Spacehunter Adventures In The Forbidden Zone

The year was 1983. 3-D films were trying to make a comeback. But without the technology we have today, this fad came and went with more a wimper than a bang. That being said, everything from Jaws to Amytiville to Friday The 13th tried to cash in on it. Most of the 3-D movies that year were a joke, but a few were entertaining. Case in point, Spacehunter Adventures In The Forbidden Zone.

Riding high on his Emmy win for the tv movie The Jericho Mile, Peter Strauss thought he would give being a Hollywood leading man a shot. In this, he plays Wolff, a salvage collector traveling through space looking for his next big score. He is accompanied by a female robot named Chalmers, Andrea Marcovicci. Wolff intercepts a message that offers him a lot of cash if he can rescue three beautiful women who have been captured by the evil Overdog, Michel Ironside. Money, women...seems like a no brainer for our hero.

After he lands on the planet where the ladies are being held, his ship is attacked by Overdogs men, resulting in the death of Chalmers. He now has revenge as a motive and sets out to find the women. In his journey, he meets a teen orphan named Niki, Molly Ringwald. She tells Wolff that she knows where they are being held and begs him to let her tag along. Hesitant at first because of her constant jabbering, Wolff gives in and lets her join him. In their journey, they not only have to deal with Overdogs men and evil mutants, but Wolff's rival Washington, Ernie Hudson, who is also out for the reward.

I think the filmmakers intended this to be more of a sci fi comedy, which would make sense. One of the producers is Ivan Reitman, the same man behind Stripes and Meatballs. And the cast plays it very tongue in cheek. It was however marketed as a straight sci fi film, which I think is why it flopped.

It has a game cast, Strauss does his best Han Solo impression. Not quite as cool, but still effective. Ringwald is the real scene stealer as the punk like Niki. It would be a year later when she gets her big break in Sixteen Candles. Ironside, who has played so many great villains, is also good as the creepy Overdog. Hudson is also good as Washington. His bickering and rivalry with Strauss reminds me of the scenes with Robert DeNiro and John Ashton in Midnight Run.

It's silly sci fi, but the cast and filmmakers definately are in on the joke.

It's available on dvd.