I wanted to like it, but something about the Full Moon fantasy / sci-fi production of "Doctor Mordrid" was nothing short than disappointing. It had a majestically cheesy set-up (battling alchemists from another dimension), capably fanatical special effects and fine performances but it was too lacklustre in what felt like nothing more than war of words (a constantly wordy, silly script which drains out the fun) with the adventurous light-show kept in the background. For a running time of just over 70 minutes you would think it wouldn't outstay its welcome, but not all much happens and it's rushed anticlimactic conclusion had me thinking "Is that it?" At least it had Jeffrey Combs in the lead (whose presence always remains compelling) and opposite of him the towering, square jaw Brian Thompson. I guess you can tell who was good and evil. Thompson makes a real first impression (but so does Combs in his blue pyjamas
ah I mean sorcerer kit speaking to huge eyes in space). Loved Thompson's outfit, blond flowing locks and what was the deal with the echoing voice
in the desert? Yeah a deep voice, but an echo
must be an evil thing? Just like draining the blood out of a spunky naked women and while sitting on bench in the park creeping out elderly lady on a perfectly sunny day. Yeah Thompson was a busy alchemist in his quest to release demons from another dimension to destroy the world. Only Combs can stop him, as he has vowed to protect the earth. The dark against the light. So he investigates and there's a lot of it
and comes to the conclusion that all of this chaos is because of his adversary. Although he thought the cops would be rational enough and help him stop this immortal evil wizard. But I don't think so. A lady (a decent Yvette Nipar) that lives in the same building who's not quite a cop, but still works for them falls for him
ah I mean the story. No it's for real, as he uses his powers to prove it and in a vision we see where the timeless dual between the two began. His mystical amulet is important to his success. Where else could you freeze time for a short while to escape from those people who just don't want to hang around with or get in conversations with? In the end it wasn't used enough when it got stuck in it's dragged out verbal exchanges or confrontations. But the amulet is not only his source of power; there are magical see-through daggers that you stab in your chest to give an alchemist a charge up. So many choices. This leads to the final confrontation (hopefully now they eventually come to blows), which they knew would come. So time to dress up for the occasion. Get out the brightly lit optical work and bring some prehistoric bones back to life to do battle. The special effects are actually well pulled off; it just too bad it's uninterestingly executed by directors Albert and Charles Band. The creatively lavished art direction is let down by its limp handling, than by the cheap origins. The story bestows imagination with a beaming comic book influence (as it was originally penned as a Marvel comic feature), but the foundation just doesn't draw much excitement or interest. Watchable magic and sorcery hokum, but it simply lacks the energy.
31 Reviews
Skip it
quridley15 June 2017
One of the laziest Full Moon movies considering the obvious budget involved. There's almost zero action, stale dialogue throughout and every single scene drags twice as long as it should. Its shot well and the cast aren't slouches, but there is no story. Nothing happens. Its filler until an abrupt and anticlimactic finale that rips off your money. Typical for Charles Band. Avoid this one.
Boy, was it bad!
siderite12 September 2021
A movie that features two of my favourite B class actors, Jeffrey Combs and Brian Thompson, and is a Dr. Strange story (after they lost the licence and had to change all the names) doesn't have the right to be this bad. Silly special effects, police officers getting Mordrid's amulet so he needs help getting it back, Brian Thompson with long blond hair, Mordrid having a love affair with a neighbour that happens to be into the mystic arts, Gunner! Come on!
The first five minutes of the film define its quality: slow motion scenes to enhance effect, I guess, of people just walking, a long view over Mordrid's room while credits are shown, a room filled with magical trinkets and burning candles, which later has no candles, but has 9 TV screens, Brian Thompson with long blond hair (!) and (cheap!) Terminator glasses which he never uses again the entire film. And the rest just continues like that. Everything is cheap, low quality, acting is bad, it's badly edited, storyline doesn't make sense, etc. Earth is being protected by a strong wizard from another strong wizard on orders from "The Monitor", an even more powerful being. One gets arrested by police, the other is killed by being impaled (after demonstrating spells that make one invincible to physical attack) and the last is just two giant eyes floating in space and being a jerk. It was ridiculous!
The strange (heh!) thing is that this film is beloved my many and I watched on a recommendation from someone who is an expert in comics and Star Trek and all sci-fi. Has popular YouTube channel and everything. There is *nothing* good in this film, not even the performance of the actors I like! It might be one of those unintentionally funny movies if you get drunk enough with friends, but I doubt even that.
Bottom line: don't watch it. It will sour your love for the actors and the original idea.
The first five minutes of the film define its quality: slow motion scenes to enhance effect, I guess, of people just walking, a long view over Mordrid's room while credits are shown, a room filled with magical trinkets and burning candles, which later has no candles, but has 9 TV screens, Brian Thompson with long blond hair (!) and (cheap!) Terminator glasses which he never uses again the entire film. And the rest just continues like that. Everything is cheap, low quality, acting is bad, it's badly edited, storyline doesn't make sense, etc. Earth is being protected by a strong wizard from another strong wizard on orders from "The Monitor", an even more powerful being. One gets arrested by police, the other is killed by being impaled (after demonstrating spells that make one invincible to physical attack) and the last is just two giant eyes floating in space and being a jerk. It was ridiculous!
