Red Sonja (1985) 4K Ultra HD

The ‘80s were a glorious time for fantasy films. After Conan the Barbarian and Excalibur proved that sword ‘n sorcery properties needn’t be confined to marathon D&D sessions in the basement, Hollywood proceeded to crank out one medieval mash-up after another. By the time Red Sonja (1985) came around, Dino De Laurentiis, Richard Fleischer and Arnold Schwarzenegger had already brought a second Robert E. Howard adventure to the big screen – the family friendly Conan the Destroyer. And while not a true sequel, Red Sonja offers a sense of continuity and the next best thing to a full-on cast reunion.

Torn from her family and trained as a master swordsman, Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) waits patiently to exact revenge on Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) and her army of ruthless conquerors. As fate would have it, Gedren comes into possession of a powerful relic that will destroy the world in less than a week. Aided by a displaced prince (Ernie Reyes, Jr), his faithful servant (Paul Smith) and the mysterious warrior, Kalidor (Schwarzenegger), Sonja hacks her way into the impenetrable fortress to set things right.

With two Conan alums in new roles, Red Sonja will always feel like a “what-could-have-been” sideways extension of the franchise rather than its proper conclusion. But in lieu of an official Conan 3, Fleischer’s take on this deeper cut from Robert E. Howards canon slots neatly into the ‘80s fantasy playbook. The swordplay is surprisingly legit, the sets gloriously tangible, and the matte painting bursting with imagination. Nielsen herself delivers the statuesque goods but her acting is stiff to the point of distraction, rarely changing expression or even breaking a sweat. Arnold’s supporting turn help carry things along, bolstered by sweeping Italian landscapes and a rousing Ennio Morricone score.

Arrow’s 4K UltraHD limited edition comes from a new restoration of the original negative, adding HDR grading that finally corrects the washed-out look on previous editions. The extras are piled on top of one another: two new commentary tracks, interviews with Ernie Reyes, Jr., stunt supervisor Vic Armstrong and more, plus archival featurettes, reversible sleeve, collector’s booklet, art cards and fold-out poster.

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