The Ice Pirates (1984)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Stewart Raffill

Writers:

Stewart Raffill (writer) and
Stanford Sherman (writer)

Release Date:

16 March 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

SEE A Universe on the rocks TREMBLE at the ferocious space possums! CATCH Space Herpie the Love Bug [Video Australia]

Plot:

In the far future water is the most valuable substance. Two space pirates are captured, sold to a princess...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Robot | Explosion | Pirate | Space Pirate

Cast

Robert Urich	...	Jason
Mary Crosby	...	Princess Karina
Michael D. Roberts	...	Roscoe
Anjelica Huston	...	Maida
John Matuszak	...	Killjoy
Ron Perlman	...	Zeno
John Carradine	...	Supreme Commander
Natalie Core	...	Nanny
Jeremy West	...	Zorn
Bruce Vilanch	...	Wendon
Alan Caillou	...	Count Paisley
Marcia Lewis	...	Frog Lady
Daryl Keith Roach	...	Fitzcairn / Prisoner (as Daryl Roach)
Robert Symonds	...	Lanky Nibs
Gary Brockette	...	Percy the Robot

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:14 | Australia:PG | USA:PG | UK:PG (theatrical release, cut) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

JF Productions

Trivia:

Cameo: [Max von Sydow]

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Princess Karina is at the Amazon women's ice castle, Roscoe is holding the head for Jason to tickle his nose. You can see the actor's shoulders, in a grey jumper.

Quotes:

Supreme Commander: Even their robots are insolent.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hierarchy (2009)

This movie is a hoot!

This movie is generally underrated, which may be because people expected it to be something it's not. It's a comedy, a spoof, and an excellent one. It is not a serious sci-fi action adventure.

Who knew Robert Urich could be this funny? The scene where the captured ice pirates are being prepared for slave duty alone is worth the price of admission!

Then there's the robot that was purchased for an inexplicably good price. That particular scene is so dark that it may be necessary to play it back a couple of times to see what's going on.

You find a beautiful woman in suspended animation. What would you do?

The biggest shortcoming of this film is the ending, where there's a rather silly chase through a wormhole or some such. It doesn't really work, and since it's right at the end of the film may help explain why so many review the film so poorly.