Dung-colored science-fiction (originally released in 3D), set in the bleak 22nd century, concerns three female survivors of a destroyed space cruiseliner overtaken by hostile natives after landing on the barren planet Terra XI (whose inhabitants drive what appears to be a cross between a pirate ship and a tank); scruffy, randy salvage operator Peter Strauss and android engineer Andrea Marcovicci attempt a rescue. Threadbare "Road Warrior" wannabe with a brash personality, unintelligible dialogue, messy action and variable performances. Molly Ringwald (pre-"Sixteen Candles") plays a nomad (or "Scav") who hitches a ride with Strauss to act as his tracker in The Zone, which is ruled by Michael Ironside's menacing Overdog; she's teenage-mouthy and prone to screaming, but hasn't been given anything witty or clever to say. Strauss and Marcovicci have some nice, easy chemistry in the early scenes, but that promise is cut short. Lamont Johnson directed, Ivan Reitman produced, but the talented players behind the cameras are as wasted as those in front of them. * from ****

I'm a big fan of this movie. Not just the cast but also the cheesy 3D FX. I saw this in theaters and thought, wow, this is how all films should be. But why has there not been a blu ray release. I did remember a Leonard Nimony TV special going behind the scenes on this so this would be an ideal DVD extra. Back in the 80's, low-budget sci-fi films such as Battle Beyond the Stars, Ice Pirates, Enemy Mine and The Last Starfighter were everywhere. Enter "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" then, and enjoy yet another B movie romp. The plot goes like this. Galaxy-hopping garbage man and all-round regular guy Wolff (Peter Strauss), along with his hot sexbot android companion Chalmers receive a distress signal from a crashed escape pod, which ejected from a destroyed starliner before landing on some rocky, desert planet. Touching down their starship with a view to claiming the reward for the rescue of the three earth girls inside the escape pod, the pair set off across the desert in a rather cool-looking Mad Max type jeep. A fight ensues in which Chalmers is destroyed, so Wolff takes up with a new companion, an orphaned scavenger named Nikki (Molly Ringwald). She guides Wolff through the landscape to the Forbidden Zone, a nightmarish industrial zone of death maze games and other nasties run by former scientist-turned-evil cyborg Overdog (Michael Ironside). The pair, along with sector chief Washington (Ernie Hudson) meet mutants, amazon women and other Mad Max genre locals along the way, and eventually put a plan in place to rescue the ladies.

Three women made an emergency landing on a planet plagued with a fatal disease, but are captured by dictator Overdog. Adventurer Wolff goes there to rescue them and meets Niki, the only earthling left from a medical expedition. Combining their talents, they try to rescue the women....Another one of those films that people must have fond memories of, when they saw it all those years ago. But seeing that I saw this for the first today and at the age of 34, it's a big disappointment for the first hour. It reminded me of that awful film from 1985 called 'Land of Doom' or something.The first two acts are just people walking thought the desert, pointing things at the screen because of the 3D, searching for three women. It's a chore to sit through, Molly Ringwald turns up, but she whines, and then Ernie Hudson turns up, but he isn't Winston, and you start to despair.But then all of a sudden the final act really ups the ante, and we get a cross between The Crystal Maze and Duran Durans Wild Boys video.It almost makes the rest of the film worth watching.But then you cannot see this part on it's own, as it would be really difficult to comprehend what was going on.Another case of the title being better than the film...

Been waiting for this for a long time - as cult classics go it's one of my more memorable adolescent reminiscences.I remember seeing this on the big screen when it was first released. Loved it then, for several reasons: Strauss was capable but cool as the hero Wolf, Molly Ringwald was feisty, mouthy and cheeky as the elfin Nikki, and Michael Ironsides was virtually unrecognisable under his make-up, but still gave Overdog a sinister air of menace and cruelty.Now, 20 years later, I get to see it again, and there are flaws that time has exposed. The effects and the music are very dated. The dialogue is weak in places, and the acting from the minor characters leaves something to be desired. However, it still has a sense of excitement and adventure that many other sci-fi flicks of the 80s now lack. The action is fast-paced, the interaction between the leads is good, and the scenery is suitably dark and barren.7/10 - it's well worth overlooking the more dated elements in order to uncover the gem underneath.