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[tab title="Movie Review"]
It might be the best Altor movie, yes indeed, but that is still not saying much at all. More artsy than what came before, Iron Warrior is a film which wants to do a lot of things . . but does not actually do a damn thing in its running time except leave audiences scratching their heads.
This installment attempts to correct the nuttiness that came before by reducing the camp factor and ramping up the mystical nature of Altor’s world. The problem is that director Alfonso Brescia (credited as Al Bradley) merely replaces the absolutely kookiness with even more bizarre attempts to make this sword-and-sandal flick somewhat of an arthouse flick, complete with slow motion effects and one pink eyebrow for its princess, who loves to dress in the open air as her flowing robes wrap around her nubile body.
With atmospheric synth tones drowning out almost every line of dialogue, Iron Warrior promises doom and distraction thanks to the prophecy of an evil sorceress, Elisabeth Kaza as Phoedra, and her twisted ways. She controls The Master of the Sword and, against some awesome shots of Malta and the Mediterranean Coast, he goes to work preparing the land for her. {googleads}
Fans of this flick will certainly recognize the film’s theme song. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, it is a reworking of the theme song from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (and, later, the Next Generation’s theme). It seems Goldsmith was often recycling this theme for the B-movies he did work on. And this one, just altered one bit, is as recognizable as the flavor of mustard. But, without it, Altor (a returning Miles O’ Keefe) might as well be fighting with his massive sword in the nude. 
Co-starring Savina Gersak as Princess Janna and Tim Lane as King, Iron Warrior has some great locations. You can’t fault it for that; some of the trippiest scenes involve some very nice scenery. It just doesn’t make much sense and its super serious tone manages to undue a lot of the fun in the flick. The sword fighting isn’t spectacular and neither is the dialogue, which is all sorts of hooey, but the sudden appearances of the Master of the Sword make for a great drinking game.
Too bad his screen time doesn’t actually equal enjoyment. Hell, even the horses look bored in this fantasy flick. But that’s what happens when the mystical realm of Dragor is re-entered. This time in HD!
Burn for me. Iron Warrior is now available on blu-ray thanks to Scorpion Releasing and Ronin Flix.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Arrow
Available on Blu-ray - April 30, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Presented in a crisp 1080p transfer, the new scan of the original negative is a thing of pristine beauty. The film is dominated with reds and greens that absolutely burst with color. It’s a cheap film, for sure, but the simple backgrounds burst with new details and a nice level of clarity. Black levels are solid and skin tones are natural. This is, after all, a dark film. There are lots of night scenes; thankfully, the lines hold their edges. Shadows are defined and the film has a new depth previously unseen. Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono soundtrack is clear and the dialogue is never lost or hard to hear.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
- None
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 82 mins
Director: Alfonso Brescia
Writer: Steven Luotto and Alfonso Brescia
Cast: Miles O'Keeffe, Savina Gersak, Elisabeth Kaza
Genre: Action | Adventure
Tagline: Who will rid the world of Trogar? Born of evil sorcery. Half man - Half spirit. Total exterminator.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Life is an illusion. Death is real."
Theatrical Distributor: Trans World Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: January 9, 1987
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 30, 2019
Synopsis: A wandering warrior, Halgor, strong in body but tormented in spirit, is haunted by visions of his twin brother who, as a child, had been whisked away into a different dimension by Phaedra, a demonic witch.
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[tab title="Art"]
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