Customer Reviews

Gor [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The major qualm that most people have with this movie is that it does not fit the vision of the Gor book series. So what. There are far better reasons why not to watch this movie, like Mulletboy.
Tarl, a nerdy college proffessor, gets transported to the world of Gor where he witnesses the hijacking of the homestone, and its defence by Talana, scantily clad Playboy model (ironically not the worst actor in this movie, actually she was better than most of the others). She tries to convince Tarl (what kind of name is Tarl, who on earth would name their son something so stupid?) Also with them is Mulletboy (guess why I call hiim that). Together they must go and rescue Talana's father and their heartstone.
The fight scenes in this movie were all identical. Swords clashed for about 2 seconds then someone got kneed in the gut. The one thing that can save a sword and sorcery film is good fight scenes and this movie does not deliver. Furthermore the action in this movie is minimal and far in between. Also, the plot is nonsensical and nothing at all is explained. Things are done for no apparent reason and other things that should probably happen don't.
The plot is so laughable. I can't quite convey why it is so corny in words, but take my word for it it isn't worth enduring.
The only saving grace of this movie is the eventual death of mullet boy.

The movie "Gor" is disappointing for a variety of reasons. First, it departs from the basic premise of the Gor books, male dominance and female submission. The depiction of Marlenus as an old man, and his wayward daughter Talena as a muscular and capable swordswoman, is probably the most incongruous part of the entire movie. In fact, this one depiction is so improbable that it is reminiscent of St. Joan d'Arc as a "battling, bodacious babe" in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Add to this mischaracterization a very skinny, hardly physically impressive "Tarl Cabot" (described elsewhere in the Gor series as "the greatest swordsman on Gor") and one has to conclude that the screenwriters adopted from the books only a few elements: 1) a barbarian world; 2) scantily clad (though not properly submissive) females; 3) some of the characters (but the only one I found believable per the Gorean series was that of Sorbus--who is set here in the desert, but was in reality a pirate captain of humid, tropical Port Kar, whom Cabot slew over a tavern maid when he arrived in Port Kar), and 4) swordplay. This attempt was highly disappointing, in terms of both masculine and feminine depictions. The movie's plot itself had nothing to do with Gor.

John Norman's world is unique to his own vision, and the stale and tacky devices of Hollywood's hack scriptwriters--most of whom are politically correct, and who think in terms of audience stereotypes--are hardly equal to creating even a shadow of the master's vision. I am holding out for a first-rate, Lord-of-the-Rings-type recreation of Gor by Hollywood, replete with Kurii, slave girls serving in slave strips and strings, and a cast of male characters true to Gorean type.

Having read the John Norman series, I would have hoped this movie would follow more closely to the orignal plot and details than it actually did. The delicate workings of Gorean society have been squelched and warped into a more typical fantasy setting, until they are no longer recognizable. While it has some merit, or maybe just sentimental value for fans of the original series, this movie version of Gor has lost the uniqueness present in the books.

The Gor stories were never literary classics, but they were never meant to be. Something else they were not meant to be were Sword and Sorcery as they are depicted in this film. If all you are looking for is the "dirty bits" then that's all you'll see. If all that is wanted by the director is skimpily clad women, THAT'S all you'll see. You do NOT have to be into S&M to be fascinated by the cut and thrust world of Gor, something the puritans out there cannot seem to understand. Unfortunately, it is something the filmmakers didn't understand either. One final comment. Whoever it was that armed women with swords in the film, and showed them beating down the swords of men twice their size in battle has made little effort to follow the Chronicles of Gor.... nor have they ever held a sword!

I should have been arrested for spending while stupid; bad costuming, bad sets, cheap film. Did they just drive out to Baja(or wherever) and film in the sand on the weekend? The book author John Norman must have really needed money to sell his story to this studio. Incidentally, they must have had a film budget of a dollar ninety-eight. The saving grace was some good acting (stressing some) and the beautiful women. Yes I've seen the second one too! See my review in "Outlaw of Gor". My wife tells me I write with an acid pen, well see the movie and find out. But RENT don't BUY!

if you want to see a bad movies there's not to much out there worst then this. If ever someone did an auther injustes they did on this one. all i can say is watch it. then get the book and read it over and dream that some one can do one better. where's G.L.or S.S. or even R.H. were are the great ones when there's agreat story to be told.

The book series by John Norman made much use of sexual and erotic images of muscular dominating men and subserviant women - the kind of world most men long for. Unfortunately, the movie producers decided to forego all that and just use the name "Gor" and wrap it up in a very bad plot. It looks like the screenwriter tried to follow the basic plot of the books - the slavery and class roles of the characters are evident - but somewhere along the lines the producers mucked everything up with Christian "morals" (no nudity, little violence) and toned down Norman's statement about society. The result was a waste of a movie that once had potential.

My advice: read the books and hope the producers of the next film get it right.

Gor is a tale that captivates the image of an old and ancient warrior society. The film does well to show the village sceens as well as climactic suspense scenes. Makes you glad that your not alive back then and the lovely heroine, Talena and the hero, Tarl Cabot do make an interesting pair. Talena like a goddess, dressed in minimal, is worth seeing the film even if her partner is a college professor from the 21 century world. The pair take on the challenge of survival in confronting the perils of the world of Gor.

That pretty well sums it up. Jack Palance must have been hungry when he got involved in these honkers.

For a cheesy fantasy B movie, this one is great! I haven't read the books, so I can't make a comparison to them, but, compared to other B-movies, this one's a classic. It's right up there with Deathstalker 2... If you're a Cheese Connoisseur, you must see this!