The strange (heh!) thing is that this film is beloved my many and I watched on a recommendation from someone who is an expert in comics and Star Trek and all sci-fi. Has popular YouTube channel and everything. There is *nothing* good in this film, not even the performance of the actors I like! It might be one of those unintentionally funny movies if you get drunk enough with friends, but I doubt even that.
Bottom line: don't watch it. It will sour your love for the actors and the original idea.
Jeffrey Combs, interesting premise, so what's the problem?
sable sky30 November 2001
The story of two 'brothers' battling it out over the fate of the world is always a promising mythical theme. However, the film fails to do more with the story than rehash the typical 'good' vs 'evil' idea. This is a particular waste since Jeffrey Combs' strength lies in playing complex characters, rather than whitebread heroes. There was scope in this story to explore issues of human prejudice and the obligations of power, and to flesh out Kabal's motivations more. However, the straightforward story left the plot feeling a little spare. Nonetheless, some of the sets were nice (eg. Mordrid's study), Yvette Nipar and Jay Acovone do a good job as the conflicting police workers, and any movie with Jeffrey Combs in 90% of the scenes is worth taking a look at.
It was...euh...FLASHY !!
Coventry9 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
This motion picture comes straight out of the dark dungeon of Full Moon Entertainment. This production company gained fame and fortune during the first half of the 90's by producing terribly bad and cheesy horror movies. The most famous disasters in their ouvre are "Subspecies", "Seedpeople" and "Trancers". None of these are recommended and neither is Doctor Mordrid, actually. Hyperactive director Charles Band did come to the right company for his film. Doctor Mordrid is amazingly dumb and cheesy and almost completely humourless. I only saw it because it stars Jeffrey Combs. I learned that it can have several disadvantages if you're a fan of him. For every good movie, it seems like he has made 5 inferior ones. Anyways, the story is about the battle between 2 ancient sorcerers. One good one who's here since 150 years to protect the humans ( Jeffrey as Dr.Mordrid ) and one wicked one called Kabal. He wants to destroy every form of human life for some reason I already forgot. Combs gets his instructions from mentor. That "guy" only exists of a pair of eyes in space. Very very cheesy, that is ! Every once and a while a blinding lightflash is shown on the screen but that's about the only form of Special effects this movie has got. The whole thing is just a piece of whining and nagging and when the two wizards finally face each other, it's over before you know it...I would have expected for the wicked wizard to at least fight back a little, but nooooooo.... In some scenes, you really can detect some originality and creativity ( like for example Jeffrey's lecture about the influence of the moon on criminals ) and if you really pay attention, you might even find some very small but nice aspects ( like the raven which is called Edgar Allen) but overall, it's a terrible waste of time and energy. I'm a big fan of Jeffrey and maybe he is a superhero in my eyes...but he sure doesn't have to put on a stupid maillot for that.
An enjoyable fantasy from Full Moon.
HumanoidOfFlesh12 January 2003
Two sorcerers battle in the fourth dimension,one(Brian Thompson as a Kabal)trying to destroy the Earth,the other(Jeffrey Combs as a Anton Mordrid)trying to save it."Doctor Mordrid" is an enjoyable fantasy fare which offers plenty of cheese.The plot is pretty silly and the gore is completely absent,but the film is very short and entertaining.So if you have enough time to kill give this one a look.My rating:7 out of 10.
Needed more time.
TokyoGyaru13 February 2021
Having not checked the runtime ahead, I was surprised that the film was about to end. I expected more, but the villain ended up being defeated after not much conflict. Even another 15 minutes would have helped.
I've enjoyed Jeffrey Combs in every role I have ever seen him in, so no problem there, but he's rather unsettling as a romantic figure because he stares intently without blinking, and while he and the female lead have good chemistry as friends, they don't have romantic chemistry (it doesn't matter anyway because it doesn't really go anywhere).
They did what they could with the budget, and the story was interesting enough. Plus, everyone approached their roles with full investment. It would have been interesting to see what they could have done with a bigger budget and more time.
I've enjoyed Jeffrey Combs in every role I have ever seen him in, so no problem there, but he's rather unsettling as a romantic figure because he stares intently without blinking, and while he and the female lead have good chemistry as friends, they don't have romantic chemistry (it doesn't matter anyway because it doesn't really go anywhere).
They did what they could with the budget, and the story was interesting enough. Plus, everyone approached their roles with full investment. It would have been interesting to see what they could have done with a bigger budget and more time.
Combs and Thompson are worthy adversaries.
Hey_Sweden11 July 2015
Although limited in its power due to budget constraints, "Doctor Mordrid" is still a solid and appealing fantasy feature, conceived by Charles Band. Band also co-directed with his father, veteran filmmaker Albert Band. The movie is slight, but very hard to resist, with sparing use of visual effects, a striking design, and a very brief and painless running time (75 minutes).
