During an early-‘80s boom in heroic fantasy—inspired by the classic RPG Dungeons & Dragons and the first live-action Conan the Barbarian movies—CBS launched this short-lived 1983 series. Adopting a tongue-in-cheek tone—sillier than the later Hercules/Xena, but not as cartoonish-ly campy as Adam West's classic Batman—Wizards and Warriors is centered on an ongoing war of conquest waged against the South Land by dashing but evil Dirk Blackpool (Duncan Regehr), whose forces include an enslaved dark wizard (Clive Revill) and a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue-level witch (Randi Brooks, wearing just a few strips of silver Spandex). Fighting the bad guys is virtuous, surfer-blond Prince Erik (Jeff Conaway), and his Sancho Panza-like strongman vassal, Marko (Walter Olkewicz). The low-budget special effects occasionally conjure a decent orc-like monster (rarely more than one at a time), but the lone fire-breathing dragon turns out to be...invisible. Although it obviously suffers by comparison to contemporary fantasy offerings—ranging from Peter Jackson's J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations to HBO's megahit Game of Thrones—fans nostalgic for ‘80s cheese or Renaissance Faire costumes might be interested. Compiling all eight episodes, this Warner Archive manufacture-on-demand series is optional. (C. Cassady)
Wizards and Warriors: The Complete Series
Warner, 2 discs, 387 min., not rated, DVD: $29.99 January 12, 2015
Wizards and Warriors: The Complete Series
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