Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
Set on the subterranean Mine-World, a band of human worker are treated like slaves under the power of the evil overlord Zygon until one, Orin, unearths the hilt of a mythical sword that only he can master. Escaping the planet, he runs into the rogue smuggler Dagg and a pair of helpful droids and the princess, who all team up to return to the Mine-World with a plan to defeat Zygon and free Orin's enslaved people.
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- Cast:
- Carmen Argenziano , Noelle North , Anthony De Longis , Les Tremayne , Ken Sansom , John Moschitta Jr. , John Garwood
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Reviews
So much average
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
I see the view from many people that this is just bad rip off of Star Wars original trilogy, i agree that Starchaser is very similar in story to Star Wars but i not agree that this is bad movie. I remember that i have watched The Legend Of Orin as a kid, but looks like some distant dream, but finally i had an opportunity to watch it again after so many years and yes i had big smile when i finished watching it. The animation is okay for that time, it is typical for the 80s decade not good or bad, characters are okay, i mostly like smuggler Dag Diblirmi, he is most charismatic character yes he reminds a lot to Han Solo but has some uniqueness, also like the android girl Silica she is so sexy. Zygon is just fantastic evil character, Anthony De Longis did a really good job voicing him, another plus is music, it gives epic feel to the movie, really nice. In some parts the movie is very violent, it is mostly space opera movie, but i also see some Cyberpunk elements like man-droids in the swamps, android girls, big city sprawls full of corruption and crime. But mostly i like the Mining world and slaves who believe Zygon is there god and must obey him, looks somehow to our real world. I recommend this one to everyone who loves retro things and nostalgia and to all space opera and fantasy lovers, there are some cheesy 80's moments, bad script and Robot riding a horse but it gives that vibe that all we loved about the 80's. My grade 7/10.
Despite being a shameless rip-off of Star Wars and Logan's Run (among others) and having a rather stupid title, Starchaser (You can read the full name for yourself) is actually a very interesting film to watch.Blessed with decent animation (for the 80's), a reasonable story and plenty of action, this is one of those movies where you stick it on, expecting to mock it, but you actually end up having a pretty good time.Of course, nothing can take away from it's obvious plundering from it's far better known sci-fi brethren... The hero is the spitting image of Luke Skywalker, his laconic smuggler best friend is an easy match for one Han Solo, and even the cynical computer sounds just like C3PO.If you can just past that though (And, quite a bit of casual sexism... Check out the 'fembot' with the big booty) then chances are you'll enjoy yourself. The space battles, whether they be fought with ships or fists are quite captivating, and surprisingly bloody... No Disney film is this. There's also a fair few good jokes, if you listen hard enough.So, for a rather rare title, Starchaser ain't bad at all. I can certainly think of a handful of inferior but much better known animated titles that deserve to languish in obscurity more than this worthy effort... 6/10
I remember watching this in the cinema when I was 10 years old, with 3d glasses as well. I don't know about anyone else, but during the early 80s, some movies were shown on TV in 3D here in the UK. TV guides included the red and green 3D glasses to watch them with. It was all rather naff, and the movies were usually the cheesy ones made in the 50s or 60s.However, when Starchaser came out, the glasses we were given in the cinema were clear cellophane, so you could watch it in the movie's intended colours. I have to say it made the movie a very decent watch. When I watched it again a few years later on video, the 3d effect was lost, but the movie was still watchable, unlike other 80s fare, like Jaws 3, which has extremely poor viewing quality on TV.As far as I know, this has never been on telly, which is a shame, I wouldn't mind seeing it again, and exercising my nostalgia!
I first saw Starchaser in 3D back in 1985 and for someone who grew up on the Star Wars trilogy I was hooked for life. A beautiful, heady mix of science-fiction, fantasy and all out action laced with humour, a little violence and excellent set-pieces Starchaser is lovingly assembled from the finest sources and has more love for it's source than the three prequels helmed by Lucas have shown. The story is straightforward: thousands of slaves mine crystals for robot overseers believing this to be the will of their God, Zygon. A young slave named Orin (superbly voiced by Joe Colligan) finds a glowing sword hilt buried in the mines that tells him of the forbidden world above and in an attempt to break free is taken under wing of surly smuggler Dagg Dibrimi.Taking it's influence from Star Wars, whispering it's name with reverent pride, layering it with images and influences as diverse as Moebius, the cartoons of René Laloux and Ralph Bakshi's Wizards it's hard not to like this movie. It's well-animated, beautifully shot and surprisingly well written which is all the more remarkable given that it's an animated feature.In almost any combination this would have been a lacklustre, disappointing affair along the lines of Titan A.E but under the direction of Steven Hahn it's becomes something much more special. Look at the credits and you'll see cast and crew steeped in sci-fi: Stargate: SG1's Carmen Argenziano as Dagg Dibrimi, Han Solo with the attitude of J.Jonah Jameson; Masters of the Universe star Anthony DeLongis' providing the silver-tongued menace of Zygon in the vein of an early Vincent Price are the two voice highlights among a near perfect cast. More sci-fi stars are found in the background, ranging from the voice stars of Transformers and DS9 to story-boarder Boyd Kirkland, who would later go onto direct Batman: The Animated Series' greatest episode 'The Grey Ghost'. Even after 20 years Belling's music holds up remarkably well, as much an integral character of the film as Les Tremayne's marvellously cowardly ship's computer. It kicks in at all the right places, has good strong recognisable themes for the main stars and above all doesn't overpower the movie or sound like one of John William's increasingly derivative scores. And unlike many animated features it doesn't feel the need to bolster the score with some contemporary rock or pop tracks, preferring a well-crafted mix of orchestral and synthesized soundtrack.Watched 20 years on it's still as enjoyable. It doesn't run on for too long, still has that pleasing if eccentric aesthetic style prevalent throughout the film and above all is fun. It has a story to tell, does it with style and above all manages to make you care for the characters which is a rare enough thing in a live-action movie, and for an 80's animated feature something very much to be proud of.Starchaser hasn't been commercially available for years aside from a VHS release some 15 or 16 years back but it has a strong and loyal fan base who'll welcome the fact it's finally been released my MGM on DVD. As an animated feature it still has a certain charm two decades on even without the 3D but where it really holds it's own is it's love for Star Wars. Anybody who felt disappointed by the three prequels and prefers the honest, simple storytelling style of the original will enjoy Starchaser.