Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 4, 2021

Producer Roger Corman was never one to turn down a trend. For 1985’s “Barbarian Queen,” the idea was to ride the profitability of hits like “Conan the Barbarian” and “The Sword and the Sorcerer,” with Corman launching his own line of warrior epics, this time selecting a female lead to help change the atmosphere of the picture. Star Lana Clarkson makes for an impressive hero in the feature, using her statuesque presence to liven up “Barbarian Queen,” which dreams of becoming a violent tale of revenge and rescue, but lacks the cash to do something hugely impressive, forcing director Hector Olivera to scramble with limited resources.

On her wedding day, Amethea (Lana Clarkson) endures a raid on her village, with Lord Arrakur (Arman Chapman) killing most of the community, collecting future groom Argan (Frank Zagarino) to train as a gladiator. Joined by a few survivors, including Estrild (Katt Shea), and her younger sister, Taramis (Dawn Dunlap), Amethea swears revenge, working her way into Arrakur’s kingdom, which contains the beginnings of a secret rebellion, rising up to destroy evil.

“Barbarian Queen” is more effective in the open world, with the first half detailing Amethea’s survivor experience and plans to go after Arrakur, working through a land populated with groping bad guys. Olivera has more room to work with here, and the women-on-a-mission plot has movement, giving Clarkson opportunities to pose for future custom van airbrushing art and swing a large sword, which she does convincingly, rising to the challenge of screen heroism. However, “Barbarian Queen” can’t remain outside for long, with the rest of the endeavor taking place inside Arrakur’s compound, replacing big action with smalls sets and Corman’s sexploitation interests, giving the target demographic ample amounts of nudity and predatory encounters, which improves the picture’s marketplace appeal, but grinds the effort to a halt.

Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers an older scan of "Barbarian Queen," which remains appealing despite some limitations. Colors are appreciable, capturing the greenery of the open world and costuming choices, which favor animal skins and dyed dresses, giving the viewing experience more alert primaries. Clarkson's golden hair is a highlight, and skintones are natural. Detail is softer, but skin particulars are acceptable, along with textured outfits. Distances are dimensional, along with fortress expanse. Delineation is tested with interiors, with some brief solidification. Grain is reasonably resolved. Source is in good condition.

Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA is primarily focused on dubbed dialogue exchanges, which handle loudly, securing the somewhat strange voices found in the feature. Scoring supports with emphasis, providing decent instrumentation and position. Sound effects are appreciable, with the metallic clanging of swords common, and battle zone commotion is distinct.

Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (13:47, HD & SD) presents a snipped subplot featuring a gladiator recruited to spy on Argan's plans of rebellion, which is noticeably missing from the final cut. Assorted acts of violence are presented, along with an extended "dungeon squeeze" scene, which clarifies the power of Amethea's thighs as she's sexually assaulted by her torturer. The final cut leaves most of this moment to the imagination. Oddly, a few of these scenes are included in the Blu-ray cut, and there's no explanation provided as to why the rest of the material was removed from the picture.

• A Green Band Trailer (1:32, HD) and a Red Band Trailer (1:55, HD) are included.

Barbarian Queen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Barbarian Queen" is bookended by battle scenes, showcasing dozens of extras clanging swords and screaming, generating a level of low-budget chaos that should be present throughout the entire film. Sadly, such excitement is limited in the picture, which doesn't have enough inspiration or cash to offer a sustained level of adventure, even for a feature that's 72 minutes long. Still, there's Clarkson, who provides a terrific shot of screen authority (at least by B-movie standards), making one wish she was a sole focus of "Barbarian Queen."