The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 19, 2022

When 1982’s “The Sword and the Sorcerer” went into production, the plan was to put the film together quickly, on a mission to beat “Conan the Barbarian” to theaters, hoping to siphon some ticket sales from the big Universal release. The scheme worked, helping the picture achieve box office glory in a way few could’ve imagined, making it the 18th highest grossing feature of the year (just below, wait for it, “Conan the Barbarian”), doing its part to make the sword and sorcery subgenre a powerful draw at theaters, at least for a brief period of time. The actual quality of “The Sword and the Sorcerer” is debatable, as co-writer/director Albert Pyun tries to keep his low-budget endeavor together for most of the run time, managing monetary limitations and storytelling disappointments as he attempts to make a grimy swashbuckler that often takes on more than it can handle.

Cromwell (Richard Lynch) is a power mad king looking to expand his rule, slaughtering rival King Richard with help from the black magic of resurrected sorcerer Xusia (Richard Moll). Years later, Cromwell is looking to squash the early days of a rebellion, targeting Prince Mikah (Simon MacCorkindale), while making plans to marry his sister, Princess Alana (Kathleen Beller). Arriving on the scene is Talon (Lee Horsley), King Richard’s mercenary son, who accepts Alana’s request for help, making plans to take on Cromwell and his vicious army, saving Mikah in the process.

The early 1980s were a fertile period for fantasy, and “The Sword and the Sorcerer” isn’t shy about lifting ideas from other entertainment offerings. It has the costuming and smoky atmosphere of “Excalibur” and the world-building of “Dungeons & Dragons,” with Pyun making early moves to introduce elements of magic to the tale as Cromwell seeks help to conquer the world. Initial scenes in “The Sword and the Sorcerer” show promise, as Pyun works to sell the epic nature of the viewing experience, trying to give a movie made for limited coin some sense of scale and danger, and composer David Whitaker aims to fill the feature up with a heroic score, which always promises a more exciting movie than what’s actually onscreen. There are heroes and villains, various kingdoms, a prince and a princess, a monster-ish magician, and the presence of a three-bladed sword that’s capable of launching two of its blades like a gun. It’s quite the first act.

“The Sword and the Sorcerer” runs out of gas soon enough, with Xusia quickly written out of the film after his lengthy introduction. Character introductions are common, generating a crowded community of names to follow, with some of these personalities not important to the story, taking time away from the main players. And Pyun doesn’t have enough action for the production, leaving the bulk of adventuring to the finale, often struggling to make conversations as potent as scenes of battle. It feels like “The Sword and the Sorcerer” should be more active, dealing with Talon’s brute force (and questionable charm) and Cromwell’s rage, but the writing doesn’t have sharpness it needs, occasionally getting lost as it hunts for things to do. Also disappointing is the unfulfilled promise of the title, with the movie featuring extraordinarily little sorcery and swords. The three-bladed gun-sword is barely used in the effort, joining the Glaive from “Krull” as a screen weapon of supreme coolness the production largely ignores.

The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from "The Sword and the Sorcerer" Blu-ray.

New to UHD is "The Sword and the Sorcerer," listed on the back cover as a "New 2021 4K scan from the original negative." The Dolby Vision presentation is working uphill with this movie, which features substantial amounts of smoke to create atmosphere, and lighting is limited at best. Blacks remain deep, with shadow play and dungeon events preserved. Grain is quite heavy at times, managing stock footage and limited production resources, but it remains decently resolved, if a bit inconsistent at times. Colors display rich greenery and skintones, with full body displays remaining natural. Costuming retains vivid silvers and animal hues, and red hellscapes are distinct. Highlights are enjoyable, with bright sources of fire and sunlight. Detail explores rough facial particulars on the warriors, along with rubbery creature effects on Xusia. Outfits are textured throughout, dealing with steel and animal skin, and exteriors maintain a decent amount of depth.

The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

An information card from Shout Factory is presented before the movie begins:

"When getting access to the film elements for 'The Sword and the Sorcerer,' there was almost nothing for audio. We have transferred a lone optical track for the stereo sound. There is some damage we could not fix. The 5.1 track was created by another label and has some directional errors. We think, even with some static, the stereo track of the strongest audio option."

Indeed, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is the most appealing track on the disc, and yes, damage is present, along with crispier highs. Dialogue exchanges aren't sharply defined but remain appreciable, handling performance choices and abilities with intelligibility. Scoring isn't sharp as well, but large orchestral movements provide adequate support and position, often leading the way for the feature. Sound effects are blunt but serviceable, inherent to the low-budget nature of the mix.

