If this film were made in the 1930's it would be somewhat impressive. Fifty years later the original novel was written, it's not. It should have been kept back in the age where it belongs, but they just had to do it, and the result is nothing but an embarrassing parody on the old style sci-fi/fantasy genre. Why embarrassing? Because it wasn't intended to be a parody. Mel Brook's Spaceballs made seven years later was, but is still less of a parody and much better made. In Flash Gordon of 1980 the whole production stinks of turkey, in particular considering the intention. The acting, all over, is just very bad, in particular from the main character, who must have been cast only due to his looks. The costumes and special effects are just as bad, together with the script. How could a could a actor like Max von Sydow get tangled up in this trash? Better than Star Wars? Must be someone born in 1915. The production designer has done a pretty good job, but in vane. It's all been ruined by bad light settings. Did they think they were in a theater or the opera? Dale, you look wonderful, really. - Ah, it must be the eye makeup. That's a line Mel Brooks would have been proud of.

This version of Flash Gordon is a real gem - a powerful, sometimes psychedelic visual trip and with the fantastic Max von Sydow, we get a worthy Emperor Ming the Merciless. Not to forget the beautiful Ornella Muti as Princess Aura and Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin. The soundtrack made superb by Queen, the visuals comic-like, this movie got everything: a great hero, epic fights, beautiful and sometimes deadly women, the fantastic creatures and folks of the planet Mongo - a fine movie who got the spirit of the original material from Alex Raymond's original comic strip (starting 1934) and imo can compete with the show from 1936 starring Buster Crabbe.Fantasy sci-fi & B-movie trash at its best.

Sam Jones in that movie is as bad an actor as they come. In a weird way that makes him a believable football quarterback. Brian Blessed could have been blessed with more talent as well, and Melody Anderson plays a strange tune. Then there are Timothy Dalton, Ornella Muti, and of course Max von Sydow, with quite strong performances. The effects are horrible, even for that movie age. The Hawkmen "flying" in particular are terrible to behold, closely followed by the Lizardmen's snake suit costumes with eyes inside their mouths. The rulers of the galaxy seem to number a couple of hundred people, the Arboria planet/moon is a floating rock with a forest barely bigger than a football field, and the aerial city is more like the size of a village, so I guess inbreeding is a given for all involved races and may explain a lot. I've never read the comic, so I can't make a comparison.The story is studded with American pathos, the hero is the quarterback of the New York Jets, savior of the universe, who gets invincible as soon as he holds something the shape of a football. What really kills me though is that the wedding march seems to be universal.So why not 2/10? Once you get over how bad this movie is, you need to admit it sticks with you. It does a great job at being so bad it gets good again, because you've never seen anything quite like it. I have a theory about Art which says: Art is what has the power to cut through the mind-mesh you have created over the years, hitting your heart and soul unchecked, causing that happy feeling of touching something otherworldly with your mind. Flash Gordon does that for me. It's iridescent, iconic and unique, which is notably reinforced by the Queen soundtrack.

Flash Gordon is what the 80's would be and what the 70's were. Bad CGI, laughable dialogue and homoerotic costumes. This is great! It is entertaining as hell, though maybe dated too much. This film encompasses everything we love about the 70's and 80's sci-fi whilst blending in the superhero genre as an added bonus. Flash, aahhhhh, ruler of the universe. Love it. This film should be used for history lessons in describing what the 80's were like and also drugs. This films foundation must be drugs, there is no other way to describe this American Monty Python Superhero Fan Fiction Crazy Surreal Adventure Quest. There is seriously no other way.