In the wake of 'Star Wars,' many film companies tried their hand at some sort of 'big budget space opera.' Most failed. Few could ever create such a rich and memorable universe. However, in the case of the - now 'cult favourite' - 'The Ice Pirates,' it actually managed to produce something truly memorable, if a little bizarre.

The premise is pretty straight forward for a science fiction movie: in a far-flung galaxy water has become the most hard to come by commodity and a big, evil planet controls the supply, therefore leaving the rest of the universe to become subservient to them. What makes it different is that 'The Ice Pirates' is an outright comedy. It never takes itself seriously and is all the better for it. For a start, it sort of shoots down its own 'serious' plot by having - literally - 'pirates in space.' When you think of pirates your mind probably brings up images of Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' And you wouldn't be far wrong here either. You have effectively, long-haired, blouse-wearing dandies with cutlasses hijacking spaceships.

You could probably ask questions like, 'Why do the space pirates use cutlasses and swords when the people they're fighting all have laser guns?' But if you really want to dwell on plot inaccuracies such as that, then you're not going to get much out of a film like this.

For a start you'd be missing the amazing eighties sets and costumes. Seriously, for a low budget film the sets are amazing and it's a testament to what can be achieved with 'practical' effects over vast (and, in my opinion, unrealistic) computer-generated landscapes.

The cast all play their parts well. I didn't really think anyone really stood out. You may notice both Ron Perlman and Angelica Huston's names on the cast list, but they're not really in it as much as you might expect and their performances are not an indication of what they're capable of. The real 'stars' of the film are the armies of robots both the pirates and those they're robbing from seem to possess. Despite the droids never actually talking they steal every scene they're in due to their slapstick and crazy antics.

If you're in the mood for a well thought-out space opera that doesn't take itself too seriously and has all the rich and varied style and flair of 'Star Wars,' but played for laughs rather than drama, then check this one out. It's a well-deserved cult classic from yesteryear. It really does have scenes that will stay with you forever... even if it's just what the bad-guys do with captured pirates on a conveyor belt - OUCH!

I have always liked this movie which is probably why I own a copy of it. Okay, when I first saw it I probably did not actually get many of the jokes (such as the space herpie or the eunuch machine) but it was a science-fiction film and back then I pretty much liked anything that was science-fiction. Coming back to it years later I have a new appreciation of the rather slapstick humour that makes up this film, and while I cannot quote it by heart, I am quite familiar with the story line.

Probably one of my favourite parts is when they pass through the time barrier at the end of the film and we see everybody getting older and older. That part was actually quite clever, particularly when Jason's son comes in to save the day, and then promptly vanishes when they successfully make it through the barrier. The robots are also cool, especially the one that runs and hides during combat, only to appear after it is over and starts to hit the enemy robot that has just been destroyed.

All I can say is that if you are a science-fiction buff and have not seen this movie then do your best to get your hands on a copy of it. Some have suggested that back when it was released people did not understand that you could make a science-fiction film funny. I guess that had something to do with the seriousness of many of the books and films that had come out. However this film was released after Douglas Adams had produced Hitchhiker's Guide in the myriad of forms (including a television series),which suggests that back then people were quite open to a science-fiction comedy.

Reading in the notes here that The Ice Pirates was originally slated to have a Heaven's Gate type budget and be the next Star Wars. Someone must have sensed disaster because the financing was considerably cut short.

The Ice Pirates is not a Heaven's Gate type studio busting disaster, but it's well short of a classic. Even the humor in it fell well short of the mark.

Robert Urich and Michael D. Roberts are the title characters in the future some kind of cartel has cornered all the water supply in the galaxy. These guys are futuristic Robin Hoods, stealing from the cartel and selling it cut rate to dehydrated planets.

Urich and Roberts hear of a new supply in another dimension and it involves some time travel following the trail of Princess Mary Crosby's father. No not Bing, although apparently like in Star Wars there was a need to cast the daughter of another Hollywood legend.

The humor is strained, Bruce Vilanch just ain't that funny in his Jan in the Pan imitation and the gag about the used broken down robots that Urich and Roberts have as a crew is just overdone.

The Ice Pirates will never be a classic. Science fiction fans don't expect too much.