Desert Warrior

Low budget sci fi that could had been a good movie if they had simplified its script. Like many low budget films it does not have many choices or virtues to capitalize on. A good script can help almost any film including this one regardless of budget.

This is hands down the greatest film ever created. I spent nearly 4 years searching through bad movies attempting to find the worst (and subsequently the greatest) film ever made. Desert Warrior is the summation of that quest. I have seen literally thousands of the worst movies ever made, and Desert Warrior has risen to the top. The cream at the top of the sewage barrel. In case anyone is interested the #2 worst movie ever IMHO is Octaman. If you get a chance enjoy Octaman, it is truly a "gem". But always pay homage to the "Cullinan" of movies--- Desert Warrior! As a credit to it's greatness, I have watched Desert Warrior more than 30 times. I hope you are lucky enough to see it once.

My review was written in March 1989 after watching the movie on Prism video cassette.

This Filipino-lensed action pic is something of a fiasco, providing unintentional humor and inept filmmaking technique to video fans.

Shot in 1987 under the title "Sand Wars", pic has been retitled "Desert Warrior", but is unrelated to Cirio Santiago's 1985 Filipino film of that name.

Lou Ferrigno plays the beefy hero of a post-nuclear war society whose corrupt bossman (Kenneth Peer) needs uncontaminated women for mating purposes. Shari Shattuck is just the ticket, and most of the pic consists of Lou, clad in a Roman gladiator outfit, trying to help her escape from the bad guys' clutches.

Film unfolds like a bad parody of this overworked genre, with a very poor sound mix and ridiculously cheap-looking vehicles for the "Mad Max" fans to ogle. Poor Ferrigno, dubbed in his "Hercules" epics, uses his own voice here with embarrassing results.

I like really bad movies, if you do too this movie is a great movie to watch with a bunch of obnoxious friends and a twelve pack of beer. When you go to the movie store and look for a really bad movie to watch with those obnoxious friends, you see TV's The Hulk and you think "this has GOT to be good". And Lou Ferrigno does not disappoint, part Conan part Terminator; all Ferrigno.

On top of Lou's real bad acting, and a canned post-apocalyptic plot, this movie offers a bountiful supply of bad special effects that would make Ed Wood proud.

...but still not even THAT good. It has its moments, but the entire thing is horrendously padded with endless shots of people walking through hallways, walking through deserts, driving through deserts, etc. There's honestly about 6 scenes in the entire movie, I'd say literally about 80% of it is time wasting coverage scenes, with no dialogue. There's some hilarious scenes, and the acting is a riot. My favorite guy is the doctor with the glasses. I was so sad when he died. Half of the cast and the Drones look like the directors' neighbors. They don't even bother to do another take when they trip over their lines.

Overall, not bad but there's better bad/good movies. Like Never Too Young to Die!