“Well, then you’ll be my parents for the second time!” —Ator
Today’s quick review: Ator, the Fighting Eagle. On his wedding day, Ator (Miles O’Keeffe), a young man from a small village, learns that he is the warrior destined to overthrow the High Priest of the Spider (Dakkar) and end the Age of Darkness. Ator joins forces with Griba (Edmund Purdom), his childhood protector, and Roon (Sabrina Siani), a daring thief, to kill the High Priest and free his bride Sunya (Ritza Brown), who was taken captive.
Ator, the Fighting Eagle is a budget fantasy action adventure about a young warrior trying to save a kingdom from an ancient spider cult. The movie embraces the sword-and-sorcery side of the genre, pitting Ator against a series of strange and fearsome challenges as he prepares for his ultimate battle. However, the combination of a limited budget, dubious acting, and inconsistent writing keep Ator, the Fighting Eagle from reaching its goal.
Ator, the Fighting Eagle is plagued with idiosyncrasies. At times, the movie feels like a resourceful budget production, using some evocative outdoor environments and familiar story beats to capture the high points of the fantasy genre. However, these flashes of craftsmanship never last long. Every few minutes, the movie serves up something questionable, whether it’s a cheap prop, clumsy dialogue, or a scene that simply serves no purpose.
The result is a movie with low average quality, but which is unpredictable from moment to moment. Clever ideas are mixed in with derivative ones, credible scenes give way to moments that make no sense, and the props and sets fluctuate between adequate and cheap. Ator, the Fighting Eagle is not sucessful in what it sets out to do, but it has an endearing quality that sets it apart from other budget features. Those curious should give it a watch.
For a much more successful execution of a similar premise, check out Conan the Barbarian. For a more effective fantasy adventure in the same vein, try Clash of the Titans. For a fantasy action movie with a similar set of flaws, try In the Name of the King. For a martial arts parody with a similar approach to world-building, try Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.
[3.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085183/). I give it a 4.0 for poor decisions and plenty of unintentional charm.