Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today’s review is Red Sonja
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Staring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brigitte Nielsen, Ernie Reyes Jr., Paul L. Smith
Released: July 3, 1985
THE GENERAL IDEA
After her family is murdered a young woman named Red Sonja becomes a master of the sword and seeks revenge on the evil queen responsible for the mayhem that has befallen her. Also, it seems the queen has stolen a powerful, carefully guarded, glowing orb right before it was meant to be destroyed, one that has powers of its’ own, allowing for the possessor to control elemental forces and call down storms and earthquakes, if they so wish. Kalidor, one of the individuals in place to oversee the destruction of the orb, joins forces with Red Sonja, as their paths may differ, but they ultimately lead to the same place. An impudent, young prince named Tarn and his guard/manservant Falkon, whose kingdom was unceremoniously wiped out by Gerden as a test for her newfound powers, soon joins them.
THE GOOD
This is 80s action just like it was meant to be seen. Simple plot, poor acting, exaggerated characters and a whole lot of kickassery. Red Sonja was a character originally introduced in Conan the Barbarian #23 for Marvel Comics. The inclusion of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan like Lord Kalidor is an intentional tribute casting. The Evil Queen is played by Sandahl Bergman (who was originally offered the role of Sonja) who played the theif Valeria, a love interest to Conan in those films.
Arnie is great in this, and Red Sonja herself is creepy attractive as the very scary Brigitte Nielsen (who was married to Sylvester Stallone after appearing in this and Rocky 4) but the comedy relief comes from the young cocky Prince Tarn who at the tender age of 8 is exterting his authority and finds himself continually ignored by our heroes. Ernie Reyes Jr plays the young Prince who later had a number of roles in martial arts action films like the Ninja Turtles 2 and more recently as a stuntman on Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Paul L. Smith who plays Tarn’s guardian appears again as the Arch Duke in Maverick.
Its a great fun film with action, campy charm and adventure.
THE BAD
This is hokey as hell. If you have to take every film too serious this will eat you alive. The action is great, but the characters themselves are hokey. The over acting is part of the charm of the film but it can grate on you if you let those things bother you. Its not a “great” film, but it sure is fun.
OVERALL
Red Sonja is a WARRIOR woman, and can actually pick up the sword she is carrying. With the proposed remake staring Rose McGowan, my biggest problem is that the star might weigh about twice as much as that sword. Rose will make a tasty pinup in the traditional scale mail bikini, but I just can’t buy her as a barbaric sword weilding warrior.
If you want to catch this film, Spike TV is offering it this weekend.
I am going to introduce a new rating system for my Forgotten Fridays picks.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
