DeathStalker II Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1987

Deathstalker was the very definition of a guilty pleasure - a low budget B-movie that made a serious attempt at creating a sword and sandals film chock full of nudity and violence. It was truly a film that you either loved or hated.

So what happens if you take the original film, change the lead actor, give it an even lower budget and remove its serious nature? You get Deathstalker II, and amazingly it possesses a charm of its own. Smirk all you want, but before passing the final judgement make sure you see the feature presentation…

Let me get this out of the way immediately: Deathstalker II is not a great movie, nor is it even a good movie. But despite that, it's a fun movie… and there's definitely a place for 90 minute guilty pleasures in this world.

The original Deathstalker was a serious film depicting Deathstalker (Richard Hall) as a buff, violent and sexist anti-hero that behaved as a dishonorable mercenary. This time around the lead role is taken over by John Terlesky, and under his amusing performance the anti-hero instead becomes a likeable rogue.

Of course the change of character is also due in large part to the tongue-in-cheek tone the sequel undertook, but without Terlesky the attempt at making a comedic sword and sandals film would likely have failed miserably. When watching the film you get the sense Terlesky was genuinely enjoying himself, and at times I found his roguish demeanor to be similar to B-movie hero Bruce Campbell.

The general plotline involves Deathstalker rescuing a princess (Monique Gabrielle) from an evil wizard (John Lazar) bent on destroying the kingdom. Yep, nothing original here, but originality was never a strong point for sword and sorcery flicks nor do most fans of the genre demand much more than plenty of action and scantily-clad women. And you'll find both in this film, along with a healthy dose of humor and wisecracks.

Many fans of the original film condemned this sequel for straying from the serious tone of the original, but frankly I don't mind at all. I would agree that this movie is a sequel in name alone and bears no continuity or relation to the original film, but I'll be darned if I didn't crack a grin while I watched it. Let's face it, although the original film tried to create an epic story (amidst the gratuitous T&A), it was certainly no masterpiece. Deathstalker II is the realization of this fact, and it revels in its low-budget charm.

I'm not always a fan of director/actor commentaries as they often contain little more than self-praise about the film or their part in it. Director Jim Wynorski, John Terlesky (Deathstalker) and Tori Naples (Sultana) provide the commentary for this film, and dare I say it alone is worth the price of admission? Yes, I'll definitely say it – the commentary is possibly even more hilarious than the film!

Throughout the commentary the participants poke fun at each other as well as the film's low budget. You won't be subjected to self-congratulatory exchanges or monotonous casting and filming details; instead you'll them share hear details such as how a doorknob was used for a crystal ball, plot elements they gratuitously stole from other popular films, a car that could be seen if you look closely enough in the background and more. They even poke fun at the decision to insert some clips from the original Deathstalker into this film… the insertion didn't make sense and they are the first to admit it!

Such an interview would have been enjoyable just in itself, but the participants are naturally amusing people which helps greatly. I wanted to hear more about how they created a fun sword and sorcery romp out of a minimal budget and the many mistakes or sacrifices that had to be made.

In summary, those looking for a good film should definitely look elsewhere, but anyone looking for a fun fantasy romp should consider a rental or adding this DVD to their collection. Due to the nature of the film it requires being rated on two factors:

Movie Rating: 3 stars
Guilty Pleasure Rating: 7 stars

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