Red Sonja (1985)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Robert E. Howard (character)
Clive Exton (written by) ...

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

A woman and a warrior that became a legend.

Plot:

The tyrant Gedren seeks the total power in a world of barbarism. She raids the city Hablac and kills...

Plot Keywords:

Talisman | Topless | Underwater | Action Heroine | Based On Comic

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Kalidor
Brigitte Nielsen	...	Red Sonja
Sandahl Bergman	...	Queen Gedren
Paul L. Smith	...	Falkon (as Paul Smith)
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Prince Tarn
Ronald Lacey	...	Ikol
Pat Roach	...	Brytag
Terry Richards	...	Djart
Janet Agren	...	Varna, Red Sonja's Sister
Donna Osterbuhr	...	Kendra the High Priestess
Lara Lamberti	...	Gedren's Handmaid (as Lara Naszinsky)
Hans Meyer	...	Red Sonja's Father
Francesca Romana Coluzzi	...	Red Sonja's Mother
Stefano Maria Mioni	...	Barlok, Red Sonja's Brother (as Stafano Mioni)
Tutte Lemkow	...	Wizard

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Netherlands | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 (f) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

The name of 'Ronald Lacey (I)''s character, "Ikol," spelled backwards is "Loki." Loki, in Nordic mythology, was the God of Evil and Corruption, infamous for being a jealousy-prone troublemaker.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Kalidor lifts Prince Tarn into the air with one arm, the wire attached to Tarn's back is visible.

Quotes:

Kalidor: I know you're a brave girl, but danger is my TRADE.
Red Sonja: If danger is a trade, I'll learn it by myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Arnie holds up a pillar using just his back - he's that strong

A girl is raped and sees her family murdered by a cruel Queen. She survives, swearing revenge, and later seeks out the evil Queen who has possession of a special talisman which can bring an end to the world via storms and earthquakes. Teaming up with a mercenary and a boy King, the heroine travels to the Queen's palace to fulfil her destiny.

A sword and sorcery epic which is let down by wooden acting and a lethargic, plodding storyline. Following Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer as a sort of semi-sequel, there is also a surprisingly lack of onscreen violence, with only one or two beheadings, no blood spraying anywhere, people just being run through with swords. Red Sonja may not be the worst of the worst but it is pretty uninspiring.

Brigitte Nielsen (Terminal Force) stars in her first role. Surprisingly she turns out to be even more wooden than her co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nielsen might look good in a tunic but she totally lacks any natural charisma which makes her character a difficult one to like. Sadly Schwarzenegger is relegated to a supporting role in this one and he is given little to do apart from hack up some bad guys and do some silly strongman acts. Sandahl Bergman makes a good, wicked villainess but she sprouts cliched dialogue which makes her look idiotic. Ronald Lacey (the Nazi in Raiders of the Lost Ark) also appears but is wasted in a supporting role. Look hard and you may spot Italian exploitation babe Janet Agren filling out a minor role.

The film opens with some pillaging, burning, a massacre and a young survivor swearing vengeance. Strange, exactly the same of both The Beastmaster and Conan the Barbarian. To add insult to injury there is only ONE monster in the entire film, an underwater creature made of metal which Arnie gets to ride in the film's highlight. Negative points include an annoying kid who should have been wasted and some poor comic relief. At least the ending picks up and there's ample opportunity for shots of falling rubble and a hilarious moment where Arnie holds up a pillar using just his back - he's that strong. Sadly the rest of this is a cliched mess, to be viewed only by fans of the sword and sorcery flicks which were so popular back in the early 80's.