Ator the Fighting Eagle (1983)

Dungeons & D'Amatos

The world of 80s sword and sorcery flicks can pretty much be seen in 3 categories. First, you've got the big boys which consist mainly of Conan and The Beastmaster. Then you got the second stringers like Deathstalker and The Sword and the Sorcerer. This category has produced some cult classics as well. But floating around on the bottom of the barrel we have films like Fulci's Conquest and Hawk the Slayer. This is the category Ator seems to fall in. I suppose that's debatable, but that's sure as hell where I'd put it. This film must have been popular somewhere though coz they made 4(that's right) Ator films.
Ator's a patchwork of plot points from almost every other sword and sorcery film. Ator(Miles O'Keefe) is a warrior prophecised to end the reign of the Spider Kingdom, which apparently terrorizes the land. The high priest named Dakkar is played by none other than...Dakkar(he played "Lucas" in Fulci's Zombie)! Dakkar's evil army(which looks like no more than 20 guys) steal Ator's bride and kill his entire village(a requirement for any true badazz barbarian warrior). After a rigorous training program from his mentor, Griba, Ator is all lean, mean, buff and ready to audition for Manowar. He teams up with a cute blonde warrior thief who tags along with him with aspirations of getting her hands on the Spider Kingdom's treasure. On their quest they run into some not terribly exciting adventures and finally confront the final test in the form of a giant spider. When Ator saves the day and destroys the evil kingdom(yes I told you how it ends, but did you honestly think it would end any other way? Do you even care?), he and his bride go running and prancing through the forest while some miserable Carly Simon-esque song plays.
For a sword and sorcery adventure flick, this is terribly unexciting...and this is coming from a guy who enjoyed Conquest! It's just kinda blah and nothing really seems to happen until the end of the film. Even a Laura Gemser cameo doesn't help!
Miles O'Keefe is one of those actors that was given a shot at the big time back in the day, but never rose above being a B list actor in the U.S. With roles in both Tarzan(the Bo Derek version) and Sword of the Valiant with Sean Connery, it's obvious an attempt was made to make a star out of the guy. Oh well, some are lucky and some aren't I suppose. I don't mind him. Sure he's wooden as all hell in this role, but we never expect much depth from these kinds of characters.
The film was directed by Italian sleazemonger, Joe D'Amato, but he uses the alias "David Hills" here(probably the Italian version of "Alan Smithee"). Essentially D'Amato seemed to be trying to make a film that could be viewed by most age groups. There is death by swordplay but no blood. There's insinuated sex, but no sex(besides Ator is a man of morals). So not only is the film dull, but it's quite tame. If D'Amato had brought some of his trademark sex and gore to the film, then we might have had something rather extraordinary.
So, why did I give this movie 3 stars? Two reasons. First, it's got it's funny moments to be sure. Second, it has a giant spider. My rule of thumb is that a giant spider featured in a film earns one star right off the bat.
If you're an avid fan of this genre, you might want to catch Ator to say you did. Same goes for fans of D'Amato who want to view as much of his filmography as possible. Hell, it's cheap too. August 16, 2008

One of the better B-movies of the early 1980's!

I've always been a fan of B-movies from the late 1970's or early 80's, & "ATOR" is one of them! There's something special about movies from that time. Even the B-movies were bigger then life. It brings back a lot of childhood memories. In spite of the low budget, it's probably just as good as most of the computer generated stuff they make today. And, if you're already a B-movie fan, it has several of the classic, B-movie traits. There's beautiful women & plenty of action to entertain you. There's nothing really special about the story or the characters. It's just fun! April 12, 2008

Great cheesy B movie

If you love B movies then this is a great one. Sure it is flawed, but that is what makes it a B movie. If you do not like B movies, then this is not for you. For the fans of MST3K, this movie is a must see. March 6, 2008

Cave Dwellers' Prequel--if you dare!

MST3K fans are familiar with "Cave Dwellers",the story of Ator's quest for the geometric nucleus. "Cave Dwellers" has a loooong backstory ("Tolkien couldn't follow this plot"),showing scenes from this cheesefest.

"Ator the Fighting Eagle" sets the stage for Miles O'Keeffe's rip-roaring sword and sorcery "epic." Ator is born in accordance with a prophecy that he'll defeat an evil Spider King. Spiders are a favorite stock villain in cheesy fantasy flicks... like this one. Ator's parents are killed & he's raised by Griba. He finds himself enamored of his adoptive sister Sunya (he doesn't know she's adopted),so he asks his foster father for permission. Griba reveals that he and Sunya aren't blood relatives anyhow. There's a wedding feast,only for dark knights to sweep in and carry Sunya off. So, Ator embarks on his fateful quest. He meets a menacing sorceress who keeps herself eternally young thanks to a nearby magic mirror. He also finds the Shield of Mordor (Tolkien misuse!) to defeat the evil spider,more cheap special effects. There's a volcanic eruption that looks like it came straight out of an elementary school student's science project.

"Ator the Fighting Eagle" is a groaner. It's a ham and cheesefest... too bad Mystery Science Theater 3000 didn't tackle this one. It's perfect for the Satellite of Love! March 3, 2008

Ator - The Fighting Eagle

Ator - The Fighting Eagle aka Ator the Invincible is a classic sword and sorcery movie. Directed by the "King of Sex and Horror" films Joe D'Amato as David Hills in this picture. Ator was search for his love Sunya who was captured from him on there wedding day by the evil spider king.

Ator - The Fighting Eagle is a good flick, it includes a giant spider and the beautiful black Emanuelle queen Laura Gemser as a evil witch. If you like tor the Fighting Eagle you should consider viewing The Blade Master (Ator 2) and The Quest for the Mighty Sword (Ator 3) all directed by Joe D'Amato. Also as a side note don't buy Ator - the fighting Eagle if you are looking for the uncut version. The DVD release by Legacy Entertainment is cut! They for some weird reason decided to cut out all the blood, a decapitation scene and the little to no the gore that the movie had. August 20, 2007

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