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Deathstalker starts the same way as Barbarian Queen – with a random rape in what appears to be the middle of the movie. What differs is the hero, who is an immediately likeable, herculean, blonde swordsman, unflinchingly coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress at the hands of a horde of raging mutant apemen and a vile thief. He’s fully equipped with cheesy one-liners, his own theme music, an uncanny invincibility, and unyielding smarminess. He also doesn’t seem to care one bit that he can’t act. Deathstalker (Rick Hill) is sent on a mission by dethroned king Tulak (George Sorvic) to retrieve three powers, one hidden in an amulet, another in a chalice and the final in a powerful Sword of Justice, to take back the kingdom from the wicked court magician Munkar (Bernard Erhard). Along the way he must recruit a few extra sidekicks (that appear to come from the Xena TV show). Oghris (Richard Brooker) is the first candidate, a young man with masterful sword-wielding skills, who is on his way to fight in a two-day tournament at Munkar’s castle – the prize is to become Munkar’s heir and to win the hand of the beautiful Princess Codille (Barbi Benton). Deathstalker joins him on the journey, almost immediately crossing paths with the lithe Kaira (Lana Clarkson), a shapely woman who is not afraid to unfurl her cape to reveal a striking lack of garments. Once they arrive at the palace, Munkar invents fiendish games of barbarism to do away with the pesky heroes. |
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“I may be a woman, but my sword has cut down greater men than you,” Kaira warns Oghris. “And I’ve dealt with better women with a different sword,” he rebuts. At least there’s humor, plentifully in the bad dialogue and especially in the bloodletting. Hilariously low-budget decapitations find their way into every fight and there are some frightful makeup and sorcery designs to go with the swordplay. Ogres, giants, spirits, midgets, a hulking pig-warrior (who gets to beat people senseless with recently torn limbs), a muppet-like mutant that eats eyes and fingers, and a hand-puppet-like monstrosity along the lines of a disturbed Yoda are the highlights of the creature effects. It’s got style and wit, in not-so-subtle music changes, laughable character development and even in the framing of imagery (for some reason, women’s well-defined rumps find their way into the frame, constantly). Deathstalker goes so far as to boast a decent production value, with adequate lighting, makeup, character ideas and schlock. The music isn’t even half bad. And superior camerawork, fight choreography, sound effects, acting and dialogue are evident, compared to the later Roger Corman swords and sorcery productions (most notably measured with Barbarian Queen). One of the gladiators beats a scrawny guy to a bloody pulp with a giant mallet – and not surprisingly, we get to see the aftermath. With a very well lit sex scene out of nowhere, nude mud-wrestling just for the sake of nude mud-wrestling, an out-of-place pillow fight, oodles of random nudity, and of course, an orgy, the parts of the story that just don’t make much sense are quickly forgotten. Bare breasts and brutal violence are always present to take your mind off of the nonsensical bits. - Mike Massie
Read the Review of Deathstalker II (1987) HERE! Read the Review of Barbarian Queen (1985) HERE!
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