Deathstalker II (1987) - So bad it's absolutely awesome!

First of all, let me say that I'm a big fan of 'so-bad-they're-good' movies - especially ones from the eighties, so when I praise 'Deathstalker II' I'm not saying that it's a film up there with 'The Godfather' and 'Empire Strikes Back' - no, compared to them it doesn't even qualify, but in terms of bad movies, this one could well be 'The Godfather!'

I kind of knew I was going to enjoy it right from the start - the badly-choreographed fight scenes, the over-the-top noise overlaid whenever a 'punch' was delivered to a bad-guy in a cheap-looking costume.  However, as the story progressed, I actually decided that it had more merit than I'd first given it credit for.  It's actually quite a clever little film.

Online, I see that it's described as a 'parody' of the 'sword and sorcery' genre, spoofing films like 'Conan' (of which they even make a cheeky reference to).  But I wouldn't call it a 'parody.' It's more like a tongue-in-cheek fantasy epic.  Yes, it knows what it is and NEVER takes itself seriously.  And, because of that, it's even more enjoyable than a film that tries to be good, but fails miserably and is just there to get laughed at.

The dialogue is actually well-written and witty.  Yes, some of the actors will never win Oscars and the lines are pretty cheesy, but they're intentionally funny, so if you're in the mood for a swashbuckling laugh then this one will fit the bill.  It has old-style bar fights which wouldn't look out of place in an old Western movie (minus the pig monster eating at a table) and even has a few nicely-framed shots - especially in the horseback chase scenes.  The lead antagonists seem to delight in chewing up the scenery and are deliciously camp, in comparison to our protagonists who are charming with their silliness - even often pausing to make fun of the titular character's over-the-top name 'Deathstalker.'

If you know what you're getting and are in the right kind of mood for a 'Conan-comedy' then give this one a go.  I just can't believe it's taken me so long to watch it - now I just need to track down 'part 1' - hopefully it's as entertaining.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that