The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Albert Pyun.

• "Tales of the Ancient Empire" (33:06, HD) is an interview with co-writer/director Albert Pyun, who details his early years making movies in Hawaii, finally working up the nerve to try his luck in Los Angeles. Striking out with pitches, Pyun found takers for his "The Sword and the Sorcerer" idea after the box office success of "Excalibur." Casting is explored, with the helmer wary of involving people who were "too Hollywood," and he recalls the eight-week-long shoot, with the first-time filmmaker arriving without a plan, winging it during his days. Producer conflicts are tracked, butting heads with Brandon and Marianne Chase, who eventually locked Pyun out of post-production, and he remains less than pleased with the final cut. "The Sword and the Sorcerer" was a big box office hit, but the interviewee recalls his encounters with racism when trying to keep his momentum going. Talk of the ill-fated 2012 sequel is included, and Pyun opens up about the frustrations of his current battle with dementia.

• "Mightier than the Sword" (19:51, HD) is an interview with co-writer/co-producer John Stuckmeyer. Recalling his early work in the industry, Stuckmeyer was looking for his break, eventually partnering with Albert Pyun, with "The Sword and the Sorcerer" one of their early projects, working to beat "Conan the Barbarian" to theaters. The interviewee examines the Pyun process, and he goes into detail about producer Brandon Chase, who wasn't a positive influence on the picture, constantly worried about the rising budget while Pyun was trying to bring scope to the low-budget endeavor. Stuckmeyer recalls the successful theatrical launch of "The Sword and the Sorcerer," identifying issues with Chase as the reason a sequel wasn't immediately produced.

• "A Princess Tale" (24:08, HD) is a video conference interview with actress Kathleen Beller, who recalls her career before her time on the show "Dynasty," where she would accept any part, happy to have the work. Beller describes a level of doubt among the cast and crew during the first day of shooting "The Sword and the Sorcerer," noticing director Albert Pyun had no power on the set. Co-stars are recalled and time with a snake is shared. The interviewee isn't down on "The Sword and the Sorcerer," but she admits making it wasn't a wonderful experience, describing it as a "high school" production. Beller also speaks extensively on nudity requirements of the part, dealing with pushy producers, wishing more young women understood they don't have to accept random demands.

• "Master of the Blade" (13:53, HD) is an interview with editor Marshall Harvey, who made his debut with "Disco Fever," attracting attention from producer Brandon Chase. Assigned to "The Sword and the Sorcerer," Harvey admits morale was low with the cast and crew, and he was tasked to make the feature more exciting by Chase, who wanted to sell an R-rated viewing experience. Harvey discusses his influence over the movie's score, and shares an anecdote about Oliver Reed, who showed up drunk for a narration gig, making his recordings unusable.

• "Dedicated to Jack Tyree" (11:50, HD) collects interviews from cast and crew, who describe the day the seasoned stuntman took a wrong leap for a high fall and died instantly after missing his mark. Amazingly, this footage is included in "The Sword and the Sorcerer," and the ethics of such a decision are debated by the interviewees.

• "The Specialist and the Effects" (12:10, HD) is an interview with F/X artist Allan Apone, who was figuring out the business when he was hired for "The Sword and the Sorcerer," trying to understand what he could do with the limited budget of the feature. Apone discusses putting his team together, and he provides an assessment of director Albert Pyun, who was under enormous pressure. The interviewee also breaks down a few technical challenges.

• "Brothers in Arms" (10:23, HD) is an interview with F/X artists The Chiodo Brothers, who spent a single day on the set of "The Sword and the Sorcerer," creating the "crypt of heads" sequence for the film.

• Still Gallery (9:02) collects poster and home video art, lobby cards, film stills, newspaper ads and stories, and BTS snaps. A scan I created of a local theater ad for "The Sword and the Sorcerer" is used here (and displayed during the interviews), but no credit is given.

• "Trailers from Hell" (3:30, HD) offers commentary from Marshall Harvey, editor of "The Sword and the Sorcerer."

• T.V. Spot (:26, HD) is offered.

• And Trailer #1 (3:10, HD) and Trailer #2 (3:10, HD) are included.

The Sword and the Sorcerer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Sword and the Sorcerer" is helped along by some interesting production achievements in set design and costuming, and while performances are uneven, Lynch makes for a compelling bad guy, stealing the movie with his commitment. Pyun is clearly embracing the directorial challenge, straining to make a big screen extravaganza, and he has some inspired moments. There's just not enough of them, with "The Sword and the Sorcerer" failing to sustain momentum and imagination for the entire run time.