--- title: "Flash Gordon: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/flash-gordon/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/flash-gordon" critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Flash Gordon (1980): what the critics said Critics' score 65 from 10 reviews: 4 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics take Flash Gordon as camp and enjoy it on those terms, and the reviews lean positive without much conviction. The praise clusters around two things: the production design, with its sky castles and gaudy colour, and Max von Sydow’s Emperor Ming, which nearly every critic singles out as the straight-faced performance that holds the silliness together. Queen’s score gets its share of affection too, and several reviews treat the film’s absurdity as the point rather than a fault. The reservations are consistent. The leads are judged weak, the plot thin and the dialogue clumsy, though most critics count those failings as part of the fun. The Guardian finds the final battle loses momentum. The spread is wide, from Empire’s wholehearted enthusiasm at the top to Variety at the bottom, the lone negative notice, which calls the film gaudy and silly while still admiring von Sydow. Three of the ten reviews are only partly available. ## Empire — Adam Smith Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-flash-gordon-review/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/flash-gordon-film-review-a4520191.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/31/flash-gordon-review-mike-hodges-superhero) ## Time Out — CPea Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/flash-gordon) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be verified from the page provided. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/flash-gordon-1980) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 1980. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1980/12/05/archives/screen-flash-gordon-a-return-to-simpler-days-in-mings-palace-saving.html) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 3/5. 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yox5ez/flash-gordon/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1979. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1979/film/reviews/flash-gordon-1200424749/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2009. Kermode finds it silly but timelessly entertaining, despite weak lead performances. She especially praises Max von Sydow's commanding Emperor Ming. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/flash-gordon-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Mark Pickavance Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 August 2010. 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. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-mike-hodges-flash-gordon/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/flash-gordon.md