"Flash Gordon" is a camp spectacle based on the '30s B&W serials. While the serials were in dreary black&white,the 1980 "Flash Gordon" is awash in every existing color. It's in glorious,wonderful,color,color,color. With Sam J. Jones as the frequently shirtless hero,the soaring QUEEN soundtrack,and art house icon Max Von Sydow as the villainous Ming the Merciless,it's something not to be missed.

"Flash Gordon" has a seemingly simple plot. The eponymous hero has to save Earth. He also happens to be a football player. For some reason,he brings along his girlfriend Dale Arden (Melody Andersen),whom Ming desires. Numerous adventures follow. Future 007 Timothy Dalton goes around in Robin Hood drag,while Brian Blessed goes around in hot pants with hawk wings.

"Flash Gordon" is a true camp classic. It saves the universe from boring and dreary movies! It's a veritable feast for the senses!

Maybe I could have understood the movie better if I wasn't having so much fun watching it! Why are Sam and Dale stuck out in the universe instead of going back to earth? Well, I'd stay out in space if the alternative was the dreary, dust-ridden planet we get a glimpse of at the beginning of the film. The movie picks up steam and color as soon as Dr. Zharkov kidnaps our hero and heroine and whisks them off to save the planet, and especially when they reach the court of the fabulous Ming the Merciless. Ridiculed for its "camp" qualities when it came out, and for the inadequate and dubbed acting of Sam J. Jones as "Flash," FLASH GORDON in fact tells its story in a relatively straightforward manner, while Jones is unexpectedly winning in a difficult role; as soon as he remembers his football plays in a push against Ming's henchmen in reel two, he won my heart in that old fashioned Lil Abner Peter Palmer way. In some ways he's a fool, but no more than Jimmy Stewart was in the 30s and 40s movies FLASH harks back to. In the words of Queen's catchy theme song, "Flash! --Ahhh, ahhhh!"

Melody Anderson does what she can with a all-American girl shtick, but she comes closer to pure camp with her endless posturing about America and her defiance of danger. However, the role calls for her to show more complex emotions when she must give up Flash in order to save him, and she fulfills these scenes admirably, telling Aura, for example, that she can't poison Ming, for she has promised to be a good wife to him (in exchange for him sparing Flash's life). Keeping her promise turns out to be her Achilles' heel, and that one trait seemed quintessentially American, a naive belief in one's word for good or bad. She's like Sarah Palin, except her gowns are better.

As Ming, Max von Sydow does better work than in any of those Ingmar Bergman movies that made him famous. Tim Dalton takes his time in his slow evolution from evil to sidekick, and his portrayal gains strength from his early refusal to play for viewer sympathy. Like everyone else, I enjoyed Brian Blessed's hawkman, though at times he comes perilously close to enjoying himself more than anyone else. But hands down the movie belongs to Ornella Muti as Aura, she is smoking hot and just gets better and richer throughout the film until she attains actual cinema perfection in the last sequence of FLASH GORDON. You'd have to be Myron Breckinridge to adequately describe her genius in print.

Have always liked this movie, especially since Queen did the soundtrack.
In great shape, boxed; already watched a few times.

I got my DVD today and I must say I am really happy with it. I felt like a kid again watching this movie and even watching the theatrical trailer. I loved the interview With Alex Ross, I myself am an artist so I appreciated it. I noticed half the people on here whining about the audio and this and that...and really..It doesn't even matter...this is a great classic film! And if you appreciate the genre then you will love this movie! The people who complained need to learn they shouldn't always sweat the small stuff. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD IT WAS MADE IN THE 80'S What do you expect? Great film..and lots of fun.

This is a classic. And they redited it so it looks amazing. The case is cool too if you want to display it. It fold up to open. I really love this movie. You should check out the new figures they just put out for it.