Jeffrey Combs is enormously sincere and engaging as a likable sorcerer named Mordrid, who lives in human form in NYC, pretending to work as a landlord and lecturer. He makes the acquaintance of his neighbour, Samantha Hunt (super sexy Yvette Nipar), who herself is employed as a research consultant to the police department. Soon Mordrid must reveal the nature of his existence on Earth: to save the planet and its people from the machinations of his evil counterpart, Kabal (Brian Thompson).
The supporting cast is fine - Jay Acovone as Tony Gaudio, a grunting pig detective and associate of Samantha's, Keith Coulouris and Julie Michaels as a young couple eager to assist Kabal, and Ritch Brinkley as a sentinel named Gunner. Ms. Nipar does a likable and credible job as the young woman taken with her new acquaintance, and doesn't have too hard a time dealing with elements that are utterly fantastic. Thompson, a distinctive actor who's specialized in villain roles, is good fun as the evildoer. But "Doctor Mordrid" belongs to the excellent Combs, who plays a hero with lots of rooting interest. You have to love this guy, who keeps a pet raven named Edgar Allan and who keeps an eye on various news stories throughout the world.
The highlight is over too quickly, but worth the wait, as David Allen and his company bring to life dinosaur and mastodon skeletons inside a museum.
Overall, a pretty good production from Band and his people at Full Moon.
Seven out of 10.
Jeffrey Combs is enormously sincere and engaging as a likable sorcerer named Mordrid, who lives in human form in NYC, pretending to work as a landlord and lecturer. He makes the acquaintance of his neighbour, Samantha Hunt (super sexy Yvette Nipar), who herself is employed as a research consultant to the police department. Soon Mordrid must reveal the nature of his existence on Earth: to save the planet and its people from the machinations of his evil counterpart, Kabal (Brian Thompson).
The supporting cast is fine - Jay Acovone as Tony Gaudio, a grunting pig detective and associate of Samantha's, Keith Coulouris and Julie Michaels as a young couple eager to assist Kabal, and Ritch Brinkley as a sentinel named Gunner. Ms. Nipar does a likable and credible job as the young woman taken with her new acquaintance, and doesn't have too hard a time dealing with elements that are utterly fantastic. Thompson, a distinctive actor who's specialized in villain roles, is good fun as the evildoer. But "Doctor Mordrid" belongs to the excellent Combs, who plays a hero with lots of rooting interest. You have to love this guy, who keeps a pet raven named Edgar Allan and who keeps an eye on various news stories throughout the world.
The highlight is over too quickly, but worth the wait, as David Allen and his company bring to life dinosaur and mastodon skeletons inside a museum.
Overall, a pretty good production from Band and his people at Full Moon.
Seven out of 10.
Fun!
BandSAboutMovies24 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Leave it to Full Moon to make a Dr. Strange movie years before Marvel got a chance. Well, you know, unless you count the Peter Hooten-starring TV movie version. Charles Band has the option to make a Dr. Strange movie, but the option expired before production started. Yet to ensure that this movie has true Marvel DNA, the production art - back when the title was Doctor Mortalis - was by Jack Kirby, the man who pretty much invented everything the House of Ideas started with. Supposedly, another pitch, Mindmaster, became Mandroid. Kirby was never paid and ended up suing.
Anton Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs) has been sent to Earth by the Monitor to keep tabs on an evil wizard named Kabal (Brian Thompson, the Night Slasher from Cobra), a man who plans on stealing a trove of alchemical weapons and opening the gates of Hell. Mordrid has been waiting 150 years for this battle and the time is finally here.
This is a pretty big movie for Full Moon, featuring a scene where prehistoric skeletons battle in a museum and lots of magic combat. Keep your eyes open, because one of Kabal's monsters at the end is a werewolf from The Howling.
Anton Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs) has been sent to Earth by the Monitor to keep tabs on an evil wizard named Kabal (Brian Thompson, the Night Slasher from Cobra), a man who plans on stealing a trove of alchemical weapons and opening the gates of Hell. Mordrid has been waiting 150 years for this battle and the time is finally here.
This is a pretty big movie for Full Moon, featuring a scene where prehistoric skeletons battle in a museum and lots of magic combat. Keep your eyes open, because one of Kabal's monsters at the end is a werewolf from The Howling.
Despite Low Budget Drawbacks, I Was Highly Amused
gavin694223 June 2008
New York City houses one man above all others, the possibly immortal Dr. Anton Mordrid. Mordrid is the sworn protector of humanity, using his magical powers to keep his brother and rival, Kabal, chained up so that he may not enslave the human race. Well, wouldn't you know it? A prophesy comes true and Kabal breaks free, and begins collecting elements (including platinum and uranium) for his alchemy experiments. With the help of a police woman named Sam, can Mordrid defeat his evil brother? "Dr. Mordrid" comes to me courtesy of Charles Band in the Full Moon Archive Collection. I had not heard of it, which is a bit odd given that I'm a big fan of Jeffrey Combs (Mordrid) and the film isn't that old. But now it's mine and I can enjoy it again and again. The film certainly is fun in the classic Full Moon style. Richard Band provides the music (which doesn't differ much from all his other scores) and Brian Thompson plays the evil Kabal. We even have animated dinosaur bones! What more do you want? Of course, the cheese factor is high. I felt much of the film was a rip-off of the Dr. Strange comics. And the blue pantsuit was silly. And plot holes are everywhere (I could list at least five, but why bother). And why does the ancient symbol of Mordrid and Kabal look suspiciously like a hammer and sickle? Combs has never been a strong actor, so he fits right in with the cheese. These aren't complaints. Full Moon fans have come to expect these things and devour them like crack-laced Grape Nuts. I'm guilty... I loved this film.
