Though this 1980 movie has been the butt of jokes at many a gaming table
where I sat, I had not seen the entire film until few days ago (December 2011). It was
better than I expected.
The story is not told in a linear fashion, allowing some facts to be revealed through flashback. Voltan (Jack Palance) and Hawk (John Terry) are brothers, sons of a noteworthy lord who holds the last of the Elven Mindstones. Though Voltan is the elder brother, it is Hawk who marries the beautiful Eliane. Full of jealous rages, Voltan plans to kill Hawk and take Eliane for his own. Eliane foils his plan by burning his face with a torch and helping the wounded Hawk to escape. Meaning to kill Hawk, Voltan instead kills Eliane. Voltan next goes to his father's castle and mortally wounds him but is unable to acquire the Elven Mindstone. Hawk comes to his dying father and is given the Mindstone. Some years later, Hawk returns to his homeland and learns that Voltan has taken an abbess captive and is ransoming her. With the help of Gort the Giant, Baldin the Dwarf, Crow the Elf, Ranulf the one-handed crossbowman, and a nameless blind witch, Hawk seeks to save the abbess and avenge his wife and father.
The storyline is actually pretty good. Sadly, the effects are poor, the acting is weak, and the sets are pathetic. Much of the action takes place in smoke-filled swamps and smoke-filled woods. I suppose it was meant to be fog. The characters are standard D&D faire. Hawk is a noble fighter who wields the Mind Sword. It seems to do a great job of blocking arrows or knives. It also returns to Hawk's hand with a thought (don't waste your attacks trying to disarm this guy). Gort the Giant is hardly giant. Sure, he is played by a 6'7" actor but that isn't even ogre height. He fights with a massive mallet and spends much of his time arguing with the dwarf over food. Baldin the Dwarf is always eating something and is armed with a whip. Yes, dwarves and their whips are famous. Also, though short, he is too skinny and entirely too chipper for a dwarf though at least he has a beard. Crow the Elf has a perpetual five o'clock shadow and dresses in a hooded brown jumpsuit. Though he only has a dozen arrows in his quiver, he never runs low and he fires faster than any other elf in film or fiction. Villains fall as quickly as if a machinegun had just swept their lines. Legolas has nothing on Crow. Ranulf the One-Handed Crossbowman is as legendary as Crow. His crossbow has a clip and self-cocks. Even one-handed, Ranulf proves to be murderous with his crossbow. On film, this is hilarious. Lastly, the blind witch is initially used for her talents at divination but later her spells assist the heroes in their quest.
Voltan has become the pawn of some figure simply referred to as the Devil. Maybe it is the Devil or perhaps just a devil. In any case, he checks in with the devil from time to time, mostly to help deaden the pain of his burned face. Voltan has a band of goons who seem to be camped in the swamp, which certainly makes it seem he is little more than a brigand. However, he claims to rule the region and no lord has yet shown up to disagree. Voltan has a headstrong son named Drogo. The movie is littered with petty villains -the hunchback slaver being the most noteworthy - who meet a well-deserved end.
The funny thing about the film is that Hawk is just about the least powerful character of the bunch. While Crow and Ranulf are mowing down goons and Gort is laying waste with sweeps of his massive mallet, Hawk engages in a bit of swordplay. Of course, he gets the glory of killing the named villains (one supposes the highest level villains), he just doesn't compare.
The movie ends on a teaser. Voltan's body is carried off by the devil who promises to revive him to continue his work. Though Baldin and Ranulf died, Hawk and Gort set out south at the witch's direction on a quest to fight evildoers. There is a website that proposes a sequel to be called Hawk the Hunter. It seems that Hawk the Slayer was the first of a trilogy. The next movie - in the works for some years now - is supposed to be Hawk the Hunter, Hawk must prevent the undead Voltan from acquiring a Dark Sword.
All in all, this is a must see for any D&D fan. Sure, it's clunky and low budget but it's a movie that a gamer would make. Maybe a 12 year-old gamer, but a gamer.
