As far as his three (!) attempts at making this story go, this is his best effort. Michael"s hand is surer this time, the acting is probably amongst the strongest in any of his films, and the micro budget stretches to some pretty good shots.
The camerawork and editing still have their moments, and the fight scenes still leave something to be desired. But given the absolutely tiny budget and the charm that amateur actors and film makers bring to the table, this is very watchable, if a touch bereft of the humour that other Murphy films sometimes show. It"s a bit pro-faced and played very straight.
At this stage in his career he was hitting the mark more often than not. Some great long shots and the four leads are strong. If only the swords were more convincing. But the fight scenes were way better than his previous films. And he gamely manages the boat scenes. See if you can spot what looks to be a modern fishing boat in the background in one shot though!
