The greatest movie ever!

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Ator il guerriero di ferro (Iron Warrior) is a 1987 Italian sword and sorcery movie and third entry in the Ator series, the only one not directed by the legendary exploitation and erotica director Joe D'Amato (a man of many pseudonyms) but instead directed by Alfonso Brescia (credited as Al Bradley) Joe D'Amato, who denounced this sequel as a cash-in to "Ator l'invincibile", a film which was a direct copy and cash-in of the 1982 John Millus film "Conan the Barbarian", would later return in 1990 to direct the fourth and final entry "Quest for the Mighty Sword" (Ator III: The Hobgoblin) "Iron Warrior" is often considered the overlooked addition in the series and often criticized for taking itself more serious than Joe D'Amato's more unintentionally campier movies.But for me, the change of tone is welcomed. Alfonso Brescia has a different style and a different vision making the movie a breath of fresh air and stands out in the series.Miles O'Keefe returns as Ator in name only. This would mark his final appearance as the bare chested warrior before being replaced by Eric Allan Kramer.The movie might not be as hilariously campy and entertainingly bad as the previous two entries or the forth film, but it's a unique film in its own right with some beautiful location shots of Malta that sets the mood for a mystical world perfectly, the most has clearly been used with the limited budget at the filmmakers disposal. The movie is an interesting blend of b-movie cheese and art-house creativity. The story is paper thin but is made up for it in the visuals.One scene in particular features Ator standing in front of a mirror as he practices with a sword, flexing his muscles, a poignant moment that orchestrates the often narcissistic vanity of heroes. There's also a catch, the scene has a second layer, with Ator training in his symmetrical reflection and the ball promptly shattering it, it creates a foreboding sense of the hero being warned that his twin brother Trogar, seduced by the dark side to be become the titular Iron Warrior, has returned.Despite it's more artistic tone, the movie contains many characteristics to Italian exploitation films, the dubbing, the over the top acting, in particular Elisabeth Kaza who is clearly having fun in the role of the villainess and gives an energetic flare to the film, and most of all, the blatant copying of more bigger known Hollywood movies. "2019: After the Fall of New York" borrowed from "John Carpenter's Escape from New York", "Hell of the Living Dead" borrowed from "Dawn of the Dead" in the case of "Iron Warrior", it's a mix of "Masters of the Universe" and for a complete genre change "Superman II".A noteworthy mention is the soundtrack, to many sci-fi fans they will no doubt recognize it as Jerry Goldsmith's theme to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", later reused for the intro for "Star Trek: The Next Generation", once again following the movie's trend of being influenced by science fiction as opposed to traditional sword and sorcery.So sit back, sharpen your swords and embark on a mythical journey to the realm of Dragor for the unconventional Ator and fantasy film, "Iron Warrior"

*** This review contains many spoilers. *** The best, most fun, movie experience I had in over 10 years.IRON WARRIOR wipes away the silly cartoonish AVATAR, THE 300, LORD OF THE RINGS, and new-fangled non-classic STAR WARS, etc, and restores the dream that once was honest-to-goodness real life fantasy.The only downside with IRON WARRIOR is the realization that this type of movie could _NEVER_ be made in today's fake digital CG world.IRON WARRIOR is a fantasy movie filled to frame edge with crisp realism. Forget artificial studio reproductions of the great outdoors -- IRON WARRIOR is filmed in the real outdoors of Malta. Forget cartoon girls and cartoon boys -- IRON WARRIOR lets viewers enjoy the real flesh of nice looking actors.The movie contains many wide-angle views of open skies and blue seas. It is a wonder how these shots are not filled with jet trails and pleasure boats. Still, the picturesque sky and ocean are just the beginning of what IRON WARRIOR has to offer. IRON WARRIOR is very easy to watch. The good guys are young and beautiful. The bad guys are old and ugly. The lead male hero is a striking figure with a face that must have inspired decades of Japanese anime artists.The young females are all running around in a time before bras. The female costumes outdo any I can recall. Even better than the ST: TOS female costumes.Once the viewer comes to understand the implications presented by the female costumes, apt attention and an erect edge-of-seat position will follow right up until the ending credits.The costumes help make IRON WARRIOR stacked with great adult visual appeal. Visually stunning to be sure.IRON WARRIOR has Borg. It has swords. It has D-sized excitement.Just when you might think it could not be any better, there is slow-motion bouncing and slow-motion hero running.Then again, just when it could not be any better, IRON WARRIOR has swimming.And then close to the very end of the film, just when surely it could not get any better, the actors start talking and BAM! -- we viewers discover that IRON WARRIOR actually has a plot! IRON WARRIOR is the coolest most fun movie to watch -- specially when compared to the fake cartoons of today's childish "epics." Make sure to catch the Director's Cut Extended Version of IRON WARRIOR. Highly recommended.