If you're not a Full Moon fan, or a Jeffrey Combs fan... you may want to look elsewhere. But if you like the early 1990s style of movie-making and haircuts, you'll eat this up. Stallone and Schwarzenegger fans might like seeing Brian Thompson as a villain, looking as goony as ever and not being able to enunciate English beyond a third grade level. I did. I wish there was a "Mordrid II", but the company that makes a sequel to practically everything (is "Gingerdead Man 3" really necessary?) passed on this one.
If you're not a Full Moon fan, or a Jeffrey Combs fan... you may want to look elsewhere. But if you like the early 1990s style of movie-making and haircuts, you'll eat this up. Stallone and Schwarzenegger fans might like seeing Brian Thompson as a villain, looking as goony as ever and not being able to enunciate English beyond a third grade level. I did. I wish there was a "Mordrid II", but the company that makes a sequel to practically everything (is "Gingerdead Man 3" really necessary?) passed on this one.
Dr. Mordrid is terrifying
erikhaugen8421 August 2005
Dr Mordrid is terrifying. I would not recommend any adult or child see this unless they are rampaging murderers already. There is so much filth in this movie it hurts my yes. Speaking of eyes, there are eyes in the sky, against a backdrop of stars. Only the devil himself could have imagined such a wicked thing. I rented out every copy i could from local video stores and crushed them with a 5 pound crucifix. That movie should remain locked in a cellar behind the 4th dimension with all the other disgusting beasts of hell. That is where this movie belongs. I suggest if you want some scandalous entertainment, go and rent All Dogs Go To Heaven, or Angels In The Outfield. Those movies are worth seeing. If you want to commit a sin and love terrible movies, you need to see Dr. Mordrid.
Doctor Mordrid would make a great serial!
frenchy_hercules25 November 2005
Doctor Mordrid is one of those rare films that is completely under the radar, but is totally worthwhile. It really reminds me of the old serials from the 30s and 40s. Which is why I'd have loved to see follow-up movies... but judging by the rest of Full Moon's output there simply weren't enough tits to satisfy the typical audience. Unfortunately, thanks to a completely superfluous sacrifice scene there two too many for a family audience - which is unfortunate, because without em' this could have been a Harry Potter-style magicfest that kids would have eaten up. Both Jeffrey Combs and Yvette Nipar are great - I wasn't sure if Ms. Nipar hadn't wandered off an A-list picture onto this film, she was very believable. No, seriously! Anyway - it's a shame they didn't have the bucks to license Dr. Strange, because I think this could have been a total kiddie phenom.
Pretty good.
Peach-227 November 1998
This film surprised me a little. I watch a lot of horror/sci-fi films and this is a straight-to-video release that caught me off guard a little. I believe this is Full Moon's best movie thus far and one of Jeffrey Combs best performances. Good movie.
Strangely familiar.
BA_Harrison18 May 2021
Watching this early '90s Charles Band production, one might be forgiven for thinking it's a long-forgotten early attempt at bringing Marvel's uncanny comic book hero Doctor Strange to the screen - it's not, but the titular character of Doctor Mordrid is uncannily similar to the MCU's occult superhero. In fact, I'm surprised that lawsuits weren't filed.
Of course, this being a low-budget Full Moon movie, it's wise to keep expectations low: there are no jaw-droppingly extravagant special effects set-pieces to wow the senses, the direction (by Charles and Albert Band) is unremarkable, and the plot is basic (a villainous wizard wants to rule the Earth; Mordrid vows to stop him). It's cheesy straight-to-video nonsense, with B-movie stalwart Jeffrey Combs in the title role, and character actor Brian Thompson as his nemesis Kabal, who aims to release demons into the world using alchemy. Yvette Nipar plays police consultant Samantha Hunt, who helps Mordrid battle the forces of darkness.
Most of the visual effects are cheap and forgettable, and for the most part, the film feels a lot like a pilot for a TV series, establishing its characters for future adventures; however, the final act does deliver some fun stop motion animation as the skeletons of a woolly mammoth and a tyrannosaurus rex do battle in New York's Cosmopolitan Museum, and several demonic entities try to escape from their floating island prison.
5/10. A passable time-waster, but nothing more.
Of course, this being a low-budget Full Moon movie, it's wise to keep expectations low: there are no jaw-droppingly extravagant special effects set-pieces to wow the senses, the direction (by Charles and Albert Band) is unremarkable, and the plot is basic (a villainous wizard wants to rule the Earth; Mordrid vows to stop him). It's cheesy straight-to-video nonsense, with B-movie stalwart Jeffrey Combs in the title role, and character actor Brian Thompson as his nemesis Kabal, who aims to release demons into the world using alchemy. Yvette Nipar plays police consultant Samantha Hunt, who helps Mordrid battle the forces of darkness.
