The Lost Empire

Director - Jim Wynorski (House on Hooter Hill)
Starring - Melanie Vincz (Blade in Hong Kong), Raven De La Croix (The Double-D Avenger), and Angela Aames (Chopping Mall)
Release Date - 1985
Genre - Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Tagline - "A roaming adventure with blistering action and eye-popping women"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A lot of people try their hand at directing but very few have been able to make a b-movie that lasts the test of time.  Even less are able to make a career out of b-movies but director Jim Wynorski has been able to just do that.  Wynorski started his bloody b-movie reign in the 80s and is still going today.  Though his name is not that widely known but his films have gathered a huge cult following.  The films Chopping Mall, Deathstalker II, Ghoulies IV, and Sorority House Massacre II are among many that have a huge following.  Recently, I caught wind that MVD and Polyscope was releasing Wynorski's first film The Lost Empire on DVD.  I had to have this so I reached out to MVD and they were nice enough to hook me up with a screener and for that I thank you!

     The film follows officer Angel Wolfe (Vincz) who is investigating the murder of her brother officer Rob Wolfe.  Rob Wolfe was murdered when he was trying to prevent a robbery at a jewelry store by masked ninjas wielding throwing stars on strings.  The ninjas were after a powerful ancient relic.  Her investigation leads her to an underground fighting tournament held by the clan of ninjas where they pit woman against woman.  The clan is ran by an undead wizard (Angus Grimm) and the man responsible for Rob's murder.  Angel Wolfe teams up with two other beautiful women who are rough around the edges and they enter the tournament to get even with these evil fuckers.

     I had never seen The Lost Empire before I was sent the screener and I have to say it was not what I expected.  I assumed this was a sword and the sandal kinda flick meshed with an 80s fantasy flick like Flash Gordon and I was somewhat right.  The film was a more campy flick that felt close in style to Flash Gordon but was actually not a sword and the sandal flick.  Instead it was a fun action adventure film that changes scenery rapidly.  The acting in this one is kinda in the middle of the road.  Some of the cast did a solid job in their roles while others forced themselves way too hard creating uneven scenes and awkward dialogue.  The story for this one is actually fun and I feel could have actually inspired the iconic video game Mortal Kombat which has a very similar story line.  In fact, a character in the game joins the Mortal Kombat tournament to settle a score against one of the combatants.  The story is very campy and flawed but has several redeemable moments.  Finally, the film doesn't really have any kill scenes but has some of the most iconic 80s visual effects I have ever seen.  Overall, The Lost Empire is a campy fireball that is sure to ignite your imagination.  This film is as much fun as it is flawed.  Check it out!