Anthony De Longis, George Maharis, Jeff Corey

Lean, lanky Lee Horsley (TV's Matt Houston is hardly the iconic image of a medieval warrior, but in this cheesy Conan the Barbarian knockoff he makes his swaggering, mercenary Talon a ...( read more  read more... )genial smart aleck of a barbarian hero. The plot is pure pulp cliché: evil Cromwell (Richard Lynch) raises a demon to conquer a peaceful kingdom, kill the rulers, and imprison the royal heirs, and the son of a murdered patriot returns to take his righteous vengeance with a projectile-loaded, three-bladed sword. First-time director Albert Pyun apprenticed under Akira Kurosawa and brings with him an eye for handsome images and a fluid sense of action that helps overcome B-movie dialogue ("Unlock this door, wench, and leave that to us!"), scenery-chewing performances, and bargain-basement budget. In one fight sequence a guard punches a rock wall--and dents it! Kathleen Beller (the dark-eyed beauty of The Betsy) is the rebel princess who enlists Talon to the cause, Route 66's charming wanderer George Maharis is a conniving traitor under an unflattering mop of greasy hair, and Richard Moll dons a latex monster mask to play the double-crossed demon. It's utterly silly and often awkward, but it does have energy to spare. The sequel promised at the end of the film was never produced and Pyun went on to direct some of the best straight-to-video action films of the 1990s, including Nemesis. --Sean Axmaker

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41% liked it

3,803 ratings

R, 99 min.

Directed by: Albert Pyun

Release Date: June 1, 1982

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DVD Release Date: April 24, 2001

Stats: 173 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (173)


  • November 10, 2008
    Better than expected Conan rip off.
  • October 28, 2007
    Very, very silly, and quite hilarious. Not enough so to keep me awake through the entire thing, though...

    The triple sword was actually kind of ingenious.
  • July 15, 2007
    If only the movie was as exciting as the artwork. I found it a bit dull, with not enough monsters, dungeons and battles. There was a cool three-bladed sword the hero Talon (Lee Horsley) wielded. It was somewhat like Conan the Barbarian. The evil sorceror Clusia was played by Rich...( read more)ard Moll (of Night Court fame). The wimpy princess in distress was Kathleen Beller. Lots of wench-talk. There were not enough fantasy elements to call this good.

    We D&D players ate this up in the era of Sword & Sorcery flicks; better ones had yet to come.
  • January 18, 2007
    Oh, the cheese factor is so high on this one, but you've got Richard Lynch as an evil king, Richard Moll as the evil sorcerer, Matt Houston as the "hunky" hero, and the eternally twelve-years-old Kathleen Beller as the gutsy maiden!!
  • July 6, 2006
    The story line here is a familiar one for fantasy buffs - Evil leader wants more power so kills rival leader. Son of deceased King vows vengeance. Many years pass and said son is now skilled warrior who single-handily slaughters opposing army and beds distressed maiden. However, ...( read more)there are a number of aspects here that ensures this film is more enjoyable than the standard fare.

    Firstly, there is the ridiculously unwieldly 3 bladed sword which not only shatters metal but can also shoot out its blades! Secondly, the main hero isn't played by a dense block of wood (a la DEATHSTALKER) but instead carries an air of Errol Flynn style swashbuckling mixed with a dash of Indiana Jones rogue charm (well that maybe pushing it but you get the idea). Credit is also due to whoever came up with the idea of him still being able to after being crucified! Finally even though the film runs for a 100 minutes it doesn't drag, obviously the director understood that he was making a tongue-in-cheek action movie rather than a sociological drama... The female lead also goes against the grain in that she spends more time kneeing men in the groin rather than shedding her clothes every 5 minutes.

    There are some drawbacks, the main one being the under use of Richard Moll's character and the meandering plot but overall this is a decent piece of fantasy cinema. Worth a look.
  • September 12, 2009
    Confusing story but inovatting effects
  • April 23, 2009
    I love the 3 bladed sword... and the shoot too!! Oops the 12 yo in me is speaking out
  • January 10, 2009
    No thankyou - Not interested.
  • November 9, 2008
    Review will be written when/if re-watched (Probability: Zero).

    First viewing: 24.06.2002
  • October 22, 2008
    this is 1 of my favs of all time and i can't wait for part to it took 28 years but it coming out.

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  • In "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982), who plays the don't mess with me, pissed off Sorcerer? (Hint: The actor played a lovable, naive character in a very popular T.V. comedy series.)  Answer »

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