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Flash Gordon

Play trailer Poster for Flash Gordon PG Released Dec 5, 1980 1h 50m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Although NASA scientists are claiming the unexpected eclipse and strange hot hail are nothing to worry about, Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) knows better, and takes football star Flash Gordon (Sam Jones) and travel agent Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) with him into space to rectify things. They land on planet Mongo, where the despot Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow) is attacking Earth out of pure boredom. With the help of a race of Hawkmen, Flash and the gang struggle to save their home planet.
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Flash Gordon

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Critics Consensus

Campy charm and a knowing sense of humor help to overcome a silly plot involving a spacefaring ex-football player, his adoring bevy of groupies, and a supervillain named Ming the Merciless.

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Critics Reviews

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Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard Basically, whether laughing with this film, or at it, you'll have a blast. Rated: 4/5 Aug 10, 2020 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Perhaps, like many a superhero film, this one flags just a little in the final battle sequences, but Von Sydow is always there to keep things bizarre, playing it absolutely straight. Rated: 4/5 Jul 31, 2020 Full Review Anton Bitel Little White Lies a mid-air skirmish of corny old-fashioned retrofuturism and knowing postmodernism, even as its veneer of homespun innocence keeps being subverted by the corrupting powers of kink. Jul 31, 2020 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com ...a deserved cult-classic with the widest of appeal. It’s camp, it’s silly, it’s funny and it manages to update the Boys Own charm of the original serials... Rated: 5/5 Nov 30, 2023 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills The movie itself is pure fun, and its status has only benefitted from the resurgence of interest in Queen, who wrote and performed the original score. Sep 7, 2022 Full Review Alan Jones Starburst If the character of Flash Gordon reminds you of Buster Crabbe's exploits in vintage 1930s serials, then this new version of Flash Gordon is definitely for you. Jul 26, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leon C Cheese fest, poor CGI, but love it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/25 Full Review Mitch B One of my all-time favorites. You will have a blast watching this movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/01/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Rob A FLASH - aahaaa - he saved every one of us! The OG campy classic from my childhood; that Queen soundtrack will rock you... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review Audience Member A hell of a good time right here. I’ll definitely return to this one in the future lol, whoever did the visuals for this film was a damn genius by the way. It’s one of the most visually appealing films ever, if only it wasn’t held back by the technology of the time. Imagine all those vibrant and beautiful colors being aided by the stuff Hollywood’s using now. Anyways, Aura was a lot hotter than Dale, but I’ll admit it was pretty close. Whatever though this was a great movie. 3.5/5 stars. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/27/25 Full Review Mr W While a couple of the alien costumes and special FX are outright tacky and unrealistic-looking, the script and top quality acting makes up for it! Even though it may seem unoriginal at first glance, (and it is due to it being the classic scenario of saving the world from aliens), the final scene at the end involving Emperor Ming's ring, the unseen person laughing eerily and evilly, I can safely say, was the single best cliff-hanger I've ever seen in a film. And I'm perfectly comfortable with saying that any attempt to produce a sequel (regardless of whether it was done in the 1980s or today) would be a filthy insult to the screenwriter's ingenuity. HE'S SAVIN' THE UNIVERSE!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Mike Hodges

Director

Sam Jones

Flash Gordon

Melody Anderson

Dale Arden

Max von Sydow

The Emperor Ming

Topol

Dr. Hans Zarkov

Ornella Muti

Princess Aura

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Flash Gordon

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Movie Info

Synopsis Although NASA scientists are claiming the unexpected eclipse and strange hot hail are nothing to worry about, Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) knows better, and takes football star Flash Gordon (Sam Jones) and travel agent Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) with him into space to rectify things. They land on planet Mongo, where the despot Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow) is attacking Earth out of pure boredom. With the help of a race of Hawkmen, Flash and the gang struggle to save their home planet.
Director
Mike Hodges
Producer
Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter
Alex Raymond, Michael Allin, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Distributor
Cinema Classics, Video Classics, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 5, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2012
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Surround
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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