(2003)
1.5
Jeremy Wheeler
So who had the bright idea to not only keep the Deathstalker story line going, but also to just blatantly edit in footage from the series in the process? Actually, that esteem undoubtedly falls on none other than the main man himself: Roger Corman. It's nothing new (see Slumber Party Massacre's endless incarnations for more proof), although few achieve the pure and unadulterated cheese levels in which Barbarian revels . Where to start? Well, first off, there's Michael O'Hearn. This guy should be in every no-budget sword-and-sorcery flick from now on. He's the perfect dumb body builder type and has got just enough overacting chops to butcher the script along with the best bare-chested heroes. His sword handling couldn't be any slower and more awkward, too, which just adds to the overall genius of the hokey play fighting captured by the cameras. Of course, what would this movie be without a completely disturbing Ewok rip-off sidekick named Wooby? Unbelievably weird, this four-foot-two creature is a hoot and a half, if only for the fact that someone actually gave the final OK on its stitched-together carpet outfit and hilariously thrown-together mask (never mind that creepy, garbled overdub for its voice). And, oh yes, the dubbing for the rest of the cast is quite amazing, as well, as most of them were Russians shepherded over to the shoot in the Ukraine. With glorious amounts of gratuitous nudity and laughable production values left and right, Barbarian fits perfectly into the schlocky series and should be thoroughly entertaining for any late night cable fiend or bottom-of-the-rack video hound.
Barbarian on AllMovie
Barbarian (2003)