Most of the visual effects are cheap and forgettable, and for the most part, the film feels a lot like a pilot for a TV series, establishing its characters for future adventures; however, the final act does deliver some fun stop motion animation as the skeletons of a woolly mammoth and a tyrannosaurus rex do battle in New York's Cosmopolitan Museum, and several demonic entities try to escape from their floating island prison.
5/10. A passable time-waster, but nothing more.
Surprising little film.
jerseycowboy12005 March 2011
Its a Full Moon production with Jeffrey Combs, both of which were at the top of their game. Problem being Jeffrey Combs is an amazing actor and everyone else in the film is pretty stiff (except the Dr. Strange character is supposed to be stiff). Originally a kids film they shoved some nudity and gore into to take a voluntary R for the home video market.
Pros: The sets are actually pretty good. Look at Doctor Mordrid's apartment and see how much the New Dr. Who ripped them off. (keep in mind this film was Micro-Budget)
Brian Johnson - the muscle-man actor most famous for being the bad guy in "Cobra" and playing the Alien Bounty Hunter in X-Files. Actually seems the least confused of all the cast.
Jeffrey Combs - the all-time pro at turning nothing into something without hamming it up. This movie fails, but not for lack of craft.
Cons: KIDS MOVIE: Full Moon was trying to branch out of direct-to-video horror and got cold feet right before this went into production. After losing the Dr. Strange license they threw everything against the wall hoping it would stick. See "Shrunken Heads" if you want to see their "real" attempt at a kids movie.
Not Dr. Strange - on the script rewrite they had to put in their own muddled mythology. Very Very strange. Not sure if it was supposed to be injected into the same universe as the other Full Moon movies.
No sequel! Truly a travesty of justice! I'll throw them a couple grand for a Dr. Mordrid vs Re-animator movie!
Pros: The sets are actually pretty good. Look at Doctor Mordrid's apartment and see how much the New Dr. Who ripped them off. (keep in mind this film was Micro-Budget)
Brian Johnson - the muscle-man actor most famous for being the bad guy in "Cobra" and playing the Alien Bounty Hunter in X-Files. Actually seems the least confused of all the cast.
Jeffrey Combs - the all-time pro at turning nothing into something without hamming it up. This movie fails, but not for lack of craft.
Cons: KIDS MOVIE: Full Moon was trying to branch out of direct-to-video horror and got cold feet right before this went into production. After losing the Dr. Strange license they threw everything against the wall hoping it would stick. See "Shrunken Heads" if you want to see their "real" attempt at a kids movie.
Not Dr. Strange - on the script rewrite they had to put in their own muddled mythology. Very Very strange. Not sure if it was supposed to be injected into the same universe as the other Full Moon movies.
No sequel! Truly a travesty of justice! I'll throw them a couple grand for a Dr. Mordrid vs Re-animator movie!
Could have been a great franchise...
misbegotten29 September 2020
Back in the early Nineties, direct-to-video specialists Full Moon Entertainment unsuccessfully tried to secure the movie rights for Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange, but having been thwarted, they just shrugged their shoulders, tweaked the script and made DOCTOR MORDRID instead. And I'm glad they did. Despite being low budget, it's clear that a respectable amount of money was spent - there are impressive sets, props and some delightful stop motion animation courtesy of David Allen and Randall Cook. Jeffery Combs plays the title character, and it's great to see him in a heroic leading role. Brian Thompson provides some reliable villainy, and there's fine support from Yvette Nipar (a talented and extremely pretty actress who sadly never had the career she deserved) as the police consultant and neighbour who become Mordrid's sidekick and romantic interest. Considering the numerous and seemingly never-ending PUPPET MASTER, TRANCERS, EVIL BONG, GINGERDEAD MAN and KILLJOY movies that Full Moon has relentlessly churned out, it's a crying shame they never made a single sequel to this.
1992's "Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" still stands up well today
ersinkdotcom27 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Doctor Mordrid, Full Moon, Doctor Strange, Marvel, Charles Band
Marvel might be riding high now as a member of the Disney family, but twenty years ago it was literally taking any deal it could get from Tinseltown to make some money off the different properties they owned. Low-budget versions of "Captain America," "Fantastic Four," and "The Punisher" are perfect examples of where the comic book publishing giant was heading at the time. Even George Lucas's bigger attempt at bringing "Howard the Duck" to life was a miserable failure.
For those who might not know, Marvel gave rights to Full Moon Features in the early 1990s to adapt the mystical magician's adventures into a live-action movie. When time ran out and the property went back to Marvel, Charles Band decided to move forward with his rendering altered enough to keep from crossing any lines of copyright infringement.
Doctor Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs) is a powerful sorcerer who has sworn to keep Earth safe from the powers of darkness throughout the universe. His arch-enemy Kabal (Brian Thompson) arrives with plans to destroy the world. The two clash in an epic battle of good and evil that includes destructive mystical abilities and re-animated prehistoric creatures.
