The 1987 film The Barbarians is a sword-and-sorcery film, produced as a coproduction between Cannon Films in the United States and Italy. The film stars David and Peter Paul, two brothers, as the titular heroes, Richard Lynch, Virginia Bryant, Eva La Rue, George Eastman and Michael Berryman.
The Barbarians (1987) Plot Summary
The movies begins as a group of traveling entertainers are ambushed by Kadar (played by Richard Lynch), an evil ruler who then captures their leader, Canary (played by Virginia Bryant).
Two twin brothers of the group, Kutchek (played by Peter Paul) and Gore (played by David Paul) bite Kadar and take off two of his fingers. He separates them, sentences them to slavery, and marries Canary.
Working as slaves, they become strong as adults. Once they grow up, he masks them with helmets and pits them towards each other in a gladiatorial arena. However, knocking each other’s helmets off, they recognize each other and escape.
They find their old group hiding in the forest, and meet a thief girl called Ismena (played by Eva La Rue).
They plan to take revenge on Kadar, so Ismena takes them to a store to buy weapons, but fail to get weapons. They creep into Kadar’s harem, where they are going to release Canary. However, she tells them to instead go get a magic ruby which is guarded by a dragon in a wasteland called the Forbidden Land.
China, Kadar’s sorceress (played by Sheeba Alahani) finds out that the barbarian brothers are in the palance and she tortures Canary to learn where the ruby is. She leaves for the Forbidden Land, but is killed by the dragon.
The barbarian brothers and Ismena go to a tomb that Canary revealed to them, and retrieve weapons. They fight the dragon and get the ruby, which it has swallowed. Meantime, Kadar finds out about China’s attempt to get the ruby for herself. Canary calls on the ruby to kill her and make the brothers return to the wasteland.
Kadar, who wants to kill the brothers, is killed by them and then the ruby turns to stone. Then, the ruby turns back into a ruby, and this indicates the group of entertainers must find a new queen by finding the person to whom the ruby will stick when placed upon the navel. None of the entertainers are the new queen, but it turns out Ismena is.
The Barbarians (1987) Gallery
Sheeba Alahani and Michael Berryman
David Paul and Eva La Rue in The Barbarians (1987)
Franco Pistoni
David Paul and Peter Paul
David Paul and Peter Paul
David Paul and Peter Paul
Interests include:: coffee, jackhammers, grandma’s medicine cabinet and sympathetic yawning.
This is a truly hilarious “so bad it’s good” classic, with hammy acting and laughable special effects. I rented this in a videostore, if I remember it correctly (back when there were still video stores. Ah, the good old days).