Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5687 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-08-07
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Dolby, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 112 minutes

From Amazon.co.uk
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its 1930s screen serialisation, this candy-coloured trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

Amazon.com Essential Video
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the lunk-headed quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its '30s screen serialization, this cotton-candy-colored trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

Review
A director treads a precarious artistic line when setting out to consciously make a campy film. How exactly does one take seriously a film that asks not to be taken seriously? Mike Hodges answers that question in Flash Gordon. Near the end of this film, Dale Arden announces to Flash, while he's in the middle of a possibly fatal fistfight, "Flash, I love you but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth!" That line does a good job of encapsulating the movie's goofy charm. Full of bright primary colors and sets that manage to look simultaneously ostentatious and cheap, Flash Gordon looks like a comic strip. Skyscapes look like matte paintings (because they are) and the costumes, while seemingly outrageous, fit right into this world. With this much eye candy, the story itself hardly matters. Luckily, the filmmakers take their narrative cue from the serials of the '30s and present a breathless, cliffhanger-filled tale of last-second escapes, thrilling fights, and heroic adventures, all delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek. All this and Queen, too. What's not to love? Just when you think they can't possibly squeeze in another great visual joke, the Hawkmen, with whom Flash has defeated Ming the Merciless, show their gratitude to our hero by flying in a formation that reads "thanks." They then disband and reform in a pattern that reads "Flash." Such sublime silliness is what brings the film's cult audience back time after time. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

A True Classic
It took such a long time to finally be released on DVD but it was well worth the wait. This is perhaps the most under-rated movie of all time. Staring Sam Jones, Max Von Sydow, Topol and Ornella Muti this high energy Sci-Fi action adventure is among the best of its genre. It is one of my favorite movies and it has held up increadably well over the years. It enjoyed was massive successful in Europe but failed to do well here in North America which may explain why it took the studio so long to release it. Flash Gordon is not your typical Science Fiction movie, with regards to set design and costume design the film attempted ( successfully ) to remained true to the original 1950's TV serial, it has a look un-like any movie I have ever seen. The dialog, the acting, the action sequences are campy and over the top yet it works so well for the film. If you have not yet seen it I strongly recomend that you do, I believe this is one of the greatest films Ever, a true classic...and part of my Top 25 list of all time.

Cheesy, Campy, Awesome
Unfortunately, I never saw this movie as a kid. I would have loved it. But seeing it for the first time in my twenties, despite some bad acting and cheesy dialogue, the film was thoroughly enjoyable. The visual graphics in the film are amazing. The colors and otherworldliness really take you into another place.

Not only is the film completely over the top, it's actually a pretty decent take on totalitarianism and the nature of dictators. By inspiring fear into the hearts of his subjects, Ming is able to "divide and conquer". The people are so afraid of Ming that they will sell each other out for his favor. But Flash Gordon, through his conscience and humanity, is able to bring them together to topple the psychopathic Ming.

Pure fun!

Oh, and the Queen soundtrack is worth the price alone.

FLASH GORDON GET'S SACKED !!
For the money I spent on this all new "Flash Gordon" special DVD edition, I feel completely cheated. I'll admit that the front cover artwork and disc design are really cool and well done. However the "Flash Gordon" disc packaging is absolutely terrible and an extremely cheap effort from Universal Studios.

The disc is extremely hard to remove from the package and at one point I was afraid it was going to snap. The good news for fans is that the remastered video transfer is excellent and the colors are incredibly sharp and vibrant. In my opinion the amazing soundtrack performed by Queen is what made this movie, but the remastered 5.1 surround sound lacks bite. The sound is inconsistent throughout the movie, the levels are definitely off and I expected the sound to be much better than it was.

The bonus features included are very lame to say the least. The SCI-FI channel trailer for the Flash Gordon TV show is a complete waste of time and adds nothing to this release. Sadly this release doesn't contain any commentaries from any of the actors and that's a major disappointment. It would have been nice to hear comments from Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Timothy Dalton or some type of cast look back featurette should have been included. I'd be willing to bet this film was a scream to make and there must have been plenty of bloopers or extras lying around, so why weren't they included?

I love this movie and rate it five stars for pure campy fun, but at the same time I'm very disappointed in the way Universal Studios has packaged and released it to the fans. A cult classic like "Flash Gordon" should have received the deluxe DVD treatment filled with all the extras. The recent release of "The Monster Squad" on DVD from Lionsgate/Maple Pictures proves that Universal Studios could have easily released a deluxe version of "Flash Gordon" if they really wanted to.

Late in the fourth quarter "Flash Gordon" quarterback of the Jets delivered the perfect pass to Universal Studios and they still managed to drop the ball. Five stars for "Flash Gordon" but only three stars for the subpar DVD release from Universal Studios.

DVD Bonus Features Include:
* Alex Ross, Renowned Comic Artist, on Flash Gordon - Learn how Flash Gordon influenced this legendary artist, both personally and professionally
* Writing a Classic: Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. - Meet the man who wrote the screenplay that would live on as a cult favorite
* Flash Gordon 1936 serial episode: Planet of Peril
* Flash Gordon SciFi Channel TV show trailer- (Waste of time)
* Theatrical Trailer