The Beastmaster Review
Don_Coscarelli's follow-up to his horror hit Phantasm lacks the polish and consistency to reach the epic heights it aspires to, but still has plenty to offer the cult film fanatic. The script often lacks coherence (just how does Maax's witch sneak into the king's chamber?) but moves at a breathless pace that delivers plenty of action and all the necessary ingredients of a good pulp adventure: a stoic hero, colorful sidekicks, a hissable villain, and plenty of cliff-hanging action sequences. The Beastmaster also benefits from an array of colorful performances. Marc_Singer makes a likable unpretentious hero, John_Amos provides solid support as the ever-stoic Seth, and Rip_Torn delivers a thoroughly over-the-top interpretation of Maax that perfectly suits the pulpy material. The only weak performance comes from Tanya_Roberts, who is fetching but a bit wooden as Kiri. Coscarelli directs the material with a solid eye for budget-priced spectacle and creates some often surprisingly spooky moments, the best being a unsettling night scene where Dar stumbles upon a lair of creepy bat-people. The special effects vary in quality, with the visual effects working quite nicely, but some of the makeup effects (most notably Maax's nose) looking a bit rubbery. However, the photography by regular Stanley_Kubrick cinematographer John_Alcott is quite stunning and Lee_Holdridge's symphonic score lends the right touch of epic grandeur. All in all, The Beastmaster may seem a bit quaint and hastily crafted to modern eyes, but it remains a swashbuckling treat for anyone nostalgic for Hercules-styled pulp epics. Donald Guarisco, Rovi
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