Bakshi again ventures into sword-and-sorcery - the film was a collaborative effort with famed fantasy artist Frank Frazetta and is scripted by two writers from Marvel Comics’ Conan series. From their stronghold in Icepeak, the evil Queen Juliana and her son Nekron send forth a wave of glaciers, forcing humanity to retreat south. Nekron sends a delegation to King Jarel in Firekeep to request his surrender, but this is a really ruse for Nekron's sub-humans to kidnap Jarel's daughter, the Princess Teegra. But Teegra makes an escape and comes upon the farmboy Larn, the only survivor of a village razed by glaciers, who offers to escort her back to Firekeep. As Teegra is recaptured, Larn teams with the mysterious Darkwolf to save Teegra and then travel to Icepeak to stop Juliana. Bakshi’s careful attention to characters, the impressive gutsiness of action and the often arresting softness of images, make for a standout effort. 81 minutes.
