Pocket Universe

Andy’s Rating: Loved It (13/13)

The 1980 cult classic Flash Gordon has been re-released on DVD this week, with a new remastered transfer and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound. I thought it might be worthwhile to post a quick review of the movie for those who either aren’t familiar with it, or don’t appreciate it.

I once had a discussion with a good friend of mine, where he criticized Flash Gordon as a terrible movie. I defended it as intentionally campy; the entire premise of the movie (and, by extension, the original comic and serial) is so laughably outrageous that the writer decided to exaggerate everything to emphasize the humor of the situation. The drama scenes are completely overacted, the romance proceeds at a breakneck pace, and the mortal threats to Flash are numerous. (I haven’t counted lately, but I believe that, during the course of the movie, Flash is believed dead no less than twelve separate times.)

When I was thinking about this review, I thought that if you look up the word “campy” in the dictionary, you would see a picture of Flash Gordon next to it. Then I realized that I was wrong: Perhaps the best example of camp is the Batman television show that aired from 1966 to 1968. If you have ever seen that show, it is very much cut from the same cloth as Flash Gordon. The premises are outrageous, the drama is overplayed (thanks in no small part to Adam West), and the humor is very tongue-in-cheek. Where else but on Batman would you find a utility belt that contains shark repellent? So instead of being the most campy show ever, I realized that Flash Gordon will always play second fiddle to Batman.

Then I looked at the extra features on the DVD, and saw an interview with the writer of Flash Gordon, Lorenzo Semple Jr. And I discovered something truly amazing: Not only did Semple write the screenplay for Flash Gordon, but he also wrote 16 episodes of Batman, and was the script consultant for another 58 episodes.

And suddenly, it all made sense.

Watch Flash Gordon again. Understand that, yes, the writer is aware of how goofy the storyline is. The effects are sometimes dated, and the costumes are often outlandishly exaggerated. Flash Gordon cheats death easily, and often. And the script vacillates between excruciating drama and lowbrow humor. However, the plot is terrifically entertaining, the soundtrack by Queen is inspired, and the supporting cast reads like a Who’s Who of British thespians. And most importantly, the story captures the pure joy of a galactic emperor doing battle with a quarterback from Earth. If you haven’t seen Flash Gordon lately, it’s time to watch it again.