Flash Gordon is, without a doubt, one of the silliest movies I've ever seen. Imagine a universe where EVERYONE dresses up like a
Super Sentai character, but without the helmets. And then add
even more ham. And
IT.
IS.
GLORIOUS!
So of course, our hero is good old red blooded American Flash Gordon (nope, that's not a nickname), a
famous football player who happens across Dale Arden as the two of them board an airplane, which is attacked by the villain,
Ming, with
Hot Hail, sending them crashing into the laboratory of a mad scientist, Dr. Zarkov, who traps them in a space shuttle so they can escape because Ming sent the moon on a crash course with the Earth. They go through a
Negative Space Wedgie and end up in Ming's court, where they meet several ridiculously dressed
Human Aliens and things just get sillier from there.
Sure, this movie is ridiculously childish, but it knows exactly what it is, and EVERY actor (except possibly the dame playing Dale) throws gratuitous amounts of
Ham And Cheese into their performance. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, and it shouldn't given that the climax of the movie has an army of Hawkmen led by
BRIAN BLESSED and Flash on a space scooter attacking a
Raygun Gothic war rocket so they can hijack it and crash it into Ming's palace to stop the
Crosses The Line Twice wedding between him and Dale and the moon from crashing into the earth all to the main theme, courtesy of Queen.
Refuge In Audacity indeed.
Best movie ever made? Certainly not. But if you want something to watch on a Saturday night with a bunch of your guy friends, this is probably perfect in all its 80s glory.