The Ice Pirates (1984)

In the far future water is the most valuable substance. Two space pirates are captured, sold to a princess, and recruited to help her find her father who disappeared when he found ... See full summary »

Director:

Stewart Raffill

Writers:

Stewart Raffill, Stanford Sherman

Stars:

Robert Urich, Mary Crosby, Michael D. Roberts

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Urich	...	Jason
Mary Crosby	...	Princess Karina
Michael D. Roberts	...	Roscoe
Anjelica Huston	...	Maida
John Matuszak	...	Killjoy
Ron Perlman	...	Zeno
John Carradine	...	Supreme Commander
Natalie Core	...	Nanny
Jeremy West	...	Zorn
Bruce Vilanch	...	Wendon
Alan Caillou	...	Count Paisley
Marcia Lewis	...	Frog Lady
Daryl Keith Roach	...	Fitzcairn / Prisoner (as Daryl Roach)
Robert Symonds	...	Lanky Nibs
Gary Brockette	...	Percy the Robot

Storyline

In the far future water is the most valuable substance. Two space pirates are captured, sold to a princess, and recruited to help her find her father who disappeared when he found information dangerous to the rulers. A real Space Opera with sword fights, explosions, fighting robots, monsters, bar fights and time warps.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | psychotronic | ice | mop cap | bar fight | 

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Taglines:

SEE A Universe on the rocks TREMBLE at the ferocious space possums! CATCH Space Herpie the Love Bug [Video Australia]

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ice Pirates

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Theatre - 615 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,358,022, 18 March 1984

Gross USA:

$14,255,801

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), JF Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Is the inflence behind the name of the men's hockey team "Ice Pyrates" in Rochester, NY.

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Goofs

When the prisoner cage is being hauled along the hangar, it's broad daylight, as is obvious in the matte shot with the outside view and in various windows and openings in the background. Wenn the cage is set down however, it's suddenly dark outside the hangar door.

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Quotes

Elderly Jason: Oh no, not him again.
[as Zorn enters the ice storage area]
Zorn: You are finished. The seventh world is mine.
Elderly Jason: Come on, Roscoe. You're looking bad.
Roscoe: You don't look to good yourself.
Elderly Jason: They're gaining on us. Well, I guess this is it.
Jason: Here I come, dad!
Elderly Jason: Beat it, Roscoe!
Old Karina: Jason, Jason! It's him, it's... it's him. That's our baby!
Elderly Jason: That is him!
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The UK theatrical version was cut for a PG rating by 2 minutes 11 seconds:

• [Reel 2] During discussion in prison on space ship and in cage after landing remove references to men being castrated.
• When heroes are on conveyor belt remove threats of castration and repeated sight of snapping jaws.
• [Reel 3] After alien creature bites heroes, remove reference to it as "Space Herpe" when Jason reads cargo manifest.
• Remove sight of man's head falling off after woman slices sword across man's neck in fight in bar.
• [Reel 4] Remove reference to Space Herpe after it emerges from hunk of meat.
• After talking head delivers up ring on tongue, remove it asking, "Want to make a deposit?"
• [Reel 5] Establish only lovemaking between Jason and Princess after they go to the passion chamber with back projection, removing all sex double entendres in their dialogue and implication of oral sex.

The video was uncut and rated 15.

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Connections

Features Rollerball (1975)

User Reviews

This movie is a hoot!

This movie is generally underrated, which may be because people expected it to be something it's not. It's a comedy, a spoof, and an excellent one. It is not a serious sci-fi action adventure.

Who knew Robert Urich could be this funny? The scene where the captured ice pirates are being prepared for slave duty alone is worth the price of admission!

Then there's the robot that was purchased for an inexplicably good price. That particular scene is so dark that it may be necessary to play it back a couple of times to see what's going on.

You find a beautiful woman in suspended animation. What would you do?

The biggest shortcoming of this film is the ending, where there's a rather silly chase through a wormhole or some such. It doesn't really work, and since it's right at the end of the film may help explain why so many review the film so poorly.