Flash Gordon (1980)

Smith finds the film an exuberantly entertaining piece of interstellar campery. He especially praises its over-the-top characters, colourful production design and Queen score.

O'Sullivan finds the film a marvellously terrible romp that remains a blast forty years later. She singles out its absurd pleasures, including Flash's lack of superpowers and the clever wedding vows.

Bradshaw finds the film a deliriously colorful, bizarre piece of intergalactic entertainment, though it loses momentum in the final battle. He singles out Max von Sydow’s straight-faced performance for keeping the film’s absurdity alive.

The available excerpt presents the film as a return to baroque, old-fashioned science fiction. It singles out its wedding-cake sky castles, but the page text is unavailable to establish the critic’s overall verdict.

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be verified from the page provided.

The headline presents the film as a return to simpler days, but the article itself was inaccessible. Its specific verdict and any singled-out praise or complaint cannot be determined.

Parkinson finds the film great fun if viewers set aside the plot and enjoy its campy performances and effects. He especially praises Max von Sydow’s Emperor Ming, while noting that the weak performances of the leads add to the film’s charm.

The review finds the film gaudy and silly, though its badness is part of the fun. It singles out Max von Sydow’s adroit performance for praise.

Kermode finds it silly but timelessly entertaining, despite weak lead performances. She especially praises Max von Sydow's commanding Emperor Ming.

Pickavance finds the film a flawed but wonderfully kitsch experience, with its absurdity often becoming entertaining. He especially praises the sumptuous production design, Queen’s soundtrack and Max von Sydow’s performance, while criticizing the dialogue and acting.