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The Sword and the Sorcerer

Starring: Lee Horsley
Director: Albert Pyun
Genre: Action
Year: 1982
Rating: 1 / 5

The Sword and the Sorcerer is a fantasy film from 1982. That statement pretty much sums up everything the viewer needs to know about this film. It hails from an era of movie cliches, idiotic villains, and pointless nudity. This movie is so disappointing that director Albert Pyun (who eventually returned to prominence with Jean-Claude Van Damme's Cyborg) did not receive another directing job for four years after the release of this film! Lee Horsley, who tried to ape Tom Selleck with his television series Matt Houston, "stars" in this film, offering a glimmer of hope, but not enough to salvage this wretched effort.

The evil Titus Cromwell (Richard Lynch) is set on conquering the known world, but one small kingdom stands in his way. No matter what measures he takes, Cromwell is repeatedly rebuffed, forcing him to enter into a dangerous bargain with risen-from-the-dead sorcerer Xusia (Richard Moll). With the sorcerer's help, Cromwell defeats the king and slaughters his wife and children - all of his children except young Prince Talon, who battles his way through Cromwell's helpless minions and escapes to the countryside. Foiled, Cromwell attempts to dispose of Xusia, only his luck is equally poor. Nearly fifteen years later, with Talon and Xusia seeking revenge, Cromwell will realize what horrible mistakes he has made.

There is a lot more to the plot than that, but why bother. This film is so readily identifiable with its era that it is frightening. This is a period that produced few memorable films - The Beastmaster and Conan the Barbarian being exceptions - and countless flops. The Sword and the Sorcerer is just such a film, the kind fans mock today for its stupidity. To be perfectly honest, I must admit that I found this film somewhat entertaining as a child, but this only goes to show that not every film ages well.

In fact, it is rather difficult to take anything in The Sword and the Sorcerer seriously. Both the hero and his arch-nemesis are blessed with some of the most incompetent supporting casts in film history. Not one but two characters knock themselves unconscious by running into a wall. These characters cannot handle themselves in a fight, nor do they have the common sense of a child. The hero's sword, an ill-conceived tri-bladed weapon, shoots its blades at his enemies. How are these blades retrieved? Why get bogged down in such details? The Sword and the Sorcerer is lurking at a video store near you, but do yourself a favor - let someone else get trapped in this fantasy world.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence and nudity.
Running Time: 100 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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