Beastmaster 2: Attraverso il portale del tempo

A middling sequel to the original, not as good as that but far better than the third. This one does actually have a budget, albeit a B-movie budget, and starts off with the usual low rent heroic action before moving the action to then-modern day L. A. where the usual fish out of water action takes place. A typical mix of CONAN and DR DOOLITTLE here, a far cry from THE ICEMAN COMETH but reasonably entertaining if you're in the right cheesy mood. The cast includes genre standby Wings Hauser, a young Kari Wuhrer, and Uncle Phil himself.

This time, it gets more interesting, but in some scenes too violent or out of control. Once again, now grown up Dar still has his pets and has to kill his brother after trying to discover what the real world looks like. Dar also discovers a new friend who lives in the city of Los Angeles where Dar's brother entered. It's not that bad until Dar's brother tries to destroy the world. In the beginning of the movie, some kids who are allowed to see this might be interested seeing a scene where the crow who was in the first movie nibbles some of the villian's face. They just don't show blood to prove it.

Like the first Beastmaster movie this is s so-so ripoff of Andre Norton's Beastmaster and Lord of Thunder, great science fiction about the last survivor of the Navajo nation who arrives on a new planet following earth's destruction during a war with the alien Xik, and learns to deal with his loss and love his new home Marc Singer's character in no way resembles Hosteen Storm and his animal companions are only close to the book. This is basically a cheapo that owes more to the Hercules movies of the 60's than to Sci-Fi.

I really liked cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli's fantasy "Beastmaster" and this follow-up "Through the Portal of time" really does decide to go in a different (much campier) direction, which looked like it could have been its downfall. Despite its bad wrap (although it does have its fans), mostly modern-day setting and rather goofy tone it still remains quite a competently, enjoyable good and evil sword-and-sorcery comic strip venture. For most part it seems to be playing for laughs (sometimes intentional other times not), and the fish out water novelty (Dar trying to stop Arklon getting his hands on a dangerous weapon while in Los Angeles) has its amusing moments. The tone and style had me thinking of another sword-and-sorcery caper with a very tongue-in-cheek approach "Deathstalker II" and no surprises why, as Jim Wynorski had a part in both screenplays. Dialogues are risible, but there are few humorous in-jokes within and the direction is constantly spirited. The performances are fairly animated, almost mock-like. Bryan Singer returns as Dar the Beastmaster. Bringing all the right qualities to the role, although it does feel like a self-parody and there's no doubts he really likes to boast about his "friends". Along for the ride are his animal friends (although the panther has been replaced by a tiger). Wings Hauser decked out in long blonde hair, phantom of the opera style of mask, a cheesy grin goes about his evil shtick with great aplomb, by waving about his magic wand / bow with little respect and having organisms when reading minds. Sara Douglas who parades around provides the wit as the witch Lyranna and the lovely Kari Wuhrer perks it up in her role as the modern-day girl who gets caught up helping Dar. Some other faces show up like; James Avery and very minor parts for Michael Berryman and Robert Z'dar. It's not perfect, but it's a breezy and theatrically hammy time-waster.

During the closing credits (at least in the version that hit theatres), the Beastmaster can be seen running into the sunset. This sunset is actually a painted backdrop, and after a while, you can clearly discern that the guy is actually running in place for almost two minutes as the credits roll! A perfect end to a perfect movie!