You can tell as soon as the opening credits roll on "Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" Directors / Producers Charles Band and his father Albert were quite passionate about bringing one of their favorite superheroes to life, even if he was under a new name with a re-tooled storyline and origin. Obviously, the movie was made on a budget that limited some of what could be done. It still looks great and the entire cast is fully invested in their individual roles.
"Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" is unrated but should hold an R for all intents and purposes. There's only one scene of nudity, which was really unnecessary and could've been cut or edited to open the picture up to even younger viewers. There was some violence and language as well, but nothing that would've caused it to be rated anything more than PG-13.
1992's "Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" still stands up well today even though elements of it might seem aged. It's a reminder of where comic book properties stood in the grand scheme of Hollywood at that time.
Marvel might be riding high now as a member of the Disney family, but twenty years ago it was literally taking any deal it could get from Tinseltown to make some money off the different properties they owned. Low-budget versions of "Captain America," "Fantastic Four," and "The Punisher" are perfect examples of where the comic book publishing giant was heading at the time. Even George Lucas's bigger attempt at bringing "Howard the Duck" to life was a miserable failure.
For those who might not know, Marvel gave rights to Full Moon Features in the early 1990s to adapt the mystical magician's adventures into a live-action movie. When time ran out and the property went back to Marvel, Charles Band decided to move forward with his rendering altered enough to keep from crossing any lines of copyright infringement.
Doctor Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs) is a powerful sorcerer who has sworn to keep Earth safe from the powers of darkness throughout the universe. His arch-enemy Kabal (Brian Thompson) arrives with plans to destroy the world. The two clash in an epic battle of good and evil that includes destructive mystical abilities and re-animated prehistoric creatures.
You can tell as soon as the opening credits roll on "Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" Directors / Producers Charles Band and his father Albert were quite passionate about bringing one of their favorite superheroes to life, even if he was under a new name with a re-tooled storyline and origin. Obviously, the movie was made on a budget that limited some of what could be done. It still looks great and the entire cast is fully invested in their individual roles.
"Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" is unrated but should hold an R for all intents and purposes. There's only one scene of nudity, which was really unnecessary and could've been cut or edited to open the picture up to even younger viewers. There was some violence and language as well, but nothing that would've caused it to be rated anything more than PG-13.
1992's "Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown" still stands up well today even though elements of it might seem aged. It's a reminder of where comic book properties stood in the grand scheme of Hollywood at that time.
Great performance by Combs, wish there had been more films
udar5524 April 2013
Anton Mordrid (Jeffery Combs) is a sorcerer who is sent to Earth to protect us from practitioners of the evil arts. He keeps his cover in New York City as a landlord of a high rise with a number of tenants, including NYPD consultant Samantha Hunt (Yvette Nipar). Naturally, evil arrives and it comes in the form of Kabal (Brian Thompson), who uses minions around the world to gather the elements needed to perform a ceremony that will allow his followers to escape another dimension and attack Earth. Revisited this one after -- gasp! -- 20 years and it holds up as a fun fantasy-adventure. At the time it was one of Charles Band's more expensive Full Moon productions ($2 million!) and the script by C. Courtney Joyner actually deserves more money. It is obviously not shot in NYC and has a pretty short running time. Also, the climax lacks the "woman in peril" element the film seems to be setting up. The film's highlight is probably the stop motion work of David Allen and his crew (the end showdown in a museum where T-Rex skeleton takes on a Woolly Mammoth skeleton would make Harryhausen proud). Combs, as always, gives a great performance and it is shame Band, who co-directed with his father Albert Band, never continued on with this series.
Not Bad
skallisjr3 May 2005
As a rule, a Full Moon production logo is a warning sign to avoid a film. But because I've enjoyed Jeffrey Combs in other films, I gave it a shot.
It's not bad. Not great, but that's something else. The film involves a struggle with a mystic (evil) "brother" who wants to dominate the worlds, and the title character. Dr. Mordrid also has to deal with people, and authorities in the mundane world, which he does successfully.
Possible spoilers follow.
Dr. Mordrid can travel between "dimensions," and does so to find a companion guarding a fortress; however, the guard has been blinded. His eyes are ruined pits. So the wizard passes his hands across the other's eyes, and hey, presto! His eyes have been restored! This sort of healing apparently only works with eyes.
Later, Mordred and his "brother" animate a couple of animal skeletons in a museum to fight. Guess which one wins.
However, side from that, the picture isn't at all bad, though much like a comic book. Dr. Mordred's more "human" adventures are okay, and Combs plays the role convincingly.
I've seen lots worse.
It's not bad. Not great, but that's something else. The film involves a struggle with a mystic (evil) "brother" who wants to dominate the worlds, and the title character. Dr. Mordrid also has to deal with people, and authorities in the mundane world, which he does successfully.
Possible spoilers follow.
Dr. Mordrid can travel between "dimensions," and does so to find a companion guarding a fortress; however, the guard has been blinded. His eyes are ruined pits. So the wizard passes his hands across the other's eyes, and hey, presto! His eyes have been restored! This sort of healing apparently only works with eyes.
