Starchaser, The Legend of Orin, 1985. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 23.

Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 23. Starchaser: The Legend of Orin is a film that I have watched before, in another life. Not literally, but something felt familiar as I watched the trailer for the film. The film was directed and produced by Steven Hahn and written by Jeffrey Scott. It was released on November 22nd 1985, and was one of the first animated movies to mix traditional and computer animation. I didn’t expect more than a trip down memory lane watching this movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I guess I will explain the story first. It is the hero’s journey and the story of Orin, a slave on planet Trinia. For hundreds of years, humans have been used to mine crystals by a God named Zygon.

One day, as Orin works in the mine, he finds a sword hidden in the rubble. Hopps, the grandfather of Orin’s girlfriend Elan, recognises the sword and gives up his life so Orin can keep it. Orin later takes the sword into his hands, and a man projects himself in front of Orin and speaks of another world and freedom. After that, the blade disappears and leaves the hilt on the ground. Orin and his girlfriend set out to find this new world. Unfortunately, he has to leave his blind brother behind but promises to return for him one day. Later, they fight a battle with Zygon’s robots, and Orin and Elan find themselves in a processing plant and something far more modern than the caves they live in. Before the couple has their first taste of freedom, Zygon informs the couple of slaves that only one person has managed to escape the caves. Zygon then strangles Elan to death before turning his attention to Orin, who pulls out the hilt and distracts him. In the meantime, Zygon’s robots fire on a crystal deposit by accident and cause an explosion that kills Orin, and the story ends. Only joking, Orin survives and reaches the surface of this new world, promising to return and free the slaves and avenge his girlfriend. The story of Orin and his destiny to free the slaves and his brother is enjoyable, but I was not enthralled by it. It could be one of the reasons why I could not remember it in the first place. However, there are some interesting elements to this tale. I like Zygon and found it fascinating that he believed the next step for evolution was the rise of artificial intelligence and the end of humanity.

Upon its release, the film was criticised for its apparent similarity to Star Wars, but it also had elements of Pink Floyd, The Wall, The Lord of the Rings animated film and The Brave Little Toaster. Donald W. Ernest edited the last two films I mentioned, and I was glad to find that out. By the way, The Brave Little Toaster is one of the finest films ever made, in my humble opinion. Speaking of connections that pleased me. I am a fan of Adam Savage, and every once in a while, he says, Hello, Ladies and Germs. Orin and a Han Solo-type mercenary named Dagg visit a city called Toga-Toga, and a slave auctioneer says those exact words. So, I am claiming that one. I loved the animation, and some of the background paintings are like fine works of art, and some of the designs and aesthetics used look great on screen. The Starchaser looks pretty spectacular but functional as well. There is also a simple robot design that I think is my favourite now. Sorry, Gonk. Aviana, the daughter of the Bordogon’s Governor has a personal droid, and he is perfect. After all, if we were going to have a robot in this day and age, it would look something like him.

I just needed something to get lost in something for a couple of hours, and this worked perfectly. My only real gripe is that there is something in this film that is unique and somehow gets lost along the way. Some mythology is similar to Lord of the Rings, and we have some real eye-rolling adult humour that is a product of its time. The story of Zygon and his plans to end humanity is brilliant. It feels like the creators were used to quick-paced storytelling on Saturday morning cartoons while ticking all the boxes on what was unique in popular culture at that moment. I bet this film was great at home on VHS or be one of the lucky ones to have watched it in 3D at the cinema. I did notice that the credits used in the opening scenes are just like the font used in Star Trek Deep Space Nine, and it is always great to see those similarities.

So, where next in My Journey into Science Fiction Part 24? Atlantic Entertainment Group, which distributed Starchaser, also had a couple of other sci-fi classics on their filmography. One was Night of the Comet, and their second and most famous film is 1984. It was a tough decision, but I will review the British dystopian science fiction film next. I want to do this film justice, and along with reading the book, I will try and learn as much as I can about it. It may be some time before I return, but I am ready for the challenge.

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