Runtime: 102 minutes
Directed by: Steven Kostanski
Starring: Daniel Bernhardt, Christina Orjalo, Paul Lazenby, Nicholas Rice, the voice of Patton Oswalt
From: Many different companies
Yes, they rebooted the cheesy 80’s sword-and-sandal franchise, and yes I got to see this theatrically. I finally watched the 1983 Deathstalker March of last year after hearing that Daniel Bernhardt (the actor/martial artist who can be seen in the John Wick and John Wick-adjacent universe) was rebooting the series… getting Slash (yes, THAT Slash) to be an executive producer, and most importantly for people like us, going the practical effects route. It’s in limited release since the 10th; in Orlando it was at a Regal Cinema so paying a ticket to check out the film was a hassle. However, now the movie is at an AMC-at Disney Springs-so the A-List app was used and I was hoping the movie would be for me… it was.
The plot description currently on Letterboxd describes the plot for the original film… that is NOT the plot for this movie. Sure, our hero Bernhardt is named Death Stalker and he unwittingly teams up w/ wacky companions on a hero’s journey while completing a task; otherwise, the reboot is completely different. He steals an amulet from a fallen knight; a curse is attached to him. With the help of a lady thief and a troll-like wizard voiced by Patton Oswalt, they combat foes who wish to bring back a powerful demon that will rule the world.
Yes, the movie is incredibly cheesy; goofy humor and silly moments should be expected—that was the intent. For those that love practical effects, gallons of gore, beheadings, matte paintings, tactile costumes, stop-motion animation, puppetry, creative creatures abound… you likely will enjoy the movie for that aspect alone. This unexpectedly will be on my Spooky Season list this year… there’s a sorceress, demons known as Dreadites, the aforementioned curse, scary-looking creatures, a scene of body horror… appropriate for this time of year. The action is good instead of great yet the 80’s vibes were rad, cool score included.
Apparently, I made an error in not viewing Deathstalker II before; from hearsay, that’s what this reboot was modeled after. II was deliberately silly & campy. Also, that apparently has a LOT of female nudity. The new film has no nudity whatsoever… but also no sexual assault, which I know the first film had and I’ve heard different stories on how much the second film has of that unfortunate element. In any event, this new picture is a comedy in a retro way instead of the insufferable modern comedy that’s the norm now.
The opportunity to witness Deathstalker 2025 on the big screen was an unexpected delight. Ideally, a charming movie like this will find the right audience via streaming.
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