There’s no escaping it: Flash Gordon is pretty awful. Given the franchise’s sci-fi pulp serial origins, this sub-par quality isn’t exactly shocking. Still, there's something endearing about the campiness of it all.
The film preserves the original comic book’s joyously glitzy design, stupid plot and characters that make Paris Hilton look nuanced. The acting is nothing short of horrendous, and Sam Jones is so obviously an ex-Playgirl centerfold that you’ll never make fun of William Shatner again. Acclaimed thespians Max von Sydow, Brian Blessed (disturbingly clad in a leather thong) and Timothy Dalton struggle with what is easily one of the worst scripts ever. Much of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud dire, and even the swearing is clunky.
Then again, Flash Gordon’s cool space battle and the super-villain character that is Ming the Merciless redeem it somehow. That and an over-the-top Queen soundtrack that’ll be stuck in your head for weeks.
