If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then the movie industry sure knows how to flatter. Following the success of both Mad Max in 1979 and The Road Warrior in 1981, Hollywood saw fit to capitalize on the post-apocalyptic theme by churning out several similar-themed duds such as 1990: Bronx Warriors (1982), Stryker (1983), and Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983). No one remembers these movies, and for good reason. They were cheap B-movies that saw limited theatrical release and middling success in the home video market.
Another cheap Mad Max knockoff released in 1983 that was both critically and theatrically dismissed was Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. Thanks to late-night TV and VHS, Metalstorm has garnered that coveted "cult-following" status that so many bad 1980's science-fiction films manage to achieve. The novelty of the original 3-D release is gone, but the slightly western-tinged sci-fi fun remains and separates Metalstorm from the pack of imitators.
On a desert-like planet, space ranger Dogen (Jeffrey Byron) makes the rounds in his dune buggy, and is then attacked by an alien on a flying pedestal of some kind. The alien leaves a crystal behind that Dogen takes with him and wants to know more about. During his search for answers Dogen meets such characters as Dhyana (Kelly Preston), Rhodes (Tim Thomerson), and Hurok (Richard Moll). A plot of world domination (what else?) by the hand of Jared-Syn is uncovered, and a few chases in Mad Max style vehicles as well as confrontations with Jared-Syn's cyborg son Baal ensue.
Metalstorm is a blast to watch as yes, it is cheap, but that's part of the charm. The action is fun, if not a bit poorly staged, and the characters are effective enough, each with a history that should have been a bit more fleshed out. There's a certain charm when it comes to hand-puppet sand worms, an animated electrical creature, and a nonsensical plot involving a mysterious crystal mask. The vehicles literally fall apart during the chase scenes, and the staging for 3-D thrills is obvious. All the while it is clear that the cast and crew were having a lot of fun creating this movie, a notion cemented by the interviews contained on the recent Blu-ray release of this film from Shout! Factory.
It would have been nice to have seen a sequel to Metalstorm. The villain gets away, nullifying the subtitle of the movie. The world of Metalstorm is an interesting one that begs for more details to be unearthed in another film. In today's world of remakes and reboots, there's always a chance we'll see another iteration of Metalsotrm. If nothing else, it is one of the coolest titles for a movie, ever, sans the subtitle. Anyone looking for a fun throwback to good old-fashioned cheap movie making should check out Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release. It comes recommended.
