Beastmaster Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1982

Released in 1982 just months after the commercial success of Conan the Barbarian, The Beastmaster was panned by critics and failed to generate any real degree of success in the box office. Yet despite its initial failure, The Beastmaster grew into one of the 80's most watched and beloved films, spurring on two sequels as well as a television series decades later.

The Beastmaster is proof why professional movie critics cannot always be trusted. While most of these critics rejected this film, the movie managed to survive its initial box office failure and experience a renaissance on cable. If you were a child of the 80's you'll recall that HBO almost played this show daily! The movie was a regular on other cable channels also, particularly TBS, which was jokingly dubbed The Beastmaster Station by many.

Although a sword and sorcery movie, this film possessed a production value and storyline that far exceeds many other genre entries during the early 80's. The story centers on Dar (Marc Singer), an unborn crown prince of a family that was separated from his mother's womb by a witch under the command of high priest Maax (Rip Torn). Just before the baby was to be sacrificed to Maax's dark god a passerby discovers the evil ceremony and saves the baby.

Adopted by the passerby, Dar is raised in a small village, unaware of his heritage. During his childhood years he discovers he possesses an affinity with animals – he can speak with them and see through their eyes. Eventually when he is a young man he undergoes a quest for revenge against Maax and his followers, accompanied by Kiri (Tanya Roberts), a beautiful slave girl, and Seth (John Amos), a stalwart traveler.

I won't share more details about the plot since if you're one of those rare people that haven't already seen The Beastmaster I don't want to ruin it for you. Suffice it to say the epic story provides us plenty glorious battles, mysterious creatures, exhilarating magic displays and ominous foes.

The acting in this movie is very impressive and worlds apart from the slapdash attempts by most actors in similarly themed movies of the 80's. Marc Singer and John Amos lend a convincing richness to their roles, and Rip Torn absolutely chews into his role as a fanatical, black-hearted dark priest. Tanya Roberts isn't quite in the same league as the aforementioned actors, but she does lend some great eye candy and never pulls us out of the film with an unconvincing performance. While a young Demi Moore was originally being considered for the role of Kiri, ultimately I'm glad Roberts was given the role.

There are times when good actors still appear to be going through the motions, and then there are times where actors appear to be having a good time playing the role of their characters. By all appearances the actors really enjoyed these roles, and their passion for the movie really benefits the end result. Marc Singer also reflects a genuine appreciation for his animal companions – the sparkle in his eyes and his smile when interacting with them ring true.

I've heard many people refer to this film as a guilty pleasure, a label that I disagree with. A guilty pleasure defines a movie that possesses a bit of the "so bad it's good" factor; a movie we enjoy in spite of the fact the film really isn't all that great. The Beastmaster is no such movie. It's well produced, well acted and thoroughly enjoyable throughout. I won't try and distance myself from advocating this movie by giving it the guilty pleasure label – I'll advocate the movie based on its quality.

The DVD release of this film contains some nice extras such as an audio commentary by director Don Coscarelli and producer Paul Pepperman, the theatrical trailer, poster and still galleries and more. What I found really interesting was a Behind-The-Scenes documentary on the making of The Beastmaster – it's almost amazing how the end product came out when you witness it during its creation.

No child of the 80's should be without this DVD in his collection, and quite frankly anyone that hasn't yet experienced this film owes it to himself to rent or own it. It's held up well over the test of time and is just as enjoyable today as it was 20+ years ago. I watched this show many times during my childhood, and I strongly suspect I'll watch it many more times in the future.

Movie Rating: 9 stars

If you enjoyed Beastmaster you may also find the following films to be of interest:

Enjoy the Beastmaster experience in the comfort of your own home with these related products!

 DVD
 VHS

Additional Resources:


Movie Sitemap
The Beastmaster

Seth

High Priest Maax

Singer & Roberts

Final Battle

Wondering if the Netflix service is all
it's cracked up to be? Read our
detailed review and find out!