Prisoners of the Lost Universe

First, I can't imagine this can even be found anymore. I saw it one time, in the mid 80s when I was a kid, on T.V. I think it was orginally made for cable. Anyway, my expectations were zero, and instead I enjoyed a great "bad" movie, if you know what I mean. Fun way to spend an afternoon. Why do I even remember it? Because it is so obscure, it is one of those movies I use to test whether a film book (like Maltin) is really comprehensive. Glad to find it on imdb.com.

This stereotypical, low-grade fantasy lacks both the budget and the directorial imagination to be really exciting. The only epic thing about it is the music score. The film is too cheesy for most adults, but it also has some unpleasant scenes that are unsuitable for kids - making you wonder what audience exactly they had in mind. What kept me watching it is Kay Lenz: she's both endearing and feisty, and she looks particularly sexy when she's angry. Her face has a great "bone structure" - she looks a bit like Kim Basinger (trivia note: they were born the same year, 1953), only more beautiful. And she can even keep a straight face through lines like "But....he's green!" (when the male lead suggests that they should follow a man). Take Lenz out of the movie and you don't have a movie - just a midget, a giant, an evil John Saxon, and other stereotypes. (*1/2)

PRISONERS OF THE LOST UNIVERSE is a fun, rollicking sci-fi adventure. It's also total nonsense. In a good way.

Carrie and Dan (Kay Lenz and Richard Hatch) are two strangers thrown together, just in time to travel to a parallel universe via a scientist's wonky machine. Once there, the trio (yes, the scientist tags along) encounters a sadistic warlord named Kleel (John Saxon) who, with the help of his army of shirtless male models, seeks to dominate the multiverse.

THIS MOVIE CONTAINS: Roaring, bug-eyed natives! An enormous caveman! A resourceful green dude! Lots of chances for Ms. Lenz to run around in peril!

If you enjoy heaping helpings of gooey cheeeze, then this is paradise found!...

This is by no stretch of the imagination a good movie. It is incredibly low-budget, and that leaves the OK(ish) acting badly exposed. That said, I thoroughly loved it!

To enjoy this movie you really have to be able to overlook the low budget. The "effects" are bad. Really bad. The alien dimension is an exact replica of Earth. The sets could come straight from a spaghetti western (perhaps they did). The "monsters" are people in mild fancy dress. The fight scenes are amateurish, and made more "exciting" by running the film faster. A three year old child could spot it without even trying. However, if you can accept the shortfalls for what they are – the result of an extremely low budget and an overreaching ambition – and allow yourself to ride with the tide, you will enjoy this film.

The saving graces come in the form of a fun script and Kay Lenz.

The script is not magnificently written, but the dialogue is fun and counterpoints many amusing incidents in the storyline. I won't highlight any incidents as I want this post to remain spoiler-free. However, if you relax into this movie and roll with it you will discover them for yourself when you find yourself laughing out loud – and you will perhaps be surprised that you are laughing with the movie, not at it.

Kay Lenz is also fun. If you like your heroines good looking and feminine but sparky, you will love her character. Having a female lead character in a film who looks like this, and is possessed of intelligence and verve, will always add a certain frisson for many male viewers.

I always find that one of the marks of a movie that has been particularly enjoyable is that at the ending I am surprised that so much time has passed whilst I was watching. This film met that criterion. It is refreshing to find this in a low-budget movie after sitting through some Hollywood blockbuster or other wondering how much longer it will be before the interminable film ends.

If you want to watch a fun bubblegum movie, and you are willing and able to overlook a budget so low that it hits you in the face thirty times per minute of running time, take a look at this film. You will have fun.

Ostensible shades of a Hawk The Slayer reunion are evidenced here with two of that films main protagonists (Peter O'Farrell and Ray Charleson) present here in very similar roles to that which they portrayed in the aforementioned movie. In fact the film reviewed here bears more than a passing resemblance to the said glorious classic in many ways (a compliment indeed!)

The plot concerns a revolutionary scientist who develops an amazing device which can transport matter to another dimension. Predictably matters take a turn for the worse when himself, a female TV presenter and a handy man/kendo champion(!) accidentally fall into the device and inevitably end up stranded in an unforgiving parallel world ruled by a sadistic despot named Kleel (the always excellent John Saxon)

It turns out to be a highly enjoyable ride throughout boasting some great action set pieces including some very well staged battles wherein our hero, played by Richard 'Apollo' Hatch, demonstrates some highly nifty sword work!

Great fun from start to finish and can be enjoyed by all. It's just such a shame that films like this are so rarely made nowadays.