The Magnificent Seven Vs Sador of the Malmori

The Final Frontier #3 - Battle Beyond The Stars



As with any genre boom...westerns, superheroes, historical epics...you'll have your great films, you're expensive but dumb, quick studio cash-ins and your cheapo exploitation movies. When Star Wars started the space opera boom in the late seventies, all the major studios got in on the act. And so did the minor ones. Schlock producer Roger Corman, cheap knock off director he may be, rounded up a great concept (The Magnificent Seven In Space), a witty script, a talented Special Effects crew (including famously one Jim Cameron) and an energetic cast. With just enough expertise, imagination and cash not to embarrass itself, Battle Beyond The Stars gave the mega budget Space Opera release a run for their money in terms of sheer entertainment value.

The first half of the film works the best as Shad of Akir flys around the galaxy in his inherited, dilapidated space ship Nell searching for a mis-matched bunch of mercenaries. And what a great bunch they are too. If they're not charismaric big name actors (Robert Vaughn and George Peppard) or beautiful women (the warrior tart Sybil Danning or naive Darlanne Fluegel) then they're high concept sci-fi aliens (vengeful Lizard chap or single consciousness, flying saucer folk). Shad is rather nicely played by The Walton's Richard Thomas as a mixture of resourceful and innocent. And then there's John Saxon, chewing the scenery as the evil Sador. But it's all good stuff, especially in a movie as fun as this.

While the direction is adequate and the physical production is a little cheesy it's made up for in other ways. John Sayles sparky screenplay is lifted by some top notch effects and a staggeringly great score by the then emerging talent that is James Horner. It might be one of his very first but in terms of quality, his Battle Beyond The Stars score lays waste to his recent efforts, including Avatar.

A great movie that still plays well today. If you can ignore the bright, early 80's naffness of the production, you'd be advised to seek this one out.