[6]
Writer/director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) serves up a cheesy, low-budget sword and sorcery flick with enough heart and exposed flesh to appeal to the adolescent in us all. Marc Singer (TV’s V) stars as Dar, a sinewy and perpetually shirtless lad who embarks on a quest of vengeance against a baby-sacrificing cult leader (Rip Torn). Gifted with the ability to communicate with animals, Dar is accompanied on his quest by a tiger, an eagle, and two ferrets. He also picks up a human love interest along the way, played by the fetching Tanya Roberts (A View to a Kill).
The Beastmaster has a surprisingly involved screenplay, with a hefty dose of exposition involving prophecy and Dar’s upbringing, as well as a later subplot involving a repressed tribe of people and the marauders who terrorize them. It seems like more than an exploitation genre flick needs to wrestle with, but even at a full two hours, The Beastmaster manages to be moderately entertaining throughout. Fight choreography is unconvincing and the production design is always on the verge of exposing the limitations of a budget far too low to pull off such an ambitious movie — yet somehow, The Beastmaster manages to pull its ass over the finish line. The film wisely makes use of many beautiful exterior locations. The sex appeal of its two stars, Singer and Roberts, cannot be underestimated, and the two ferrets turn out to be little scene stealers. John Amos (TV’s Good Times) brings easy charm and credibility in a supporting role, and Lee Holdridge lends a commendable orchestral score.