The story is not told in a linear fashion, allowing some facts to be revealed through flashback. Voltan (Jack Palance) and Hawk (John Terry) are brothers, sons of a noteworthy lord who holds the last of the Elven Mindstones. Though Voltan is the elder brother, it is Hawk who marries the beautiful Eliane. Full of jealous rages, Voltan plans to kill Hawk and take Eliane for his own. Eliane foils his plan by burning his face with a torch and helping the wounded Hawk to escape. Meaning to kill Hawk, Voltan instead kills Eliane. Voltan next goes to his father's castle and mortally wounds him but is unable to acquire the Elven Mindstone. Hawk comes to his dying father and is given the Mindstone. Some years later, Hawk returns to his homeland and learns that Voltan has taken an abbess captive and is ransoming her. With the help of Gort the Giant, Baldin the Dwarf, Crow the Elf, Ranulf the one-handed crossbowman, and a nameless blind witch, Hawk seeks to save the abbess and avenge his wife and father.
The storyline is actually pretty good. Sadly, the effects are poor, the acting is weak, and the sets are pathetic. Much of the action takes place in smoke-filled swamps and smoke-filled woods. I suppose it was meant to be fog. The characters are standard D&D faire. Hawk is a noble fighter who wields the Mind Sword. It seems to do a great job of blocking arrows or knives. It also returns to Hawk's hand with a thought (don't waste your attacks trying to disarm this guy). Gort the Giant is hardly giant. Sure, he is played by a 6'7" actor but that isn't even ogre height. He fights with a massive mallet and spends much of his time arguing with the dwarf over food. Baldin the Dwarf is always eating something and is armed with a whip. Yes, dwarves and their whips are famous. Also, though short, he is too skinny and entirely too chipper for a dwarf though at least he has a beard. Crow the Elf has a perpetual five o'clock shadow and dresses in a hooded brown jumpsuit. Though he only has a dozen arrows in his quiver, he never runs low and he fires faster than any other elf in film or fiction. Villains fall as quickly as if a machinegun had just swept their lines. Legolas has nothing on Crow. Ranulf the One-Handed Crossbowman is as legendary as Crow. His crossbow has a clip and self-cocks. Even one-handed, Ranulf proves to be murderous with his crossbow. On film, this is hilarious. Lastly, the blind witch is initially used for her talents at divination but later her spells assist the heroes in their quest.
Voltan has become the pawn of some figure simply referred to as the Devil. Maybe it is the Devil or perhaps just a devil. In any case, he checks in with the devil from time to time, mostly to help deaden the pain of his burned face. Voltan has a band of goons who seem to be camped in the swamp, which certainly makes it seem he is little more than a brigand. However, he claims to rule the region and no lord has yet shown up to disagree. Voltan has a headstrong son named Drogo. The movie is littered with petty villains -the hunchback slaver being the most noteworthy - who meet a well-deserved end.
The funny thing about the film is that Hawk is just about the least powerful character of the bunch. While Crow and Ranulf are mowing down goons and Gort is laying waste with sweeps of his massive mallet, Hawk engages in a bit of swordplay. Of course, he gets the glory of killing the named villains (one supposes the highest level villains), he just doesn't compare.
The movie ends on a teaser. Voltan's body is carried off by the devil who promises to revive him to continue his work. Though Baldin and Ranulf died, Hawk and Gort set out south at the witch's direction on a quest to fight evildoers. There is a website that proposes a sequel to be called Hawk the Hunter. It seems that Hawk the Slayer was the first of a trilogy. The next movie - in the works for some years now - is supposed to be Hawk the Hunter, Hawk must prevent the undead Voltan from acquiring a Dark Sword.
All in all, this is a must see for any D&D fan. Sure, it's clunky and low budget but it's a movie that a gamer would make. Maybe a 12 year-old gamer, but a gamer.
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