Narrative is always my biggest complaint with Pyun’s films. He presents us with an epic tale of adventure but usually lacks depth and character development. The Sword and the Sorcerer is a very linear tale of castle intrigue. The evil king murders the good king, and the good king’s kids seek revenge. The kids must outsmart the cunning king and eventually take on the powerful sorcerer in the end.
What is lacking here is an arc for Talon, which is as emotionally deep as a chess game. Yes, revenge is a great motivator, but killing Cromwell and bedding Alana is hardly profound. Talon needs an emotional/character-building weakness to overcome to take on Cromwell’s vast power. Talon needs a weakness that we, as an audience, can relate to and therefore connect with. By making that connection, we are invested in the outcome. Instead, he’s just a cool fighter punching his way to victory.
“…leans into pushing his characters into extreme physical situations…”
The cool thing Pyun does with his story is how he leans into pushing his characters into extreme physical situations (such as torture) as a way for us to connect with them physically (more on this later). Talon is crucified for a dinner party, Mikah is tortured to near death, and Alana escapes one rape situation after the next. Can she maintain her virginal qualities for Talon? Yes, the film’s treatment of women is dated. Alana is one of the very few strong women, but this is also the 80s. Cinema, in general, is coming off the exploitation period and leans into the strong masculine qualities of men. It’s all on par for films from this era.
What The Sword and the Sorcerer lacks in storytelling is made up for by pure adrenaline. Coming out one year after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pyun fed into the audience’s need for action-adventure films and built a career around it. His debut became the highest-grossing independent film in 1982 and has remained a cult favorite since. It is not hard to understand why.
"…what [it] lacks in storytelling is made up for by pure adrenaline."
