Customer Reviews

Steel Dawn [VHS]

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

 

 

No one watches Steel Dawn for the smart dialogue, the existential motifs, or the brilliant cinematography. This isn't Beckett here. If you like movies where a renegade with a sword gets the bad guys and protects small-town interests, this is for you. It's like the "Road Warrior" without the cars meets the "Beastmaster" without religious cults, and add a touch of Jimmy Stewart's western "Destry Rides Again." This is escapist cinema, and the best kind.

A note on the DVD: this is a full-screen edition that looks pretty cheap--no great remastering job here. There are no special features, no sound options, no languages. But if you want to see a movie featuring a guy with a sword, you don't need Dolby Digital and a pristine print: you need "Steel Dawn."

Yes, this is another rehash of the Shane/Road Warrior story of the lonely wanderer who defends the intrepid farmers against the evil baron/barbarian horde/wealthy landowner. Yes, it is another post-apocalyptic wasteland action movie. Yes, the dialogue is predictably lame ................... What gives this movie a slight edge over some others of this ilk is the sturdy performance of under-appreciated Brion James as a tired old soldier, the hammy intensity of Christopher Neame as the hero's rival, and the ........... swordfights.

Patrick Swayze plays a member of a knights-of-the-round-table type outfit who's days of glory and effectiveness has passed. He travels incognito through the wastelands, finding a farming community under threat from the local rich & powerful bad guy. He winds up fighting against one of his former fellow defenders of justice, now working for the bad guy.

The Brian May music and desert scenery gives the obligatory road-warrior flavor. The costumes and set dressing give the impression of the return of some culture and industry while still picking over the remains of the old world. The existence of these "guards" implies that there was a "world order" that emerged from the catastrophe, but that there has since been a descent to lawlessness.

The weapons combat was very skillful and, as movies go, convincing. The comatants move with efficiency, speed, and convincingness, fighting with the equivalent of quarterstaffs, bastard swords, and two-swords. It is the strongest feature of the movie and pretty much the only reason to watch it over any other genre movie. This, and the fact that the film achieves at least the minimum big-studio stardards of technical proficiency (cinematography, sound, edtiting, etc) and has a story without any big holes in it gives it the extra star. END

Have you ever watched a film that you know isn't very good, yet you ended up secretly liking it, but wouldn't tell a soul (at least those you know personally) that you do? Well, for me, this is one of those films.

I've always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic films/novels and the loner hero, and maybe that's why I ended up enjoying it. Hey, I liked Costner's "The Postman" and "Waterworld", and Yul Brenners "The Ultimate Warrior", and at least one of Gibson's "Mad Max" vehicles (so you know where I'm coming from).

Patrick Swayze and his wife are just fine in this standard yarn, and the fight scenes were done very well. Alas, there is nothing new to find here, but if you are attracted to the cast you might sneak this video in one night (very late, while everyone else is asleep).

Between 1 and 10, I rate "Steel Dawn" a very marginal 6, but in reality, I know it's not much above a 4;-).

Not top notch? -- Ah well, It can be thoroughly enjoyed without picking it apart.
But how many different ways can the same kind of stories be portrayed? Actually it is the writers fault for not giving a different twist to life's story. [Underground pure water?]
I enjoyed the acting - the characters - the desert? but the hairdo's were awful.
This is another one that I like to watch again - what can I say? I like the futuristic SiFi - even the outlandish ones.
The villian's got what they deserved. [grin]

The dialogue in the movie is pretty bad, but the fight scene at the end is fantastic-- excellent swordplay (very fast, with great foot work) between Patrick Swayze and Anthony Zerbe. This movie reminded me of The Road Warrior, only not as violent.

I ordered this as a Christmas present and it was not what it stated in the description, after receiving and giving as a present it was brought to my attention that it would not play on the dvd player. It was stated in the description that it was region all, but would not play. The dvd player would not even recognize it as a dvd. I have tried to contact the seller by email and they will not respond to the problem. So my review is not going to be very goood. I will not purchase anything from them again.

I used to own this movie on VHS, so was looking for a DVD to upgrade my collection.
Its an excellent movie, but I am not paying $30+ for a used copy. If someone has a copy for $5 plus shipping I will buy it. Sorry Mr. Swayze has passed. I enjoyed most all his work.

One of the best flim that Patrick Swayee ever done and he"s done some good ones.This one has a lot of action and good fight in it . I collect a lot of movies and this one is to me the best next to the Magnificent Seven.

Very good movie. I just rec'd it yesterday (ordered it 4 days ago). Good adventure. Love my new movie.

right up front, the film is a total stinker, very hard to watch the story line, if ya can call it that. it gets five stars from here because of the martial arts scenes at the top of Patrick's career. As a practitioner of martial arts and dance for 40 years, this film is as muc a testament to his star character at it's peak as 'one last dance' is to the final curtain. I bought the VHS in the old days and cut/edited out all the fight scenes onto another VHS. We wore out the tape! sure he did other good work, roadhouse, blue-grey, etc., but particularly, sword and staff work in this film is hallmark. Compare to asian 'true MA' tapes, the man was a total perfectionist, and he gave us everything he had, then some. I bought this copy this month just to show my kids, and like one guy said, 'late at night, review perfection'.