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Flash Gordon

Play trailer Poster for Flash Gordon PG 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

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 08/10/2020
4/5
Basically, whether laughing with this film, or at it, you'll have a blast. Go to Full Review
Peter Bradshaw Guardian 07/31/2020
4/5
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. Go to Full Review
Anton Bitel Little White Lies 07/31/2020
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. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 11/30/2023
5/5
...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... Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey 48 Hills 09/07/2022
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. Go to Full Review
Alan Jones Starburst 07/26/2022
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Nov 6 I think chronologically the best comic strip inspired style film since Barbarella. People seem to forget how ground breaking films like these paved the way for what are now considered mainstream franchises. In the UK they are still referencing this theme tune for a leading cleaning product on prime time TV, 45 years later... See more Brent H @BrentMHinson Oct 29 I’m going to try to remain objective in my review of this movie, as I grew up in the early 80s watching and loving it. If you were of a certain age when Flash Gordon was released in 1980, you’re going to have a different opinion than someone who watches it for the first time in 2025. Flash Gordon is not a superhero. Actually, he’s the quarterback for the New York Jets. But really, he’s just a regular guy who has the confidence to tackle evil head-on because he knows that’s his calling in life. Sam J. Jones is perfectly cast in the title role because he's absolutely believable as the character. Here’s what makes this movie great. First, you can’t deny that this would be a totally different film had Queen not scored the movie. Each piece of music they contribute to the various parts of this film is perfectly placed. Brian May’s unmistakable guitar sound adds a certain depth to scenes, including the execution of Flash and the climactic ending. Having Queen attached definitely gives this movie an added sense of credibility. Max von Sydow is brilliant as Ming the Merciless. The makeup and costume departments deserve high praise for turning Sydow into a truly despicable on-screen character. The battle between Flash and Prince Barin, played by a pre-Bond Timothy Dalton, on a floating platform that tilts and projects spikes, stands out as a true highlight. One thing I became keenly aware of watching it as an adult was, for a movie marketed to kids and with a rating of PG, just how sexual it is. As a kid, I was always aware there were certain sexual undertones to various scenes, but when I watched it again at age 48, I couldn’t believe how blatantly visible all of it was. Is this a film for everyone? No. But for a specific group of us, this movie was —and to a certain extent, still is — a non-stop thrill ride filled with bright costumes, colorful characters, intense action, and a soundtrack that was well ahead of its time. Objectively, I’ll give this three stars, but, in my heart, it will always be a five-star masterpiece from my youth. See more Peter C Oct 27 I only watched it as someone else wanted to watch it with me. The movie is nothing you have ever wanted, want and will want to see. So bad it made me come here and leave my second review after watching hundreds of movies before. Sadly a waste of time and difficult not to fall asleep watching it. See more Cameron F Sep 22 Flash ahhhhhh Savior of The Universe See more Vincent S. @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Sep 15 I love this gloriously cheesy space opera! The costumes, art direction and music are outstanding! It looks kind of cheap but it’s like looking at an abstract painting. See more Phineas W Sep 9 Boring, dumb and plain terrible this attempt at a movie is not very good but very goofy and slightly amusing See more Read all reviews
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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