Deathstalker IV: Match Of Titans (1991)

Well, if you're expecting anything in the fourth Deathstalker movie that hasn't been in any of the previous three movies you've clearly never viewed any low-budget b-movie franchise before. But if you're expecting more of the same then you're in the right place. The second film in the series remains the best but this one easily sits alongside the original with a mix of fights, magic and gratuitous nudity.

Rick Hill returns to the title role and the character once again finds himself in an adventure that puts him in danger while also placing him in close proximity to a princess. That's honestly all you need to know.

Howard R. Cohen returns to the writing duties but also directs this instalment and he's clearly been taking notes as this film is charmingly cheap as the three that preceded it. There's quite a bit of footage reused from the earlier movies and everything is done, as usual, with more exuberance than actual skill.

The poor editing, ridiculous plot development and unconvincing acting are all still as endearing here as they were throughout the franchise and this time round the cast helps. The return of Rick Hill actually feels like the role is nicely back in the hands of the man who started things off (even though the second movie featured the best portrayal of the character by John Terlesky) while the lovely ladies this time round include the attractive Maria Ford as Dionara, the even more attractive Michelle Moffett as the sly Kana and the also attractive Anya Pencheva as a fighting woman who cares not where her clothes fly as the violence rises. Brett Baxter Clark provides some amusement as a dedicated warrior who hasn't allowed himself to be distracted by women.

Moving along at a fair pace, and clocking in at just about 80 minutes, the film doesn't outstay it's welcome although it does already feel rather dated (considering it was released in 1991). It's nothing unmissable but it's certainly a decent last outing for the character that fans should enjoy as much as the first film.

5/10.

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Deathstalker III: Deathstalker And The Warriors From Hell (1988)

Well, a third Deathstalker movie and a third actor in the titular role (this time it's John Allen Nelson) means that it's more of the same antics for anyone who enjoyed the first movie. While not on a par with the fantastic second outing, this movie does just enough to put itself on a level pegging with the original. Nearly.

Deathstalker this time gets himself mixed up with yet another princess (Carla Herd) and there's yet another nasty magic man (Troxartas, played by Thom Christopher) who wants a lot of power for himself. There's a magic stone to be found and pieced together, a bunch of warriors brought back from the dead, an attractive woman who dabbles in a bit of torture (the beautiful Terri Treas) and another attractive woman (Claudia Inchaurregui) who actually kinda stalks Deathstalker and keeps popping up at just the right time.

Howard R. Cohen returns to the writing duties (and would return to write AND direct the next instalment) and isn't afraid of repeating himself. Sadly, the film forgets to aim low and so doesn't really cram in enough big fight sequences or gratuitous nudity considering what audiences were given in the first two movies.

Director Alfonso Corona does reasonably well with the material and tries to keep you distracted from the details, like castle walls only being an inch thick, but he can't do too much with material that's pretty weak in the first place.

John Allen Nelson is okay in the main role, but not half as much fun as John Terlesky (who, let's face it, completely owned the role in the last movie), while nobody else makes much of an impression. Even the ladies doing their best onscreen fail to match anyone in the previous film. Carla Herd is especially bland, outshone by both Terri Treas and Claudia Inchaurregui for the entire movie. Thom Christopher is given a pretty weak villain to portray and the action in the last half hour or so feels like it's being played out by people with no interest in making it look realistic. Which is a shame.

It's still watchable though, which may say more about my tolerance levels than the film itself.

4/10.

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Deathstalker (1983)

Remember the movie Big? A young lad makes a wish and then goes to sleep only to wake up the next day in the body of a Tom Hanks-shaped adult. And that adult ends up producing some great ideas for a toy company. Well, if that kid had gone to bed and then woken up the next day in the body of a Tom Hanks-shaped adult and immediately managed to get a job with a movie studio then I'm pretty sure that he would have created a movie like Deathstalker. Because Deathstalker is a fantasy tale in every sense.

The plot is just a bit of nonsense to cram some stuff into. Deathstalker (Rick Hill) fights some people and goes about his life happily enough until he is asked to get a powerful sword and to use that sword to overthrow the wicked Munkar (Bernard Erhard), a magic man who made himself king and isn't known for his benevolence and kindness.

No, that really is all of the main plot. Really. Which means that we get just under 80 minutes of swordplay, women being either naked or covered in flimsy flimsy garments, occasional menace in the form of puppets and a healthy dose of bad acting.

Thankfully, Rick Hill carries a sword as if he knows how to use the thing so he's not all that bad in the main role. Richard Brooker is almost adequate in the role of someone who ends up tagging along with our hero. Bernard Erhard is appropriately displeased about any efforts being made to end his rule. The ladies do much better, though that may just be my own bias, with Lana Clarkson proving to be a highlight as a swordswoman who gives no thought to underclothes and Barbi Benton quite gorgeous and up to the task of portraying someone in need of help who is also quite gorgeous.

The script by Howard R. Cohen and direction by James Sbardellati are both as slapdash as they are entertaining. The fight scenes aren't all that bad, though I've seen much better, and everything moves along so quickly that this brief adventure never outstays it's welcome. It's certainly one to watch if, like me, you have fond memories of staring up at the lurid VHS cover and wondering how amazing the movie itself would be.

5/10.

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