Starchaser: A Lenda de Orin

I've been searching just for confirmation that this film existed for five years! For a while, I thought I'd just imagined seeing it, that no one had ever actually made it. Like many other people who have commented on this film, I too remember seeing it when I was maybe nine or ten. It haunted me ever since, because I couldn't remember the title or the names of the characters, only the well-crafted images. As I haven't seen it since then, and copies are indeed impossible to find, I will refrain from describing those images, for my memory may be faulty. Totally ripped off from Star Wars, yes, and horribly violent for a children's cartoon, but I loved it...

Some very good animation is combined with a very good score by Andrew Belling in what sadly was a bomb at the box office. I suppose a lot of money was pumped into this production due to it being produced in 3D. According to this site it cost $15 million to produce. The film only garnered in over $3 million at the US box office, which ain't bad, because it was the 80s and this was a cartoon.

The big influence for this film was George Lucas' STAR WARS. Not to mention the opening credits are a little reminiscent of the STAR TREK films as well. Anyways it is the story of a slave named Orin (Joe Colligan) who along with his people spend their lives mining for crystals for Zygon (Anthony De Longis). Orin though finds the hilt of a mythical sword which only he can use. He escapes the underground to find what life looks like elsewhere. Along the way he meets a smuggler named Dagg (Carmen Argenziano), a couple of droids (Tyke Caravelli and Les Tremayne) and a beautiful princess (Noelle North). It must be sounding quite similar to STAR WARS now.

It is a fun cartoon, although it is a little more adult orientated as it does have some sharp language and a little bit of sexuality blended in as well. It was rated PG for good reason.

I thought this movie was a myth. Since a kid I had a vague memory of a movie where a couple of cyborgs are killed, that's all I could remember. I didn't think this movie actually existed until I saw it on a list of obscure animated films. You could only imagine how excited I was that it actually existed.

The movie is rather well animated, in atypically 80's fashion. The story is decent enough and the voice acting is pretty good. This is a movie from an era where people were trying to make epic animated movies, that were more adult. It's a shame this movie is as forgotten as it is.

I'll just echo the comments of the other reviewers; this one's a keeper. I first saw the previews for this film at a drive-in, but could never track it down until Showtime aired it a few years later.

People could call it a Star Wars knock off, and in some sense it is. But as far as knock offs go it's one of the best. But that's perhaps a little too unfair, because despite borrowing some minor themes from Star Wars it's largely an original film told via good animation.

Despite it being an animated film I wouldn't call it a children's film. Some sexuality is touched on, one of the characters swears every so often, and there is a fair amount of violence (though not too graphic) in the film.

I've heard that this film was originally supposed to be a 3-D experience (schedualed to ride the coat tails of an attempt to revitalize the 3-D genre in the early 80's), but it stands well on its own as a regular film.

There's nothing deep about this movie, but it's a good ride all the same. It's very hard to find nowadays. Myself I was able to get a rare VHS copy of it, but the transfer, though good, really doesn't do justice to this film. One can only hope that it'll see a DVD rerelease. And by that I mean a good DVD release, not one of those fly by night companies that transfers old used projector films onto DVD format. I mean a DVD transfer with all the works; remastered film and soundtrack. :-)

If you can find Starchaser, then go get it. It's worth the effort.

July 6th, 2005 update; DVD review;

Wow! After many years I finally own a crisp remastered copy of one of my favorite animated sci-fi films. Presented in widescreen format, the viewer is no longer denied the other third of the camera's frame, and can see the full image as it was meant to be seen. It is a vast improvement over the old KVC Home Video VHS release.

Additionally the film is presented in full Stereo Surround sound. Having said that the audio does hit a little hard , but it's mostly the sound effects that peak into the red, and not the dialogue nor music track.

"Starchaser; The Legend of Orin" should have shown to the major studios in the 80's what sci-fi animation was capable of had they given it a chance. The industry's only recently played catchup in the late 90's, and even then they're a day late and a dollar short.

"Starchaser" isn't the best film ever made, and "pays homage" to other sci-fi films, but is still a fun experience all the same. I hope all sci-fi and animation fans enjoy it as much as I.

Orin, an escaped slave must free his people from an underground mine but first journey across the galaxy to fulfil his destiny.

Directed and produced by Steven Hahn, and written by Jeffrey Scott Starchaser borrows from Flash Gordon, Star Wars, the King Arthur Legend, even a bit of Blade Runner and many more. It's more young adult orientated, almost in the ballpark of Ralph Bakshi, there's disturbing 2000 A. D-like half-human, half-machine Man-Droids, Fembots. With some above PG choice language and surprise deaths, it offers an emotional clout and punch.

While the pace is at times is a little clunky like the Battle Star Galactica carbon robots, the animation (with no use of rotoscoping) is outstanding for the time. Andrew Belling's music score is a fitting highlight. The characters, especially the robot leads are quite likeable, the evil overlord Zygon is notable. The voice acting is great and there's even a nice little twist to close of the proceedings.

Overall, refreshingly made before CGI it borrows from the best and worst of sci-fi and comes out on top. Recommend.