Guerreiras do Universo

Another Filipino post-apocalyptic epic from prolific low-budget director/producer Cirio H. Santiago. Featuring an all no-name cast, with the exception of Lynn-Holly Johnson ("Ice Castles" "For Your Eyes Only") the story takes place in the distant year 2021 following a nuclear holocaust. A group of fierce sword wielding female warriors, known as The Sisterhood, seek to right the sexist wrongs of the wasteland. Although I was a fan of Santiago's post-apocalyptic "Wheels of Fire" this one is dud. It felt more Conan than Mad Max and to my taste, that's not a warriors of the wasteland story. Even taking the film on the level of a Conan or Red Sonja ripoff, it's not all the good either.

Cirio H. Santiago managed to churn out one B-flick I actually enjoyed, 1981's Firecracker with martial artist who wasn't afraid to go nude, Jillian Kesner. She knew EXACTLY what kind of film she was in and committed to it, not to mention she could act as well as fight.

Were it only The Sisterhood even 1/10th as good. Poor acting, directing and dialogue requires at least some sort of offset such as convincing action, dazzling pyro, generous nudity/sex or some actual drama. Nearly everything felt so contrived or phoned-in that it had no impact.

With a hundred films under his belt, I doubt very much that The Sisterhood is the worst film directed by Filipino hack Cirio H. Santiago, but it can't be far off. Part sword and sorcery flick, and part Mad Max rip-off, but ALL awful, the film takes place in a post-apocalyptic future (the far-flung year of 2021) where warlords rule the three kingdoms, and a band of women, The Sisterhood, roam the outlands in an attempt to restore peace and equality.

Bond girl Lynn-Holly Johnson plays 18-year-old Marya, who joins female freedom-fighters Alee (Rebecca Holden) and Vera (Barbara Patrick) on their quest to rescue their sisters, who have been imprisoned by Lord Kragg (Kenneth Peerless) in Calcara. On their journey, Marya learns more about her special gift - her ability to talk to hawk Lady Shri - and, being a quick learner, picks up some nifty fight moves, handy for when she finally comes face to face with Mikal (Chuck Wagner), the warrior who killed her brother.

After Vera is abducted by Mikal and his men, and taken to Calcara, Alee and Marya narrowly escape being killed by mutants (men in rags with mud on their faces), stumble upon a cave full of automatic weapons and an armoured vehicle, and proceed to lay waste to the enemy despite no prior knowledge of firearms and zero experience behind the wheel.

Packed full of badly choreographed fight scenes, dreadful dialogue and tepid escapades for our heroines, The Sisterhood might have been a lot of cheesy fun if only the direction wasn't so uninspired and the budget clearly lacking. Sadly, the whole thing looks and feels extremely cheap, from the really naff Mad Max reject vehicles, to the crappy costumes and props, to the awful music, which sounds like a drunk is bashing random keys on a Bontempi organ.

The fun stuff: a modicum of gore (a couple of sword slashings and a severed hand), a reasonable amount of topless nudity (I counted nine breasts), and one of the chicks can fire lasers from her eyes. The rest of the film is dull grade-Z trash.

2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb (although it doesn't deserve to be).

My review was written in June 1988 after watching the movie on Media Home Entertainment video cassette.

"The Sisterhood" is a recently released futuristic sci-fi actioner, now available on video cassette. It breaks no new ground but includes diverting material drawn from the "Mad Max" cookbook.

Title refers to female warriors who each bear magical powers an have banded together against the male-dominated post-nuclear war society. Maryan (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is a hot prospect for the team, with her ability to communicate with her trained hawk. Eventually she's adopted into the clan by its leaders Alee (Rebecca Holden) and Vera (Barbara Hooper) as they trek across the Filipino countryside amidst numerous captures and escapes.

Various mutations (not scary due to cheap makeup effects lurk in the forbidden zone they must cross, eventually ending up in a city to free their imprisoned sisters.

Pic has many a similarity to other genre films, wit the Sisterhood having mystical reverend mothers (a la "Dune"). A vilain who's bsically a good uy (he has a grudge against the Siserhood for stealing his sister away) is played by Chuck Wagne, who peviously starred in Cannon's very similar 1986 pic "America 3000", one scene of which, when the gals discover a military command center with modern weapons in a cave, is mirrored here.

Rebecca Holden casts a dashing figure (styled to resemble Wonder Woman) in the leading role, with okay support from Johnson and Hooper. Helmer Cirio H. Santiago does all right, except for the very wimpy ending.

In this goofy, female empowerment, post-holocaust tale from director Cirio H. Santiago ("Equalizer 2000"), it's the future year of 2021. In the deserts of Earth, men hold all the power and have enslaved many women. It's up to the nomadic ladies known as "The Sisterhood" to restore some sense of equality. Two such Sisters that we meet are Alee (Rebecca Holden) and Vera (Barbara Patrick, the wife of Robert P.). They take under their wing a teen aged girl named Marya (Lynn-Holly Johnson of "Ice Castles" and "For Your Eyes Only"), whose kid brother (Tom McNeeley) was killed by one of the male antagonists, a warrior named Mikal (Chuck Wagner, "America 3000").

"The Sisterhood" is good, light entertainment for sci-fi lovers who favor the cheesy and silly side of post-holocaust cinema. It does earn some points for portraying its women as strong and independent, but not invulnerable. It also gives Alee and Vera special powers - Vera is telekinetic and Alee has healing abilities. Our three heroines generate sufficient rooting interest, and all of our grunting pig villains are appropriately odious. Mikal is an exception, proving to be more than one-dimensional.

Fine use is made of locations. The sets, costumes, and vehicles look decent enough for whatever minimal budget "The Sisterhood" had. The music score by Jun Latonio is variable: sometimes it's passable, and at other times it is just *awful*. It's all pleasantly cheesy, with a little bit of gore (there's a few close ups of sword wounds) and a fair amount of action. The performances are actually not too bad - Robert Dryer, the main baddie in "Savage Streets", as the creepy Lord Barak, Anthony East as Lord Jak. The female cast is very attractive, and there are adequate doses of bare flesh throughout.

Watching this one is a harmless enough way to kill a little over an hour and a half.

Seven out of 10.