The Beastmaster shouldn’t be as fun as it is. It has far too many elements that spell disaster. There’s a lead character that is born from a cow’s belly, spiritual connections with animals, and a villain played by none other than Rip Torn. Even while watching the movie I could sense how ridiculous everything was, but in the end I was shocked to realize that The Beastmaster had kind of grown on me. The plot follows Dar, our Dr. Doolittle hero, who along with his animal companions sets out on a quest to seek vengeance against the horde that destroyed his village. Along the way, he discovers that his journey will help him learn more about his otherworldly ancestry.

I can’t for the life of me figure out why I enjoyed The Beastmaster. I guess I should put a lot of the credit with director Don Coscarelli, who has made some of the most entertaining horror films of the last thirty years (Phantasm 1-4 and Bubba Ho-Tep). He knows how to make the most out of bizarre stories, finding just the right tone for his outlandish movies. The Beastmaster takes itself seriously, but has enough humour throughout to make you realize that, yes, the filmmakers do realize that some of it is preposterous. Coscarelli also benefits greatly from Stanley Kubrick’s regular collaborator, cinematographer John Alcott, who makes this film look grandly epic despite its low budget. Lighting certain scenes entirely with torchlight, Alcott’s work creates a wonderful atmosphere for this fantasy saga. On the downside, the performances are all over the map and characters recite cringe worthy dialogue throughout. Fortunately, however, dialogue takes a backseat to action and Coscarelli devises some fun and creative sequences, the best being a trip into a huge pyramid. The Beastmaster certainly isn’t a masterpiece, but if you are looking for a fun action packed fantasy film, you could do a whole lot worse.