The Lost Idol (1988) User Reviews

Really bad movie but great acting by the "General" in the promotion and award ceremony

[tsaxen · 3/10 · 11 September 2008]

Generally it is really a bad movie. I have been unable to watch the whole thing without falling asleep or finding something else to occupy my time.

BUT!! I am buying my second copy (the first one was damaged) and will buy another (if that one fails), to watch the introduction (I love the narration) and the award/promotion scene where a General promotes and decorates the bad guy.

I play the part of the General in that scene. I was stationed in Thailand (I was only a Major) when they filmed this movie and got the bit part along with several other Army folks that fill out the award and promotion ceremony scene. Later, the Thai director asked me to voice over the beginning of the flick with their narration (which I had to polish up to be real English....).

I saw the movie for the first time in Bangkok at a local theater. It was dubbed in Thai at the time and I was the only farang (Foreigner) at the theater. I stuck out like a sore thumb and all the Thais were wondering why I was there. Then came the award scene and they all turned and looked at me, pointed and whispered to each other. I was a celebrity!!! Gave up on ever seeing the "Thai Movie" again, but then found "The Lost Idol on Estrada's filmography, realized it was the one and indulged myself on Amazon.Com to buy a copy.

Never got to meet Estrada, but my wife did at the local Hilton Hotel in Bangkok over brunch, and got his autograph and spent some nice time speaking with him and his wife.

All in all my one minute of fame, captured forever on video tape....a terrible movie.....but one I will keep and remember forever!!!

The Lost Idol is decent enough, but really, Erik Estrada is a name that usually stands for better.

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 19 August 2013]

In the jungles of Kampuchea in 1975, 19 soldiers were left behind. While trying to get to Thailand in the hopes of being found, they come upon a cave with a golden statue. Instead of taking it with them, they decide to hide it in the cave and come back to get it later. This whole initiative is spearheaded by the interestingly-named Lt. Oliver Reed (not the actual Oliver Reed, though that would have been interesting). Many years after the end of the war, Reed decides to go and find the idol, and while he's assembling the team to do so, he realizes he needs the help of Sgt. Kurt (Estrada), now a civilian living with his wife and daughter on a farm in Thailand. Kurt wants no part of the operation, so Reed kidnaps his daughter and forces him to take part. Now strongarmed into Reed's expedition, the whole gang is captured by the local army and tortured (in the time-honored Prerequisite Torture sequence). Now everyone is fighting to retrieve the "golden idol" - who will actually get it? Ah, P. Chalong. We hardly knew ye. He had a great streak as director going in the 80's with this, Gold Raiders (1984) and In Gold We Trust (1991). The dude really liked gold, apparently. Like Gold Raiders, this is an overlong jungle slog. Sure, the climax of the movie is cool, with all the exploding huts, guard towers, shooting and tanks you could hope for, but by that point it's too little too late. But despite the movie's length, it's not all THAT bad: for instance, on the bright side it has characters such as Won Ton Gool (?) and Christoph (Kluppel). The line readings/dubbing are great, and there are silly musical stings on the soundtrack. But all in all this movie needed to be sillier even than what it was, and shorter.

Speaking of Christoph, this hulking, mustachioed brute helps things along nicely. He gets not one, but two great entrances in the movie. Before the prerequisite barfight, Christoph emerges with an especially tiny midget, like a Nelson De La Rosa type. Then again he re-emerges later on in spectacular fashion, but we won't spoil how he does it here. And let's not forget about fan favorite Erik Estrada. Sure, he's a genre mainstay, but it seems Won Ton and Christoph outshined him here. This movie does have some bright spots, but the length of the movie and uninspired plot work against those better moments like when you push both of your hands together in resistance training.

We presume the rural Thai audiences that saw this movie weren't as sophisticated as today's modern viewers, that's why Chalong included plenty of unmatched day-for-night shots, stock footage and laughable, primitive green screen effects. But we don't fault him for this, his country most likely just didn't have the resources and budget for it to be otherwise, and we actually applaud him for getting his movies off the ground despite the odds against him.

Interestingly, The Lost Idol was released on a stand-alone VHS release (on Shapiro-Glickenhaus) and as a double feature tape with the Danny Aiello and Lyle Alzado Ingvordsen/Kaman movie Shock Troop (1990). The "two-fer" tape is much rarer so if you see it anywhere, grab it.

In all, The Lost Idol is decent enough, but really, Erik Estrada is a name that usually stands for better.

This film sucks so bad that it is extremely hilarious.

[simma · 9/10 · 20 July 2000]

So, this film would only be a 1 if i should vote only considering the storyline, plot and acting. But the the fact is that the film is SO bad made (the worst i EVER seen) that it makes the movie a really funny one to watch... If you ever see this movie in the videostore and want a good laugh, dont hesitate to rent it :-)

Subpar war actioner

[lor_ · 26 May 2023]

My review was written in August 1990 after watching the film on Shapiro Glickenhaus video cassette.

Erik Estrada visits the Far East for this redundant war actioner apparently made several years ago in Thailand.

Constituting a minor video title Stateside, "The Lost Idol" concerns a stolen golden statue that a group of American soldiers stash in a cave in 1975 Kampuchea. Some eight years later they're greedily looking for the booty, with nice guy grunt Estrada forced to help out as a guide since his wife and kid have been kidnapped by the heavies, led by James Phillips.

Pretty Red Cross worker Myra Chason is roped into the caper (she's Phillips' old flame). The Vietnamese have coincidentally bu9ilt a huge base right where the idol is hidden leading to a final reel showdown with supernatural overtones imitative of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Just substitute Vietnamese soldiers for Nazis.

Poor scripting is not helped by the stilted line readings. The performance of a Vietnamese major who tortures Estrada, Phillips and Chason is stereotyping right out of World War II movies like "The Purple Heart". Hodgepodge has a mountainous German bodybuilder, Christoph Kluppel, popping up as one of the bad guys. Film's ending is bitter and nihilistic, in line with its propaganda content.