Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine

I have to give this movie one star, even though some of the acting and effects aren't terrible. It's just that I don't understand why anyone would make a film that looks like another Star Wars rip off from the 1980s in 2017. There's absolutely nothing original in the plot, the sets, the make up, the acting, the dialogue, etc. Etc. Etc. We've all seen it dozens if not hundreds of times since 1977. There's nothing here for anyone as far as I could see. The only reason I watched it was it was being treated by RiffTrax.

Somehow I doubt that Casper Van Dien will be doing a sequel of his Saber Raine character. Then again look at how many Sharknado movies were made.

Van Dien's character is an intergalactic gun for hire. At one time a decorated war hero on earth he's an exile now, willing to sell his ray gun and fighting skills to the highest bidder.

His mission here is to rescue a brother and sister heirs to a planetary throne. But things get complicated when it turns out that sister is in league with the" bad guys.

Casper must really miss those glory days of Starship Troopers. This film doesn't come close in any category you care to name.

If you like cheesy sci-fi than this is your movie.

I liked this movie.

It's definitely a B movie, much of the acting as well as the effects is so-so, but there are also clear nods to old school sci-fi, kind of a mix of some old Flash Gordon movie and some of the cheaper 80's sci-fi stuff, but also randomly mixed up with modern style tech/effects just to spice things up.

If you also consider that it's literally a low budget movie (at least partially financed through fundraising), it's not bad at all.

I think it works. I've seen worse stuff rating higher on IMDb...

+ + + Just to give you perspective: I like sci-fi a lot. I rarely shut off or fast forward even the shittiest of movies. It has happened perhaps 2-3 times that I can remember, and I've watched hundreds of sci-fi movies and TV shows.

Casper Van Dien and Cynthia Rothrock used to be people... and now they are reduced to this kind of barely student film fluff. The Special effects look like something a Nerd would produce to get his work rejected by the Asylum. The acting is sub-standard. The only thing to speak for it is that the creature effects are kind of good.

The movie had a very dense plot for a movie that was hard to follow, but it involves a bad guy who wants to conquer the galaxy. Most of the film is the actors walking around a forest pretending it's an alien planet. The sets are cheap as well.

Think of Battlestar Galactica/Buck Rogers in the 25th Century melded with the 1930s Flash Gordon featurettes. That gives you the type of campy, laughable plots, special effects, makeup, and acting in this film.

The props are the equivalent of low budget 1950s sci-fi films. Facial prosthetics equal the quality from lower budget 1960s productions. Augment that with rudimentary CGI. As to acting, anticipate an overall C- grade. Casper Van Dien delivers as usual an engaging character performance, give him a B. Acting in other roles such as the Princess and the female guardian sent in search of her are of a similar level. The other roles spiral downward from there with C grade acting down to failing E - that goes to the man portraying the prince. His overacting and overly exaggerated facial expressions are over the top bad.

So, don't expect much. There is no edge of your seat suspense, no "OMG that's impressive" moment. Think of it as a Saturday afternoon kids film diversion.