'Hawk the Slayer' (1980)


I don't know at what point this went from a little nostalgia buzz to watching as many eighties 'Sword and Sorcery' films as I can... but here we are :o) I don't know how often it will be but definitely be prepared for more of these posts in the future (more than likely dependent on paydays, Amazon delivery times and whether or not I'm feeling it with whatever I'm reading).

While 'Krull' is a film that I always forget I've seen (until I watch it again), 'Hawk the Slayer' is exactly the opposite; a film that I was sure I'd seen before... Until I watched it last night and realised that I was watching it for the first time. Turns out that I'd confused it with 'The Sword and the Sorcerer', which is weird seeing as I've never seen that film either... Confused? It seems like I was for most of the eighties...

But anyway, 'Hawk the Slayer'... A film that ended up being pretty underwhelming (apart from Jack Palance)...

Hawk is a man of courage, honour and duty; a marked contrast with his deformed, cruel and perverse older brother Voltan, who wears a black mask to disguise the fact that he bears the mark of Cain. When Voltan slays their father, Hawk is entrusted by the dying man with his magic mind-sword, with which he vows to avenge his death.

Now here's a film that I think has got it completely the wrong way round. It would have been much more interesting to follow the story of Voltan, a loyal son who goes off to war (with his father) only to return and find that Hawk has stolen his love. Voltan loses it, kills his ex and his father, and then loses it even more when Hawk kills his son. The story of a noble warrior lost to madness and a conniving younger brother, that sounds like a great story doesn't it?

It's a bit of a shame then that we don't get that. What we get is a more pedestrian tale of a slightly dull younger brother who is given a mind sword (that he automatically knows how to use) and heads off out to take revenge on his brother (for killing the girl he 'stole' from his brother in the first place). A few quick scenes, alternating between Hawk recruiting warriors and Voltan being evil, later and it's time for the final battle in an Abbey that Voltan has been terrorizing. One fight later and we're done. Feels like a bit of an anti-climax if you ask me.

The fight scenes aren't bad but it feels like the PG rating is holding them back from being a lot more exciting and that's what you really want in a 'Sword and Sorcery' movie; a bit of blood just to remind you that it's not just about treasure or revenge, these guys are fighting for their lives dammit! And I don't know if it's that Jack Palance is just a much better actor (probably) but John Terry's 'Hawk' is too understated to really carry the film like he should. Hawk is not a hero, he's more of a side-kick and this movie needs a hero.

'Hawk the Slayer' was entertaining enough, mostly because of Jack Palance being evil, but ask me about the movie in a week's time and I'd be surprised if I remember much about it, or anything come to that. I think it's one of those movies where if I'd watched it as a kid and basically grown up with it, I'd have a connection with it that would help me enjoy the movie a lot more than I did last night. Oh well, when Amazon gets it act together, 'Ladyhawke' will be next... :o)

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