Film review: New Deathstalker is faithful to the original 80s movie – and just as bad

The new "Deathstalker" film, a remake of the 1980s cult classic, is being panned by critics for being "truly bad," despite its use of well-crafted practical effects. Critic Sakri Pölönen describes the movie as both boring and visually unappealing, arguing that the charm of its latex and rubber monster masks does not sustain the film's entire runtime.

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The new Deathstalker movie is, despite its successfully handcrafted effects, boring and ugly, writes critic Sakri Pölönen in his review.

Pölönen suggests that the film's adherence to 1980s nostalgia, a trend he calls the "tyranny of 80s nostalgia," persists because genre festivals require easily marketable programming for niche audiences. The original "Deathstalker," released in 1983, was itself a low-budget imitation of "Conan the Barbarian" and spawned three sequels throughout the decade.

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The film's draw is its latex and rubber monster masks, but their appeal doesn't carry a one-and-a-half-hour movie.

Daniel Berhardt stars as the titular sword-wielding hero, Deathstalker. The film's visual effects, created with practical, handmade techniques, are noted as a potential draw. However, Pölönen contends that these effects are insufficient to salvage a film that fails to engage viewers, even as camp entertainment. The review implies that the movie leans heavily on its retro aesthetic without offering substantial narrative or entertainment value.

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The tyranny of 80s nostalgia continues as long as genre festivals need programming that can be easily marketed to a nerdy audience.