Red Sonja (1985): The Amusingly Silly Cult Classic Comes to 4K (Limited Edition 4K)

The Film:

When it came to action stars of the 1980s, one of the very biggest around was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who gave us multiple classics of the genre like "The Terminator," "Predator," "Commando," and "The Running Man." However, one of his '80s works that no one ever seems to bring up in discussions of his incredible career is a little "Sword & Sandals" actioner called "Red Sonja," a project that has a somewhat intriguing history, at least as far as its biggest star was concerned.

For starters, Schwarzenegger only agreed to do the film to fulfill a contractual obligation to producer Dino De Laurentis, thinking it would be a small cameo. However, it ended up stretching into a much larger part, with Schwarzenegger calling the final product one of the worst films he'd ever made. Indeed, it was released to scathing reviews and very disappointing box office numbers, but that hasn't stopped it from finding fans over the last 40 years, fans that have been able to appreciate it for its lush visuals, a grand score from the great Ennio Morricone, and, perhaps most of all, its sheer goofiness. For them, Arrow Films is giving the film a stunning 4K upgrade and throwing in over three hours of incredible extras, so now it's time to go back and re-examine this somewhat forgotten work of the action mega-star to see if it was perhaps judged a little too harshly, or if it was put in its proper place from the very start.

As the film opens, we find that Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) has been left for dead after rejecting the advances of Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman), who has murdered her family in retaliation. Meanwhile, Sonja's sister, Varna (Janet Agren), a member of an order of priestesses who is about to destroy a powerful item called "The Talisman," tries to escape when Gedren's forces intervene and steal it, but is injured while trying to get back to her sister. She happens to run into Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Lord of Hyrkania, who finds Sonja and brings her to Varna. Before she dies, she tells Sonja everything that has happened, and warns her that The Talisman must be returned to darkness or else it could devastate the planet with massive storms. And so, with a little unexpected help from some friends, Sonja sets off on an epic quest to reclaim what was stolen and save the world.

When it comes to a film like "Red Sonja," it's really best to set your level of expectation beforehand. If you go into it thinking you're in for something on the level of "Ben-Hur" or other high class films of a similar nature, you'll merely set yourself up for sheer disappointment. Films like this, or "Conan the Barbarian" or "Clash of the Titans," are simply meant to be fun, goofy adventures that the audience doesn't need to take seriously in the least. In other words, the goal was to provide a bit of escapism for the viewer through exciting action sequences and mystical elements that you wouldn't usually get in high-end dramas.

That said, even with the best of intentions, it didn't mean they always turned out well. "Red Sonja" certainly has its share of problems, including a rather generic plotline (evil person steals powerful object, heroes must retrieve it), some rather poor acting from just about everyone in the cast (it's pretty sad when Schwarzenegger is one of the most convincing people in the film), and an irritating younger character that should've been excised entirely, and yet it still manages to provide a fair amount of fun & entertainment throughout its brief 89 minutes.

The primary reason for that is because it never takes itself seriously, in much the same vein that the audience is advised not to. It's a very silly film, one that just happens to have some great cinematography, production design, and intriguing costumes, all of which can be admired while listening to the music of the legendary Ennio Morricone. Does all of this help overcome its many flaws and turn it into a good film? Not exactly, but it does show that it has a fair amount to offer anyone looking for nothing more than a goofy little adventure with a decent amount of action. "Red Sonja" may not be a great film, but sometimes people find themselves in the mood for a particularly silly outing just like this, something that provides a little escape, and while you may find yourself rolling your eyes more than a few times throughout, you also may find that you had a little fun by the time the credits roll.

Video/Audio:

"Red Sonja" comes to 4K in a 2.35:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality. The film has been beautifully restored from the original camera negative, presenting a sharp & clear picture throughout its brief 89-minute runtime that perfectly highlights its intriguing production design & costumes. Likewise, the original lossless mono & 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio options are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and Ennio Morricone's score in excellent quality. Overall, Arrow Films has done a wonderful job in both departments for the film's new upgrade.

Special Features:

Commentary by Critics Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth

Commentary by Comic Book Expert Dave Baxter

The Prince and Me (14 Minutes) (New): An interview with actor Ernie Reyes Jr.

Swords, Stunts and Sonja (15 Minutes) (New): An interview with action unit supervisor Vic Armstrong.

The Last of the Invincibles (26 Minutes) (New): An interview with Schwarzenegger's stunt double Pietro Torrisi.

The Danish Girl (16 Minutes) (New): An interview with stuntman Ottaviano Dell'Acqua.

The 12 Labors of Red Sonja (31 Minutes) (New): An interview with assistant production manager Stefano Spadoni.

The Marvel of Primitive Technology (28 Minutes) (New): An interview with FX artist Domingo Lizcano in which he discusses the work of Emilio Ruiz del Río.

Moulding Fantasies (20 Minutes) (New): An interview with make-up FX assistant Adriano Carboni.

Bodybuilding the Imagery (23 Minutes): An unreleased interview with poster artist Renato Casaro.

The Man Who Raised Hollywood (16 Minutes): A featurette on Schwarzenegger's career, featuring filmmakers Peter Hyams and Arthur Allan Seidelman, producer Edward Pressman, and others.

Red Sonja vs. Kalidor: The Making of a Misunderstanding (12 Minutes): An interview with assistant director Michel Ferry.

Conclusion:

Richard Fleischer's "Red Sonja" may be held back quite a bit by its rather generic storyline & a fair amount of poor acting, but it still has quite a lot to offer when it comes to its sheer goofiness, as well as impressive cinematography, production design, costumes, and a grand score from the great Ennio Morricone. Arrow Films' new 4K upgrade is exactly what fans of this cult classic have been waiting for, so if you count yourself among them, this is most definitely the release to get.

Score: 2.5/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K starting tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic.