Based on the 1930s sci-fi comic strip, Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow) plans to destroy the Earth, and Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) and his attractive companion, Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), are called upon to stop him. Along the way, Flash must battle Ming's minions and the advances of a sexy space princess. A fairly straightforward space story is given a cartoonish treatment by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., who wrote much of the campy 60’s Batman TV series. The humor, strong production design, and over-the-top Queen score have made this film a cult classic.