Deathstalker

This is the first of four movies (so far) to feature the hero/barbarian/rogue character of Deathstalker.

Now when you think of heroes in the Sword & Sorcery genre, they often have, shall we say, somewhat loose morals.....fair enough, as the films are often set in the dark ages or even earlier and we could therefore theoretically suppose that chivalry, at least as we know it today was not exactly in place back then (for that matter does it exist now?!) However, having said this, the heroes do still tend to be basically amiable chaps who adhere to some form of justice and honour.

Take Dar from The Beastmaster for instance, he seems like a really decent chap in fact (as long as you don't get on the wrong side of him - in which case he'd probably slice you in twain!)

The case of the eponymous Deathstalker is rather different however, for here we have a 'hero' who's immoral actions (particularly against women) give the main villain of the film a good run for his money! Yes, it has to be said that in the annals of cinematic good guys, Deathstalker (at least as portrayed in this entry in the series) will hardly be winning any accolades for his chivalry!

Aside from the somewhat unlikeable hero, the film itself starts off in a decidedly disjointed manner.

In fact, the first half of the film is filled with a series of scenes that make very little sense whatsoever! For instance one particularly stupid, pointless scene set in a cave from which our hero must retrieve a magical sword, left my jaw agape at just how ridiculous it was!

Thankfully, the second half of the movie is much better and features some rather exciting fight scenes as our hero battles it out in a gladiatorial contest. There is also a fair amount of gore on display here to, a factor which always ups the enjoyment value in these type of films.

Another positive for the movie (at least from a red blooded males perspective) is the copious amount of nudity displayed by the female cast in this. Hardly a minute seems to go by without a beautiful woman baring her breasts (all in the most gratuitous manner of course!)

Overall then, whilst this film isn't likely to be remembered as a milestone in cinematic history, it does have a few of it's own (B-movie) merits and is certainly not a bad way to spend an hour and a half or so, on perhaps a lazy night in.

The movie opens with a man dragging a dirty female slave through the forest. Deathstalker (Rick Hill) sneaks into their camp, kills the evil slave master, and frees the girl. Grateful for the rescue, the girl gives herself to Deathstalker (just a bit of nudity, no sex act is displayed). Eventually, Deathstalker meets up with two faithful companions and set off to retrieve a magic sword.

One night they're camping when one of the sidekicks hears a noise. He sneaks out into the dark and finds a female warrior (Lana Clarkson). This mysterious warrior is following them to the city, where a tournament is being staged. Lana does a pretty good job of being an amazon/barbarian warrior woman, so much so that she made three more movies playing almost the exact same character as in this film. She also looks quite striking in cloak, boots, leather shorts, and sword. Yep, under that cloak is all woman, and eventually Deathstalker does what any male warrior would do. Again, some nudity, a bit of sex, but nothing too dirty.

When they reach the city, they announce that they are there for the tournament and are escorted to the warriors' barracks. That night, the king has a big feast for the combatants and, as the night's entertainment, he chains the good princess (Barbi Benton wearing a gauzy top and bikini panties) to a boulder at the top of some stairs. The king announces that whomever reaches the top will receive the princess' hand in marriage. Deathstalker accepts the challenge (though Lana gets a bit jealous) and successfully defeats the other warriors, who stumble about in drunken stupor. He reaches the top, frees the princess, but does not take her hand, for he is in love with Lana.

Anyway, there's more fighting, the king is defeated, and Deathstalker frees the city so that Barbi can rule in peace.

There's a bit of gore, some nudity (mentioned above), but no harsh language or seriously offensive acts.

After this movie, the other Deathstalker films are pretty thin. 'Deathstalker 2' is an attempt at a comedy; I haven't seen 'Deathstalker 3', and 'Deathstalker 4' is a waste of a good 'R' rating (the only offensive scene is a quick nude scene where the female sidekick changes out of a bulky garment into a leather bikini to become a warrior). Sword-and-Sandal fans would do ok with 'Deathstalker', but stay away from the sequels.

If you take this as a fantasy, you'll probably be disappointed: it's as second-grade as they come, with a total blank for a hero and plenty of chaotically staged swordfights. But if you take it as a soft-porn film, you may be more pleased; there is a stimulating (if brief) sex scene midway through, and abundant nudity throughout, though only the beautiful Lana Clarkson escapes the film's depraved attitude toward women. Anyway, the film certainly isn't as bad as the two Ferrigno "Hercules" movies.....(*1/2)

The makers of this movie gave absolutely ZERO F**ks, and i respect that. Kill the bad guys, Save the girls, pretty straightforward and fun. Good guy is a blank slate easy to identify with and the bad guy is a good and easy target to hate. lots of random careless nudity and plenty of 'classy' one liners. It's nothing to write home about certainly but those of you who like the 80's metal movies like Conan will love it. pretty basic as far as plot and story line but that's nothing you won't expect from the poster. I think it has great potential as a background movie for any good D&D campaign or reckless party. Epic Metal Movie, get drunk and enjoy

WOW ! If there ever was such a thing called a "guy movie" this is it. Deathstalker is one of few films that includes sword fighting, nudity, mud wrestling, full frontal nudity, and mid evil characters that talk like they're from New Jersey! You got to love it. Take my advice and rent this flick, buy a six pack and a pizza and lock the doors. This is one worth watching if you just broke up with your girl friend.