The Ice Pirates

For lovers of Star Wars (ep.4 - 6) this is a must see.They have borrowed so many lines and ideas it's insane, then they have intertwined great comedy. The effects are poor, the aliens and robots, a joke, and the enemies appear to be cast offs off Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I always thought Spaceballs was the best Star Wars spoof movie; I was wrong, this is better. Give it a try, its bonkers.

This movie is generally underrated, which may be because people expected it to be something it's not. It's a comedy, a spoof, and an excellent one. It is not a serious sci-fi action adventure.

Who knew Robert Urich could be this funny? The scene where the captured ice pirates are being prepared for slave duty alone is worth the price of admission!

Then there's the robot that was purchased for an inexplicably good price. That particular scene is so dark that it may be necessary to play it back a couple of times to see what's going on.

You find a beautiful woman in suspended animation. What would you do?

The biggest shortcoming of this film is the ending, where there's a rather silly chase through a wormhole or some such. It doesn't really work, and since it's right at the end of the film may help explain why so many review the film so poorly.

Water is scarce and the evil Templars from the planet Mithra have taken control of all of the supply. Jason (Robert Urich) leads a band of pirates in a raid to steal ice from the Templar fleet. Their raid turns into a kidnapping of Princess Karina. They are captured. Jason and his men are rescued by Karina who has her own plans.

It's a schlocky Star Wars derivative with a lot of campy 70s feel with some Alien and Mad Max thrown in. It's a lot of silly slapstick and broad sex comedy. I would like it if the jokes are actually funny. For some, this may be so bad that it's good. For me, this is mostly bad with a lot of amusement at how good actors get trapped in bad movies. The sets and costumes are a cheesy mix. The special effects are good B-movie work. I can't believe Anjelica Huston is in this. It's fun to see John Matuszak hulking over Ron Perlman. It's got bad sword fights, swashbuckling action and silly space battles. I'm not disputing that this brought a smile to my face which is always a good thing. It doesn't make it a good movie.

This movie clearly has a small budget, looks cheap, and isn't very serious. Fortunately, that is exactly what the film makers were going for. I enjoy this one, though it is apparent by its score that most people don't. I just find it funny and I love the cast which includes Ron Pearlman and even Angelica Houston. Heck, John Carradine even has a small role in it, though his scene is absolutely pointless and adds nothing to the flick. In fact it is a rather serious scene especially considering the rest of the movie. This one doesn't look great, kind of like Space Mutiny, but unlike Space Mutiny this one isn't trying to be serious so the effects can be forgiven. This one has a band of space pirates that go after, you guessed it, ice. They do this at the beginning and get immediately captured and this sets up the rest of the movie. No work of art, but it is entertaining to me.

The year is 1984 and Hollywood is thriving with lots of slapstick comedy and B-rated movies. I guess that's why the 1980s has some of the best pop classic hits. If you are a fan of 1980s space comedies, you will truly enjoy this one.

This movie is generally underrated, which is to be expected, as all the Debbie downers out there expecting this to be something that it's not. Its a 1980s comedy, a spoof, and an excellent one to boot. This is not a serious sci-fi action adventure.

This movie is filled with talented actors before they hit it big. C'mon now, Sloth is in it. They work well with each other and they make the comedy work, unlike most modern day comedies. Their is never a dull moment in this movie and if you don't pay attention, you will miss most of the subtle humor that makes this movie work.

The biggest shortcoming of this film is the ending, where there's an over the top chase scene that is really out of this world. It amazes me that it works well for this movie. Another downside to this movie is that it rarely, and i do mean rarely, ever gets shown on any of the streaming sites. In addition trying to find a DVD copy is near impossible. If you do get a chance to get your hands on a copy of this movie, I highly encourage you to take a watch. You will not be disappointed.