The Quest (1986)

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell (home)


I've decided to dedicate January to sifting through my gargantuan collection of VHS and DVD that I bought blind and that have been sitting neglected ever since. Predator 2 technically counts because I blind bought the VHS and was about to pull it from the shelf when I remembered it was also streaming. This one, a well-kept VHS copy was a housewarming gift from fellow Tallyteer BTSjunkie.

The Good

Aussie director Brian Trenchard-Smith once again proves his ability to make something out of nothing. Despite a weak concept and a budget looking to barely enter triple digits, The Quest manages a certain amount of charm and entertainment. I even liked the bargain basement monster for its quirky silliness.

The Bad

The story is so bare bones that it never really seems to get rolling. It spins its wheels and goes through certain motions but I never really felt like I was given the chance to get on board. I also think Henry Thomas is miserable in this. He mumbles through his lines, keeps looking at the ground, and barely registers an emotion at any point. But I will have to concede that perhaps I need to give The Quest another shot sometime when it isn't 2:00 A.M.

The Weird

It's probably just something lost in cultural translation, but I found it weird that the kids kept saying "blacks" when they were referring to Aborigines. When you first hear it, it sounds as if this is a film about the three most racist kids in Australia. "Should we go down there? Are there blacks down there?" Yikes.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins