Hawk the Slayer is stuffed with generic fantasy tropes and from the outset feels like it's going to be a fun, family-friendly swords and sorcery romp. Whilst displaying bags of enthusiasm and ambition, it comes up short on almost every level.
One of the biggest issues is the lead, John Terry, who just brings nothing to the role of Hawk. It's a performance utterly devoid of charisma. Also bad is Jack Palance as his evil brother and chief antagonist, Voltan. Palance hams it up in pantomimish fashion, the result being a bad guy with no real air of menace. It's too silly to be threatening, but not outlandish enough to be campy; the performance just falls flat. It's a big reason for the lack of drama throughout. The supporting cast is also weak. The character of Crow is pitched as a silent, broody, enigmatic type. But this never translates, he just seems quiet and dull. There's an attempt at comedy in the fraternal squabbling between the Giant and the Dwarf, but the chemistry isn't there to pull it off and when one dies later in the film, the poignancy just isn't there.
The story is pretty good; yes, it's well-trodden stuff, but it's a simple tale of good vs. evil. However, the script is amateurish and relies constantly on telling us, instead of showing us and letting us feel the importance of events and characters for ourselves.
What's good about it? Well, despite all the above it does have a charm of its own and is mostly entertaining throughout. I also personally loved the title sequence animation and anomalous disco/funk soundtrack! If I'd seen this as a child, I think I would have bought into the characters and the peril and loved the film, so I can see why there are so many nostalgic reviewers giving this high ratings and I'd imagine even in 2021 that pre-teens would enjoy this. It certainly has a heart and with tighter scripting and some better performances it could have really been great. As it is, I think it sits somewhere between 5 - 6 stars.
One of the biggest issues is the lead, John Terry, who just brings nothing to the role of Hawk. It's a performance utterly devoid of charisma. Also bad is Jack Palance as his evil brother and chief antagonist, Voltan. Palance hams it up in pantomimish fashion, the result being a bad guy with no real air of menace. It's too silly to be threatening, but not outlandish enough to be campy; the performance just falls flat. It's a big reason for the lack of drama throughout. The supporting cast is also weak. The character of Crow is pitched as a silent, broody, enigmatic type. But this never translates, he just seems quiet and dull. There's an attempt at comedy in the fraternal squabbling between the Giant and the Dwarf, but the chemistry isn't there to pull it off and when one dies later in the film, the poignancy just isn't there.
The story is pretty good; yes, it's well-trodden stuff, but it's a simple tale of good vs. evil. However, the script is amateurish and relies constantly on telling us, instead of showing us and letting us feel the importance of events and characters for ourselves.
What's good about it? Well, despite all the above it does have a charm of its own and is mostly entertaining throughout. I also personally loved the title sequence animation and anomalous disco/funk soundtrack! If I'd seen this as a child, I think I would have bought into the characters and the peril and loved the film, so I can see why there are so many nostalgic reviewers giving this high ratings and I'd imagine even in 2021 that pre-teens would enjoy this. It certainly has a heart and with tighter scripting and some better performances it could have really been great. As it is, I think it sits somewhere between 5 - 6 stars.