastmaster 8/10 So, does that mean the two films are as good as each other.No. The 8/10 I'm giving Beastmaster is a completely different 4/5 to what Christopher Nolan's last Batman outing got. This is because you can't really compare the two films. The Dark Knight Rises was an excellent film, made with a massive budget which allowed for great special effects, sets and an A-list cast who turned in excellent performances (the only reason I didn't give it 10/10 was because I didn't think it was quite as good as The Dark Knight). Beastmaster, on the other hand, is made on a shoestring budget, contains pretty awful special effects, terrible dialogue and actors who are mainly just there because their 'body-type' fits the part (if you know what I mean). Yet, despite all its (clearly obvious) flaws, it's just so much fun to watch.Marc Singer (who you'll probably only know if you saw the eighties sci-fi show 'V') plays Dar, a Conan-like figure who can communicate with animals (well... the ones which the story dictates he needs to. You may wonder why he can't make all the enemies' horses simply throw their riders, but never mind). He sets off on an adventure to kill someone, or avenge someone, or rescue someone else. It really doesn't matter.If you've seen films like Krull, Masters of the Universe, Red Sonja and other such eighties 'classics' then you'll know what to expect here. These films shouldn't be judged on the same scales as Hollywood blockbusters like the Dark Knight trilogy and so on. They should have their own so-bad-they're-good scale, in which this definitely deserves an 8/10.Not everyone will love it. It will probably only appeal to those who either (like me) watched it when I was a kid, therefore it carries plenty of nostalgia for me. Or those who simply like cheesy movies (especially ones set in the eighties). If you do, then Beastmaster will be a gentle way of filming an hour and a half.And, if you're male, you'll probably enjoy Tanya Roberts' 'performance' (or at least her choice of wardrobe).http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/