Flash Gordon, now we are talking! Look, Flash Gordon’s special effects have not aged well at all, the acting is completely over the top and the movie is campy as hell, but I still love it! This is one of my favorites as a kid, a movie I would watch over and over again and even now as an adult, I love it. I do think that this is a generational thing as quite a few years back, I tried to get my son to watch this and he did not like it at all.e
How to Download Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon was released on 5 December 1980. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Just don’t confuse this character with The Flash. They are two different people!
The Movie Review
Before I get to the movie, I do have a fun personal story about Flash Gordon that you may get a kick out of. Before I start, I swear to god that this is a 100 percent true story! I had a sleepover at a friend’s house and renting a movie from the video store was a staple of any good sleepover. We wanted to watch Flash Gordon and my friend’s mother went to pick it up. Only she did not rent us Flash Gordon, oh no, she actually rented, the adult comedy Flesh Gordon instead. Unfortunately for us, his mother came in as we were watching the movie and shut that down!
Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon
Playing the titular role of the heroic Flash Gordon is Sam J Jones. Flash Gordon is the ultimate hero, he is a football player who can kick some serious ass. Another favorite movie of mine is Ted and I love the way that Sam J Jones plays an exaggerated version of himself and Flash Gordon in the Ted movies, it is freaking hilarious and a major highlight of those movies for me.
Flash Gordon’s Thrilling Plot
Earth is in some trouble due to these natural disasters that are happening. Dr. Hans Zurkov realizes that the troubles are being caused by aliens who are messing with the moon and he has a rocket ship ready to go and investigate what is going on. Of course, he needs someone to help him and that is where Flash Gordon and a cute travel agent called Dale Harden come in.
Their mission does not start all that well. They head off into space and soon become captured by the forces of Ming the Merciless. I love how over the top Max Von Sydow is as Ming. You know, from my childhood, I would have to put Ming right up there as one of the most memorable movie villains.
Fighting Ming the Merciless
Well, turns out that the planet Mongo is not exactly thrilled with Ming being in charge and Flash and Co end up as part of a team that is going to take Ming down. From the Hawkmen, the cheesy romance, and the super fun 80s style action. Flash Gordon is a thrill ride and the movie is so over the top that you have to just roll with it. Now, I can see why someone watching it for the first time today may laugh and think that it is ridiculous, but in the 80s and even 90s, this movie truly did have a special kind of charm that kids just loved.
We do have to take a moment to talk about the iconic soundtrack of the movie that was done by Queen. I would say that the Queen Flash Gordon theme song is one of the most iconic theme songs of the 80s! There is an awesome Funko Pop that is based on the album cover for this and it is awesome. The Queen soundtrack perfectly captures the tone and vibe of the movie.
Flash Gordon’s 40th Anniversary Edition
Flash Gordon is one of those movies that I have had in every format that it has been released on. I got the Flash Gordon 40th Anniversary 4K Collector’s Edition and it is one of the best 4K sets ever made! To start with, the 4K transfer is amazing, I cannot fathom how this movie could look any better than it does. It is packed with extras (this is a 4 disc set) and it is something that every Flash Gordon fan needs in their collection. The only thing missing is a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. However, if they re-release this with that…. I am so weak, I will probably buy it.
Why Flash Gordon Still Resonates
To be honest, this review has been 100 percent written by my nostalgia. I love and I mean love the Flash Gordon movie. However, I am not so delusional that I would say it is a great movie if that makes sense. I think that this is a movie that you had to have seen back in the 80s for it to truly have an effect on you. I am lucky enough that I saw this at the right time at the right age and I am so glad that I did! My high score is purely based on the emotional attachment I have to this movie and I am not ashamed to admit that!