Later, Mordred and his "brother" animate a couple of animal skeletons in a museum to fight. Guess which one wins.
However, side from that, the picture isn't at all bad, though much like a comic book. Dr. Mordred's more "human" adventures are okay, and Combs plays the role convincingly.
I've seen lots worse.
Not too bad
jacksonblueman620 July 2001
Jeffrey Combs is great as always, however, the special effects left something to be desired. With no gore whatsoever, and not even one attempt at a scare, there is no way this movie is a horror film. I guess the directors and the fact that Jeffrey Combs is starring allows people to put this in the horror movie section. I rated it a 6.
Silly yet sort of enjoyable sci-fi fantasy.
poolandrews11 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Doctor Mordrid is set in New York where an ancient sorcerer from another dimension named Doctor Anton Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs) lives in an apartment block & waits dutifully for the day the evil 'Death's Head' sorcerer Kabal (Brian Thompson) whom Mordrid imprisoned ages ago returns to try & destroy the Earth which just happens to be now. Although an ancient powerful sorcerer Mordrid befriends police researcher Samantha Hunt (Yvette Nipar) while waiting & using her contacts at the police actually comes in helpful. Kabal the evil sorcerer has been stealing lots of alchemical metals like platinum & gold in order to do something or other to destroy the Earth & the last thing he needs is an inscribed stone tablet in a New York museum which Mordrid must stop him from getting & where the final confrontation will take place with the lives of every single person on Earth at stake...
Produced & directed by father & son team of Charles & Albert Band & released through their company Full Moon Entertainment this originally started out life as a film about the Marvel Comic character Dr. Strange but apparently the rights to the name & character's were lost & instead of scrapping the whole project it morphed into Doctor Mordrid which is probably more or less the same film as originally intended but with a different central character. Basically Doctor Mordrid is a mad film that almost defies explanation, most people won't have a clue what is going on for the first twenty odd minutes as there are silly monologues with random words trying to sound dramatic, Jeffrey Combs in a bright blue track suit & cape being spoken to by a pair of huge floating blue eyes on a star field, some nonsense about a noisy dog which is never mentioned again & Brain Thompson in Rio de Janeiro with long flowing blonde hair, wearing a baggy white suit & awful chunky rectangular shades trying to look menacing but coming across as anything but & as I say that's just the first twenty odd minutes. The plot is weak & there's virtually no story, everyone human is stupid especially the cops although at only 74 minutes at least it's short & it does entertain in a camp sort of way. The story is poor & if Mordrid knew Kabal needed that stone tablet thing why didn't he just grab it for himself & hide it? I mean he had a good hundred year head-start didn't he? There are a few amusing moments & it's fun in a silly way but there isn't really much to it.
Obviously handicapped by it's budget the special effects aren't that bad actually, there's a floating castle thing & a fun stop motion animated fight between two dinosaur skeleton's that Mordrid & Kabal are controlling at the end which is probably the best moment. There's zero gore, violence, nudity or bad language & there's no horror element here either as it's pure dated fantasy that most people will have a hard time taking seriously although the script plays it deadly straight which helps in a way. Full Moon Entertainment recycled footage from Doctor Mordrid when they edited chunks of it into Planet Patrol (1999) & there's a none to subtle Edgar Allan Poe reference as Doctor Mordrid's pet Raven is called Edgar Allan.
The production values are alright with nicely detailed sets which show some imagination, Doctor Mordrid's apartment in particular is quite nice. The acting is a bit off but everyone does their best with such material, Jeffrey Combs is great as usual, Yvette Napir is easy on the eyes & Brain Thompson just looks camp.
Doctor Mordrid is a sci-fi fantasy with a bare bones plot made by Full Moon Entertainment who aren't renowned for their budgets at the best of times & here it show's with limited results. Fun in a camp & silly way & that dinosaur skeleton fight is cool but there's little else of any real interest here.
Produced & directed by father & son team of Charles & Albert Band & released through their company Full Moon Entertainment this originally started out life as a film about the Marvel Comic character Dr. Strange but apparently the rights to the name & character's were lost & instead of scrapping the whole project it morphed into Doctor Mordrid which is probably more or less the same film as originally intended but with a different central character. Basically Doctor Mordrid is a mad film that almost defies explanation, most people won't have a clue what is going on for the first twenty odd minutes as there are silly monologues with random words trying to sound dramatic, Jeffrey Combs in a bright blue track suit & cape being spoken to by a pair of huge floating blue eyes on a star field, some nonsense about a noisy dog which is never mentioned again & Brain Thompson in Rio de Janeiro with long flowing blonde hair, wearing a baggy white suit & awful chunky rectangular shades trying to look menacing but coming across as anything but & as I say that's just the first twenty odd minutes. The plot is weak & there's virtually no story, everyone human is stupid especially the cops although at only 74 minutes at least it's short & it does entertain in a camp sort of way. The story is poor & if Mordrid knew Kabal needed that stone tablet thing why didn't he just grab it for himself & hide it? I mean he had a good hundred year head-start didn't he? There are a few amusing moments & it's fun in a silly way but there isn't really much to it.
