[.ca] Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) (1980)

Amazon.com Essential Video:
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the lunk-headed quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its '30s screen serialization, this cotton-candy-colored trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

From Amazon.co.uk:
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its 1930s screen serialisation, this candy-coloured trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

FLASH GORDON GET'S SACKED !!:
For the money I spent on this all new "Flash Gordon" special DVD edition, I feel completely cheated. I'll admit that the front cover artwork and disc design are really cool. However the disc packaging is absolutely terrible and an extremely cheap effort from Universal Studios. The disc is extremely hard to remove from the package and at one point I was afraid it was going to snap. The good news is that the remastered video transfer is excellent and the colors are incredibly sharp and vibrant. In my opinion the amazing soundtrack performed by Queen and remastered in 5.1 surround sound lacks bite.The sound is inconsistent throughout the movie,the levels are definitely off and I expected the sound to be better than it was. The bonus features included are very lame to say the least. The SCI-FI channel trailer for the Flash Gordon TV show is a complete waste of time and adds nothing to this release. Sadly this release doesn't contain any commentaries from any of the actors and that's a major disappointment. It would have been nice to hear comments from Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Timothy Dalton or some type of cast look back featurette should have been included. I'd be willing to bet this film was a scream to make and there must have been plenty of bloopers and extras lying around, so why weren't they included? I love this movie and rate it five stars for pure fun, but at the same time I'm very disappointed in the way Universal Studios has packaged and released it to the fans. A cult classic like "Flash Gordon" should have received the deluxe DVD treatment filled with all the extras.The recent release of "The Monster Squad" on dvd from Lionsgate/Maple Pictures proves that Universal Studios could have easily released a deluxe version of "Flash Gordon" if they really wanted to.Late in the fourth quarter Flash Gordon quarterback of the Jets delivered the perfect pass to Universal Studios and they still managed to drop the ball.Five stars for "Flash Gordon" but only three stars for the subpar dvd release from Universal.

not good (1.4/5):
where to start?right off the bat,it was apparent his was going to be one of those 'it's so bad it's good' movies.and at first that's how i felt.soon,though the novelty wears off and the bad acting,bad writing,bad effects become annoying.plus,i could swear at times,the actors thought they were in a serious movie.but honestly,there's no real discernible plot,and the movie is a mishmash of other movies.it's all muddled.the dialogue is not good,lets just say.in my own personal opinion,there is absolutely no point to this movie.i remember seeing it when i was ten,and i liked it then.but i guess your tastes change as you get older.as for the special features,there isn't much of anything in depth.and the so called trailer for the sci-fi channels' new Flash Gordon lasts all of about 9 seconds and shows nothing.if you are a fan of this movie,my advice is just to look for the regular version,which should be pretty cheap.and apparently,our friends overseas actually get the much better and in depth region 2 special edition which actually has features worth watching.so,if you can get you hands on a region 2 release and your dvd player supports region 2 discs(you should find out first)that would be your best bet.otherwise,i'ts a complete waste of time.but that's just one person's opinion.my vote for Flash Gordon(Saviour of the Universe Edition)1.4/5

Not the "Savior" edition I was hoping for:
Item reviewed: Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) (2007) Region 1/NTSC DVD It is nice to have DVD of Flash Gordon (1980) back in the stores again after a wait of many years, and I can now upgrade from my VHS cassette copy. It is disappointing, however, that they did not make use of the special edition that already exists in Region 2 PAL format, and has been available since 2005 overseas. The Region 2 DVD (2005) has commentaries and the usual extra features that we have come to expect on special edition DVDs. However, this Region 1 Flash Gordon does not have much to offer by way of extras, and none of those that our European counterparts received in the 2005 Silver Anniversary Edition. The extras featured on the current North American edition do not overlap those on the Region 2 release, so for those who also play other region formats, this still might be worth picking up for those. Hopefully we will get our own 2-disc issue in the future with at least the Reg. 2 features or something similar. I have added a few images to the product information above so that buyers can get a better look at the product. Below is a list of features included with the 2007 Savior of the Universe Edition. For comparison, this is followed by details of the Region 2 Silver Anniversary Edition (2005) Region 1 America (Universal Pictures - Saviour Of The Universe Edition) Extras: "Alex Ross, Renowned Comic Artist, on Flash Gordon" -featurette (13 min) "Writing a Classic: Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr." -featurette (10 min) First Episode of the "Flash Gordon" 1936 Serial - "Chapter One: Planet Of Peril" (20 min) Theatrical trailer Bonus teaser: "Flash Gordon (2007)" TV-seriesSubtitles: English, French, and Spanish Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Picture Format: Anamorphic TV System: NTSC Soundtrack(s): English Dolby Digital 5.1 Case type: Amaray (Keep) Case Region 2 AE United Kingdom (Momentum Pictures 2005 - Silver Anniversary Edition) Commentaries: 1) Audio Commentary by Director Mike Hodges, 2) Audio Commentary by Actor Brian Blessed Extras: Trailer (1:50) Interview with Mike Hodges (31:42) Photo Gallery (34 images) "The Purple Death" Episode One of 'Flash Gordon: Conquers the Universe' - Original 1940s Serial (20:36) IN THE CASE 8 Page Booklet with photos and production information. Subtitles: English HoH Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Picture Format: Anamorphic TV System: PAL Soundtrack(s): English DTS 5.1 English Dolby Digital 5.1 Case type: Amaray (Keep) Case

Cheesy, Campy, Awesome:
Unfortunately, I never saw this movie as a kid. I would have loved it. But seeing it for the first time in my twenties, despite some bad acting and cheesy dialogue, the film was thoroughly enjoyable. The visual graphics in the film are amazing. The colors and otherworldliness really take you into another place. Not only is the film completely over the top, it's actually a pretty decent take on totalitarianism and the nature of dictators. By inspiring fear into the hearts of his subjects, Ming is able to "divide and conquer". The people are so afraid of Ming that they will sell each other out for his favor. But Flash Gordon, through his conscience and humanity, is able to bring them together to topple the psychopathic Ming. Pure fun! Oh, and the Queen soundtrack is worth the price alone.

A True Classic:
It took such a long time to finally be released on DVD but it was well worth the wait. This is perhaps the most under-rated movie of all time. Staring Sam Jones, Max Von Sydow, Topol and Ornella Muti this high energy Sci-Fi action adventure is among the best of its genre. It is one of my favorite movies and it has held up increadably well over the years. It enjoyed was massive successful in Europe but failed to do well here in North America which may explain why it took the studio so long to release it. Flash Gordon is not your typical Science Fiction movie, with regards to set design and costume design the film attempted ( successfully ) to remained true to the original 1950's TV serial, it has a look un-like any movie I have ever seen. The dialog, the acting, the action sequences are campy and over the top yet it works so well for the film. If you have not yet seen it I strongly recomend that you do, I believe this is one of the greatest films Ever, a true classic...and part of my Top 25 list of all time.