Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon 1980 Movie Poster

"Pathetic Earthlings...who can save you now?"  Flash Gordon, which was released in 1980, was actually an adaptation of a 1930's comic strip created by Alex Raymond.  The movie starred Sam J Jones as New York Jets football star "Flash" Gordon, and Max von Sydow as the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless.  The movie received decent reviews back in the day, but was not a huge success in the USA.  On the flip side, in the United Kingdom, the movie did very well.

In the movie, Ming the Merciless decides to destroy the earth using natural disasters.  While on an airplane, Flash must save the day by landing it after the pilots are killed by a meteor (yes, Mind did it).  Flash crashes the plane into the lab of Dr. Hans Zarkov, who has been working on a spaceship in hopes of defeating Ming.  Hans tricks Flash, and the chick Flash just met on the plane, onto the ship, and then Hans blasts it into space.  Ming's troops capture Flash and his babe.  Ming's daughter, Princess Aura, saves Flash, and the two run off.

To make a relatively long story short, Flash goes about the business of making things right, and destroying Ming.  In the mean time, he fights with Prince Barin and the Hawkmen, ends up teaming up with Barin, and eventually saves the day with Barin's help.  In the end Ming is destroyed, Barin and Princes Aura take over the political reigns, and all is right with the worlds.  Or is it?  In the end, Ming's laughter echoes across the airwaves as if...as if he is still alive!