A king murdered by his elder son (Jack Palance) passes along the secret to a magic sword to the younger (John Terry), who then busies himself righting wrongs. When his older brother, now a ruthless brigand leader, kidnaps an abbess and demands a ransom for her return, Hawk “the Slayer” assembles an interspecies team — including an elf, a dwarf, and a giant — to foil the evil plan and perhaps finally avenge his father’s murder. With acting ranging from stiff (Terry) to over-the-top (Palance), poorly choreographed fights, silly dialogue, and unexplained plot elements, Hawk the Slayer isn’t a particularly satisfying movie, nor even a good one, although it may scratch the sword-and-sorcery itch for fans of the genre.

  Not recommended, save for genre completists. Otto thinks you should avoid this movie.

Movie 29 for 2021.