Yor: The Hunter from the Future Blu-ray Review

I was thirteen-years-old when I saw Yor: The Hunter from the Future for the first time. I can’t say I immediately fell in love with it, but I really had a blast watching how crazy it is. This movie has a little bit of everything – action, adventure, romance, dinosaurs and laser blasts too! How is all of this possible? Thirteen-year-old me knows it is because Yor is a hunter from the future. Duh. He may live a prehistoric lifestyle with cave dwellers, but when the robots show up later on he knows how to fight with their weapons too. Contemporary me knows this movie pulls from all sorts of cinematic influences and has no problem mixing One Million Years B.C. with Star Wars because why not. Audiences know what they like and Yor tries to hit as many bases as possible.

At the center of this adventure is a happy-go-lucky man named Yor, who doesn’t know much about his origins but has a definite curiosity to find out. He knows the mysterious medallion he wears is a clue, but until a path is placed before him, Yor is satisfied spending his days jogging around the desert. It is while he is out on one of his runs that he happens across Kalaa and her father figure, Pag, being terrorized by a dinosaur. Yor is quick to slay the beast with his stone axe and is celebrated at their village for his efforts. Trouble follows and soon one adventure follows another as Yor’s quest becomes clear. On their journey they meet the lovely Tarita, a woman capable of answering many of Yor’s questions. Not long after, the evil Overlord makes his presence known and he sends robots with laser guns to interfere with our hero’s happiness. Can Yor solve his personal issues and stand up to the bad guys? You bet he can, but watching him try is half the fun.

There is a shot during one of the escape sequences that rules – a miniature set featuring an action figure as Yor’s stunt double is just one of many stunning things viewers can look forward to. Reb Brown (Sssssss) stars as Yor and totally plays it straight. As TV’s Captain America he fought for the good guys and here Brown fights the good fight once again, but this time in a terrible wig. He does get an awesome theme song, so that’s something. Corrine Clery (Moonraker) plays Yor’s jealous love interest, Kalaa. She may have just met him, but she is totally ready to kill any woman that catches his eye. She is little more than a damsel in distress here, but handles the role well enough. Alan Collins (Exterminators of the Year 3000) is Pag, a chubby middle-aged man in standard cave man wardrobe who is pretty boss with his bow and arrow. He participates in the above action-figure scene in a pretty hilarious way and is usually fun to watch on screen.

Director Antonio Marghereti (Cannibal Apocalypse) hides behind the domesticated moniker Anthony M. Dawson for US distribution purposes. He keeps things moving like a bullet from one action set piece to the next with little downtime. The problem he faces isn’t creativity but rather a paltry budget. He could have compromised and put that money into fewer sequences, but chooses instead to give the audience everything he’s got. This may result in clunky dinosaurs and some cheesy visual effects from time to time, but he can’t be faulted for his efforts. Nobody is going to confuse Yor with a good movie, but that won’t keep it from earning a place in cult fandom. This flick is a lot of fun and I encourage you to pick it up especially at the Blu-ray’s discount price point. Watch it with friends, possibly with booze, and prepare to take a wild ride with some wacky Italian filmmakers’ big adventure.