| This Fantasy-Action-Adventure movie released in 1985 was directed by Richard Fleischer. It was written by Robert E. Howard, Clive Exton, and George MacDonald Fraser. The cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brigitte Nielsen, Sandahl Bergman, Paul Smith, Ernie Reyes Jr., Ronald Lacey, Pat Roach, and more.
Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) raids the keepers of the talisman, a group of warrior priestesses. In the process of obtaining the talisman has all the priestesses killed. One manages to escape with the help of a passing warrior, Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Unfortunately she is wounded and dies, but before dying she requests that Kalidor finds her sister Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) and tells her of what Queen Gedren has done. When Kalidor finds Sonja she is completing her training with a very skilled master warrior. She is offered her choice of weapons by the master and picks a sword that seemingly calls out to her. Sonja and Kalidor then proceed to find Queen Gedren and return the talisman to it's place of rest.
Meanwhile on her trip back to her kingdom Queen Gedren uses the talisman on the city of Hablac nearly destroying it. Her army takes care of what is left. Leaving a young prince and his guardian to rule a vacant city. Sonja and Kalidor arrive in Hablac to find Falkon (Paul Smith), the guardian, trying to save the Prince Tarn (Ernie Reyes Jr.) from falling into a ravine. While they don't join the band of heroes immediately they do join up with them later. Also a thief joins their ranks before they take on Queen Gedren in her own castle.
During the course of the journey we learn much about Sonja (who has red hair, thus the Red Sonja). For instance, after witnessing the murder of her father and rape and murder of her mother she has pledged to never give herself to any man that cannot defeat her in battle. But Sonja and Kalidor begin to build a fondness for each other. Which leads to them at one point fighting each other.
Kalidor: So, the only man that can have you is one who has tried to kill you. That's logic.
Ok movie, if you like the Conan movies you will like this movie. Which means I liked it. It was also Brigitte Nielsen's first major role and set her up for often playing very strong and powerful women. Pretty good for an action/fantasy movie although I have always felt it lacked something the Conan movies had. I think it was the bad guys. I don't think the "bad guy" was as good as the ones in the ones Conan faced. Plug in a better "bad guy" and this movie would be better. | 