Brescia manages to improve the plot and technical background of Ator after the awful second installment directed by RIP Joe D'Amato and this movie pulls out from the muck of Blade Master. Better FX,some explosions and the hero using more weapons and sword techniques.And this time O'Keefe doesn't lost time with senseless phrases,like "Double Target" 's character he starred. Many clashes.Not one but two bad dudes,Phaedra is a little ridiculous (dangerous like...Madame Razz or Shadow Weaver, he he he), Trogar has more sense,his mask gives a little fright.But the good black witch that pops out in the middle of the flick could save his breath and not ruin the surprise informing us that Trogar was Ator's brother.There are some good chicks,the Yugoslavian actress Sabina Gersak, talent discovered by Brescia. looks good but her haircut is truly forgettable.Why Brescia did not equipped her with a normal fluent haircut and a sword or a dagger or a bow to kick enemies' crotch and ass? This movie can be saved and not at all ditched.But this doesn't say that is great.It's in "Deathstalker I" media. 6 out of 10

I must admit to being quite a fan of the B-movie magic that the first two Ator movies possessed. Granted they were no masterworks for sure, but they held a curious fascination in their muddled execution that somehow made them innately enjoyable.Sadly the same enjoyment is not heavily abundant in this the third film in the series, which also serves as the last to feature the always great value for money Miles O'Keeffe (there is a fourth film, 'Quest For The Mighty Sword' but it has a different actor in the role of Ator)The very first problem with this movie becomes evident as soon as the films score begins to play.....it is merely a resequenced version of Gerry Goldsmith's theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture! (and also the main theme to the series of Star Trek: The Next Generation) In fact, as the movie progresses we also hear that the 'composer' for this film has also ripped off some of John Barry's score to Bruce Lee's movie, 'Game Of Death', again slightly re-sequencing it in a pathetic attempt to cover his unscrupulous tracks.It quickly becomes apparent that it isn't just the music that has been stolen however.....the whole film has been compiled from scenes from other (infinitely better) movies!For instance, we find a scene in which the movies evil sorceress is imprisoned within some spinning hula hoops whilst being judged by an external council: Hmmmm Superman 2 anyone?Still....one could argue that this IS after all a B-movie, which usually by their very nature are shall we say, HEAVILY inspired by bigger, better films, so we could perhaps overlook such blatant piracy - erm, I mean inspiration.OK then, so what of the actual plot?This had a plot? If there was one then I'll be damned if I could decipher it. It just seemed like a series of random, unconnected scenes that flowed briskly past my eyes rendering me into a gormless stupor.Well OK, I've been a bit harsh, I'll attempt to relay what I THINK was happening......At the start we see Ator and his twin brother as children (yes this film completely throws out of the window the events of the first two films) Ator's brother is subsequently kidnapped by an evil witch who's motive is to prevent a prophecy that together, the two brothers will overthrow her.You can probably guess that the brother is then possessed by the witch's evil and that he and Ator years later will end up battling each other to the death.There is more to the 'plot' than the above of course but the boredom this movie carried really proved a herculean obstacle in me paying particular attention to it.I realise that I've painted a universally negative picture of this flick so far but in fact this movie does have a few things that actually work well for it.Despite all it's plot/screenplay weaknesses, the movie does admittedly look fantastic. It was shot on location in the splendour of Malta and the locations used are truly stunning to behold.Additionally, the film itself is rather interestingly shot, with virtually every cinematic trick in the book being used at one point or another. It has a very arty feel to it with lots of unusual lighting and fog for greater atmosphere in many of the scenes. In fact with the above combined with the extensive usage of slow motion, one could be forgiven for believing that one was watching an eighties conceptual rock music video!Finally we have the welcome presence of Miles O'Keeffe who looks great in his role of Ator (although, the distinct lack of any continuity between his character in this film and the previous two would surely suggest that this is indeed a DIFFERENT warrior named Ator altogether) Overall then, aside from the aforementioned positive aspects, this really is somewhat of a confused mess that I could not recommend to anyone.However, I suppose one good thing came out of watching this film..... looking at the beautiful scenery where this was shot, I might just book myself a holiday in Malta this year.