Driven by a desire to avenge his adopted family’s death, Dar (Marc Singer) pursues Maax (Rip Torn), the man responsible for their demise. Along the way, he gathers an unusual group of companions: Sharak, an eagle; Kodo and Podo, mischievous ferrets; and Ruh, a black tiger. Tanya Roberts portrays Kiri, a woman who captures Dar’s attention, while John Amos takes on the role of Seth, a strong bodyguard. “The Beastmaster” (1982) arrived during a period when sword & sorcery films were common in the early 1980s. While it might not reach the heights of “Conan the Barbarian,” it’s better than “The Sword and the Sorcerer,” both released earlier that year. The film assembles a suitable cast, providing a blend of frightening, energetic, and endearing elements. The witches and flying creatures fall into the horrific category, while Singer embodies an engaging hero. Standing at 6'2" with a slender build and a masculine face—despite his dirty blond hair—he seems more intelligent than Schwarzenegger and doesn’t have his bulky frame. It’s a good choice for people who like animals; you might even feel inspired to adopt some ferrets. Tanya is beautiful, as always, though she appears too thin. She would be better cast in “Sheena” (1984) or, particularly, “A View to a Kill” (1985). Sadly, her career never progressed beyond these films; however, we still have them to appreciate. In contrast to “The Sword and the Sorcerer” and “Conan the Barbarian,” which were released 3-4 months earlier, "The Beastmaster" didn't achieve comparable box office success. It earned $14 million against an $8 million investment. Still, it’s a fun sword & sorcery film from the early 80s. The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 58 minutes and was filmed in Valley of Fire State Park in Overton, Nevada, as well as Pyramid Lake & Semi Valley, California, both located northwest of Los Angeles in the mountains. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB