Movie Review: The Sword and the Sorcerer

The Sword and the Sorcerer

Group 1 International Distribution Organization Ltd., Sorcerer Productions, USA, 1982.

Evil King Titus Cromwell (Richard Lynch) awakes demon sorcerer Xusia (Richard Moll). With Xusia Cromwell tries to defeat good King Richard (Christopher Cary). Then Cromwell notices that he does not need Xusia after all, and tries to kill him. Richard sends Queen Malia (Nina van Pallandt) and Prince Talon (James Jarnigan) to safety. Richard gives Talon a three-bladed sword. It is a Swiss Army sword, it can shoot two blades and has also other cool features. During the escape Talon uses two blades on two enemies, "Stick around!" 

King Cromwell

King Richard

Young Talon and his sword

Years later a legendary hero and mercenary (Lee Horsley) appears. Naughty Cromwell needs to marry Princess Alana (Kathleen Beller) to secure his kingdom or something. Alana's brother and rightful heir to the throne Mikah (Simon MacCorkindale) plans revolution with King's attendant Machelli (George Maharis). Unsurprisingly Machelli is a traitor and Cromwell captures Mikah. Xusia awakes and wants revenge, just join the long line, pal.

Talon

Machelli

Xusia

Alana hires mercenary (who is Talon in disguise) to save Mikah. With help from rebels and his friend Rodrigo (Anthony De Longis) Talon raids the torture chamber where Mikah is kept. They succeed freeing him but now Talon is captured. Cromwell and Machelli plan to crucify him like Conan. 

Princess Alana

Talon's gang is not going to accept that kind of behaviour. Phillip (Reb Brown) and Darius (Joe Regalbuto) get help from Captain Morgan (not the rum, but Earl Maynard). The rescue attempt fails for the delight of Cromwell's head torturer Verdugo (Robert Tessier). Things start to look grim for the heroes and also for surroundinging kingdoms. Luckily semiclad ladies save the rescuers. Verdugo gets his bald head shined. Talon loses most of his clothes and fights barbarian style. But where has Xusia been all the time? 

Captain Morgan shines Verdugo's bald

Talon goes barbarian

"The Sword and the Sorcerer" has fun sword & sorcery (sic) fantasy action with some gore effects. This is one of B-movie director Albert Pyun's best movies if not even the best. As a Conan-clone it is not at all bad. Dialogue is full of hilarious lines (cheesy or not) and double-entendre. The acting is deliciously hammy and one archer captain (unknown actor) does his best to imitate Brian Blessed. There are a million characters whose names are taken randomly from history books, which muddles the plot but who cares as it does not slow the (mainly) tongue-in-cheek action. Music by David Whitaker brings the spirit of Indiana Jones style epic adventure. 

Sequel "Tales of an Ancient Empire" was promised, but did not come out until 2010. From what  I have heard is that it was not as entertaining.

Rating: Good 

Starring: Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, Richard Moll, Anthony De Longis, Robert Tessier, Nina van Pallandt, Anna Bjorn, Jeff Corey, Joseph Ruskin, Joe Regalbuto, Russ Marin, Earl Maynard, George Murdock, John Davis Chandler, Emily Yancy, Christopher Cary, Peter Breck, Alan Caillou, Michael Evans, Jay Robinson, Simmy Bow, Reb Brown, Erik Cord, JoJo D'Amore, Steve Davis, Anthony Farrar, Greg Finley, George Fisher, Tammi Furness, Hubie Kerns Jr., Leonard P. Geer, Michael Hoit, James Jarnigan, Edgy Lee, Charlie Messenger, Shelley Taylor Morgan, Christina Nigra, Buckley Norris, Patrick O'Moore, Thomas Rosales Jr., Gina Smika Hunter, Alvah Stanley, Mark Steffan, William Watson, Barry Chase, Corinne Calvet, Corey Burton, Suzy Mandel 

Director: Albert Pyun