Obviously handicapped by it's budget the special effects aren't that bad actually, there's a floating castle thing & a fun stop motion animated fight between two dinosaur skeleton's that Mordrid & Kabal are controlling at the end which is probably the best moment. There's zero gore, violence, nudity or bad language & there's no horror element here either as it's pure dated fantasy that most people will have a hard time taking seriously although the script plays it deadly straight which helps in a way. Full Moon Entertainment recycled footage from Doctor Mordrid when they edited chunks of it into Planet Patrol (1999) & there's a none to subtle Edgar Allan Poe reference as Doctor Mordrid's pet Raven is called Edgar Allan.
The production values are alright with nicely detailed sets which show some imagination, Doctor Mordrid's apartment in particular is quite nice. The acting is a bit off but everyone does their best with such material, Jeffrey Combs is great as usual, Yvette Napir is easy on the eyes & Brain Thompson just looks camp.
Doctor Mordrid is a sci-fi fantasy with a bare bones plot made by Full Moon Entertainment who aren't renowned for their budgets at the best of times & here it show's with limited results. Fun in a camp & silly way & that dinosaur skeleton fight is cool but there's little else of any real interest here.
`Doctor Mordrid' is a very entertaining science fiction film that just about anyone can enjoy
Vladimir_Grozescu9 August 2001
I really enjoyed "Doctor Mordrid". This is a low-budget film, which may be off-putting to some, but I have no problem with it. I admire it even more for that, considering it's WAY more entertaining than the drivel that Hollywood churns out every year. Too bad this didn't get a theatrical release; I don't know about anyone else, but I would have went to see it in theatres. `Doctor Mordrid' is a very entertaining science fiction film that just about anyone can enjoy, especially if they're into sci-fi like I am. I don't see why this is a R-rated film; only one f-word is said, and there are no gruesome death scenes, nor is there any blood at all. The timeless rivalry between sorcerers Anton and Kabal (Anton wanted the use his powers to save the human race, while Kabal wanted to enslave them), gave the story a sense of enchantment, while the mythical plotline added charm to the story itself. Basically, this a film that's just plain fun to watch. There is one unintentionally funny thing in this movie, though: seeing Jeffrey Combs keeping a straight face while wearing that silly blue cape and suit. That makes me laugh every time I see it. But I digress... Anyway, the acting is great; the main protagonists (Anton, and his lady friend, Samantha), are very likable; Anton is sympathetic, and hospitable, and Samantha is friendly. Plus, the settings were wonderful. The floating island in the other dimension was very cool setting; we're only given a glimpse of it twice, though; it would have been great to see more scenes take place here. The main setting was also very neat; Anton's apartment is very roomy, and he has some cool devices, especially the monitoring system he uses to keep track of the world's occurrences. He even has a pet raven that he keeps in his apartment named Edgar. Overall, this a great film; it was fun to watch, and the main actors put a lot of feeling into their roles. If you can find anywhere that rents `Doctor Mordrid', you should rent it (or, in my case, buy it. It was definitely money well-spent)!
My Rating: 8 stars out of ten.
My Rating: 8 stars out of ten.
I know, it's campy.
noone-891765 December 2021
It could have been a good movie. I blame the direction. I've seen Jeffrey Combes and Brian Earl Thompson and a lot of different roles and they've done better under better quality direction.
Overall the film suffers from bad direction in every part of it, and even worse cinematography.
It's clear that they were shooting this on a very low budget. But if you equate the quality of the movie divided by all the negative factors ( The ones I've already stated), it's a fun movie if you just forget about all that and follow the story. By the way prepare to let your intellect go out the window, because the story is just so absurd... But it's still kind of fun!
Overall the film suffers from bad direction in every part of it, and even worse cinematography.
It's clear that they were shooting this on a very low budget. But if you equate the quality of the movie divided by all the negative factors ( The ones I've already stated), it's a fun movie if you just forget about all that and follow the story. By the way prepare to let your intellect go out the window, because the story is just so absurd... But it's still kind of fun!
Entertaining Charles Band knockoff of DOCTOR STRANGE
a_chinn18 June 2023
Corny low-budget Full Moon Features knock-off of Doctor Strange. Producer/co-director Charles Band originally had a deal with Marvel to produce a movie version of Doctor Strange in the same era as the famously awful low-budget Roger Corman 90s Fantastic Four movie adaptation. Jeffrey Combs (a Charles Band regular) plays the titular character, a modern-day wizard living in uptown Manhattan, who battles cosmic horrors (mostly Brian "COBRA" Thompson) unbeknownst to the mortals living around him. Sound familiar? Although clearly a ripoff, it's an endearing direct-to-video corny good time. Don't watch this film if you're looking for a Marvel style of film (unless it's the 70s live-action Amazing Spider-Man TV series your expecting), but watch this if you're into other Full Moon films like DOLLMAN, PUPPET MASTER, or OBLIVION, you'll dig this movie. On a related note, NICK FURY: AGENT OF SHIELD is my favorite of the corny 90s Marvel adaptations (BLADE is obviously the best not corny adaptation), which I actually prefer over most of the big-budget polished MCU films.
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