Ator

Lots of people would call "Ator" a bad movie. I, personally, would call it delightfully cheesy, like an unintentional spoof on itself. The random use of pyrotechnics at the end, the extremely low quality acting, the plot line that was, at the same time, both stupidly simple AND made no sense, and an arch-villain that wouldn't scare a baby unless it was hit by lightning. Don't see this movie for technical genius, see it for laughs. But, make sure not to become to overcritical of the movie. It may be an extremely bad movie, but I think you will find it hard to enjoy if you are looking for problems. Just sit back, and let the cheesiness do it's work.

And lo, trash director Joe D'amato did witness the success of mighty warrior Schwarzeneggar as Conan and did cash in on the great Austrian's success, fashioning a film in its image. And that film was called Ator, and it's star went by the name of Miles O'Keeffe.

It was written that O'Keeffe, as Ator, would defeat the evil Spider King and his ten loyal henchmen whilst on a quest to save the woman of his dreams—his sister! Travelling through lawless, cursed lands, accompanied by a blonde tribeswoman and a fearless bear cub, Ator doth battle with slow zombies and blind warriors, explore the Volcano of Shadows to find the Shield of Mordor, and finally defy the wrath of Dakkar, defeat his evil minions, and battle a giant, ancient arachnid.

A predictably dumb barbarian flick from Italian trash director D'amato, Ator, The Fighting Eagle is complete cobblers from start to finish, but oh so entertaining: a welcome appearance from sleaze goddess Laura Gemser, some unbelievably funny fight scenes, and plenty of crappy dialogue make this cheapo fantasy crap difficult to dislike.

I've not seen the MST3K version of this film, but it's hard to believe that anything could be much funnier than Ator, The Fighting Eagle in its original incarnation.

Conan the Barbarian you could say was at the top of the pile of these derivative sword and sorcery enterprises that were being churned out in the early 80s and the main influencer for these films. "Ator" was at the very bottom of the pile and was a quick cash-in on the former by notorious director Joe D'Amato. It's quite bad. More so in a banal and simple-minded way, this is unforgivable. What happens is second-rate and hasty in its execution and with little fun attached to it. A bemused Miles O'keeffe plays the title character and goes about things in a rather laborious manner (uneventful journey with plenty of strutting and flat sword choreography)… although there are some amusingly terrible dialogue exchanges (the heart to heart talk about love with romantic interludes), a lousy twist… and a battle scene with a slow moving gigantic spider… but other than that not much to recommend. It's just risible more so than thrilling. Oh I did forget something… the bear cub. I don't know what it had to do with anything, but its presence was a welcome inclusion.

If you are looking for a sage tale, full of mystic fantasy that takes you off to into uncharted territories, please, do not watch. If you like really hokey barbarian movies, this is perhaps one of the best.

This is not a good movie. However, that should not discourage you. If you can accept it's badness, you will enjoy it. It is so terrible that you can sit back and laugh. The furry boots, the chest armor that looks like a large dinner plate, the fact that he wants to marry his sister... Miles O'Keeffe kinda looks like an out of work porn star.

If you enjoy really bad movies, this is a must see; one of those few gems that is a funny-but-not-supposed-to-be-funny movie.

The fearless warrior Ator and his brave female companion, the Amazon Roon, travel through miles of primitive villages, forests, caves and castles to destroy the "kingdom of the spider" (or something) and kill its evil ruler. It's a dull and clunky journey. My advice is: watch the sequel ("The Blade Master") instead. Not only is it slightly more watchable than this film, but it also includes a brief "recap" of it, which enables you to see every single scene of the original that's worth seeing (so to speak) in a matter of a few minutes. (*1/2)