Woodyanders Review of The Lost Empire

The Lost Empire (1984)

Hugely enjoyable tongue-in-cheek fantasy action romp

[8/10 · 21 May 2014]

A trio of rough'n'tumble gals take on evil genius Dr. Sin Do (robustly essayed with lip-smacking hammy brio by Angus Scrimm) on the baddie's remote island fortress. The ladies must prevent Sin Do from finding three sacred jewels that will give him the power necessary to rule the world. Writer/director Jim Wynorski relates the immensely entertaining story at a brisk pace, maintains an engaging lighthearted tone throughout, stages the action scenes with rip-roaring aplomb, and further spices things up with amusing touches of pleasing campy humor. Better still, there's also a vicious catfight, a yummy shower scene, a deadly laser cannon that resembles a maleficent phallus, and, naturally, a satisfying smattering of tasty distaff nudity. The lively and appealing performances by the game and gorgeous female leads gives this picture an extra kick in the pants: Melanie Vincz as tough cop Angel Wolfe, Raven De La Croix as the formidable Whitestar, and Angela Aames as the feisty Heather McClure. Veteran villainous character actor Robert Tessier snarls it up nicely as Sin Do's fearsome henchman Koro while Paul Coufos makes a favorable impression as Wolfe's amiable partner Rick Stanton. Popping up in nifty bits as Linda Shayne as the doomed Cindy Blake, Angelique Pettyjohn as mean top con Whiplash (yep, this movie makes a welcome and refreshing detour into chicks-in-chains exploitation territory), and Kenneth Tobey as the gruff Captain Hendry. Jacques Haitkin's crisp widescreen cinematography provides a splashy and colorful live action comic book look. Alan Howarth's throbbing and syncopated synthesizer score does the pulsating John Carpenterish trick. A super fun Grade B flick.