The Swordsman

A definite improvement on the first movie, this jettisons most of the zany action and lame attempts at humour in favour of a more straightforward approach. They have also dropped the crude emphasis on titillation , although there is a smattering of dolly birds knocking about. A major plus is the introduction of a decent adversary in the form of Alan Lake, a quite charismatic actor who bears a striking resemblance to the young John Belushi. Because his character works so well and is interesting he can be afforded more screen time than was the case in the first movie. This takes the emphasis off the weak Marlowe, whose one-note performance as Zapper lets the film down. In the first movie she seemed understated compared to Gary Hope but next to Alan Lake in this film she simply appears less talented. Again, though, the supporting cast is very poor. The film opens well with an intriguing scene detailing a modern day duel;, however, the scene also introduces a note of mercy in Lake's character that is not present for the rest of the film. The scene makes good use of the British countryside like other films of this period (say EXPOSE or WITCHFINDER GENERAL) suggesting murky goings on in a tranquil, pastoral setting. While there is evidence, then, of a reasonable intelligence at work here, Shonteff lets himself down with a poor command of technical know-how. The camera work is poor, the editing is dreadful and the special effects are ropey to say the least.