PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, sociological* In 1979, when this animated project was filmed, the franchise of Flash Gordon was far less prominent in the American psyche than it had been in the thirties, when it was regarded as one of the classics of "the adventurous decade." Nevertheless, producer Lou Scheimer-- mostly known for cheap, repetitive TV cartoons featuring various DC heroes-- seemed to bring his A-game to this television-movie. Not only does the 90-minute story accurately represent most of the original story from the Alex Raymond comic strip, Scheimer made strong use of detailed rotoscoping and even gives a lot of the characters appropriate shadow-effects. It's still limited TV-animation, but one appreciates the extra touches. NBC executives, for whom Scheimer undertook the project, were impressed enough with the production that they enjoined Scheimer to launch a FLASH GORDON TV-cartoon in 1979, cannibalizing parts of the movie for episodes in the series. Later, the original movie eventually aired on American TV in 1982. 
The one element to get somewhat de-emphasized is that of the cosmic peril involved. In both the comic strip and the first movie serial, Earth is being subjected to cataclysms as the rogue planet Mongo enters the solar system. The science is dubious, particularly when it's revealed that Mongo's advent is brought about by the technology of the planet's ruler Ming the Merciless, but the impression of a great apocalypse sells the importance of the hero's mission. Mongo's advent is still part of the story, but the script introduces an odd tangent in which Ming has somehow sent weapons to Hitler during the early years of World War II. Possibly someone thought this plot-device supported the new development that Flash Gordon, rather than being just an athletic guy, is now an agent of America's state department. A dying man tells Gordon to seek out the eccentric scientist Hans Zharkov. In the process of so doing, Gordon meets lady reporter Dale Arden, who horns in on his investigation. The two of them meet Zharkov, who then abducts them as he pilots his own personal rocketship to intercept the approaching planet Mongo.
Once the trio of Earthlings are on Mongo, things follow the same general path as the comic strip. Gordon, Arden and Zharkov are exposed to the exotic perils of Mongo, combining high-tech menace with primitive and monstrous threats. (The original comic strip suggests not a little influence from Edgar Rice Burroughs' prose novels of John Carter.) Gordon meets many of the same "humanized animal" characters for which the strip was so well-known-- the lion-man Thun, the hawk-man Vultan-- and for the first time in my experience, there's a suggestion that Ming may have bred all these specialized races for some dire but unstated purpose. When Gordon and his friends learn what a tyrant Ming is, they seek to foment revolution by inspiring the various vassal nations to rebel. Or at least Gordon and Zharkov do. Dale Arden is abducted into Ming's harem and disappears for most of the rest of the movie, without much follow-through on Ming's threat to make her one of his wives/concubines. I suspect Dale got played down because the filmmakers want to play up Ming's randy daughter Aura. Limited though the animation is, it's just as clear in this kids' cartoon as it was in the operatic serial that Aura wants Gordon as her new boy-toy. Unfortunately, this Gordon is too stoic to display any erotic tension. Like the comic strip, the plot consists of one venture into a new dangerous setting after another, culminating with a duel between Gordon and Ming-- which proves a bit of a cheat, since this Ming is a robotic simulacrum of the real tyrant. Prince Barin, who loves Aura and thus resents her affection for Gordon, appears in the story but the romantic triangle is not emphasized. The focus upon near constant action is certainly an improvement upon many TV cartoons of the period, and voice-work is solid, including such familiar names as Melendy Britt (as Aura), Ted Cassidy and Diane Pershing. This is also the first and probably last animated FLASH GORDON project in which Ming looks substantially Asian, with roughly olive-hued skin. Some later versions gave the villain green coloration to defuse accusations of racism. Aura, though, looks entirely Caucasian.
The one element to get somewhat de-emphasized is that of the cosmic peril involved. In both the comic strip and the first movie serial, Earth is being subjected to cataclysms as the rogue planet Mongo enters the solar system. The science is dubious, particularly when it's revealed that Mongo's advent is brought about by the technology of the planet's ruler Ming the Merciless, but the impression of a great apocalypse sells the importance of the hero's mission. Mongo's advent is still part of the story, but the script introduces an odd tangent in which Ming has somehow sent weapons to Hitler during the early years of World War II. Possibly someone thought this plot-device supported the new development that Flash Gordon, rather than being just an athletic guy, is now an agent of America's state department. A dying man tells Gordon to seek out the eccentric scientist Hans Zharkov. In the process of so doing, Gordon meets lady reporter Dale Arden, who horns in on his investigation. The two of them meet Zharkov, who then abducts them as he pilots his own personal rocketship to intercept the approaching planet Mongo.
Once the trio of Earthlings are on Mongo, things follow the same general path as the comic strip. Gordon, Arden and Zharkov are exposed to the exotic perils of Mongo, combining high-tech menace with primitive and monstrous threats. (The original comic strip suggests not a little influence from Edgar Rice Burroughs' prose novels of John Carter.) Gordon meets many of the same "humanized animal" characters for which the strip was so well-known-- the lion-man Thun, the hawk-man Vultan-- and for the first time in my experience, there's a suggestion that Ming may have bred all these specialized races for some dire but unstated purpose. When Gordon and his friends learn what a tyrant Ming is, they seek to foment revolution by inspiring the various vassal nations to rebel. Or at least Gordon and Zharkov do. Dale Arden is abducted into Ming's harem and disappears for most of the rest of the movie, without much follow-through on Ming's threat to make her one of his wives/concubines. I suspect Dale got played down because the filmmakers want to play up Ming's randy daughter Aura. Limited though the animation is, it's just as clear in this kids' cartoon as it was in the operatic serial that Aura wants Gordon as her new boy-toy. Unfortunately, this Gordon is too stoic to display any erotic tension. Like the comic strip, the plot consists of one venture into a new dangerous setting after another, culminating with a duel between Gordon and Ming-- which proves a bit of a cheat, since this Ming is a robotic simulacrum of the real tyrant. Prince Barin, who loves Aura and thus resents her affection for Gordon, appears in the story but the romantic triangle is not emphasized. The focus upon near constant action is certainly an improvement upon many TV cartoons of the period, and voice-work is solid, including such familiar names as Melendy Britt (as Aura), Ted Cassidy and Diane Pershing. This is also the first and probably last animated FLASH GORDON project in which Ming looks substantially Asian, with roughly olive-hued skin. Some later versions gave the villain green coloration to defuse accusations of racism. Aura, though, looks entirely Caucasian.
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