Starchaser: The Legend of Orin is a 1985 animated movie. It was written by animation writer Jeffrey Scott and was originally released in 3-D by Atlantic Releasing. Starchaser was one of the first animated movies to mix traditional and computer animation.
Plot
The story, set millennia in our future, opens on the fictional planet Trinia, where in a network of subterranean caverns toil a population of human slaves overseen by anthropomorphic robots known as Mine-Masters. These humans are led to believe that only their "Mine-World" exists; that above it is a hell more terrible than their present joyless lives; and that their overlord Zygon, who demands that they mine increasing numbers of the volatile red crystals native to Trinia, is a messenger of their Gods.
The titlular character, Orin, is a young man dwelling under Zygon's theocracy. His most intimate friends are his blind brother Calli, their aged aunt, a young woman called Élan, and her grandfather. One day, while mining, Orin discovers a jewelled sword embedded in the rocks, whereupon ÉIan's grandfather sacrifices his own life to conceal this sword from the Mine-Masters. When safe to do so, Orin ponders this. As he takes the sword into his hands, it ascends into the air and buries its blade in the cavern's floor. A voice speaks from it, saying that above the Mine-World of Trinia is a "magnificent universe" that the people may find. The blade then disappears, leaving only the hilt.
Although Raimo, another miner, objects to the idea on religious grounds, Orin and Élan embark to discover the said universe. They are pursued by the Mine-Masters, from whom they escape by hiding in the automated car that brings excavated crystals to Zygon. To their surprise, they find beyond the barrier of fire through which Zygon enters their world a metallic building complex composed of technology superior to that of twenty-first century Earth.
There, they are captured by robots similar to the Mine-Masters. Zygon, impressed by their discovery of his secret, reveals that beneath the demonic face he has hitherto shown them is a face similar to that of a human man, having grey skin. This is implied to be "the Great God of Mine-World", an alternate identity assumed by Zygon, who then kills Élan. Orin escapes and Zygon presumes him dead.
Orin, hidden from Zygon, is able to reach the surface of Trinia. Here he experiences a moon proportionally larger or nearer to the planet than that of Earth, as well as a swamp or jungle-like ecosystem. While exploring this, he is captured by Man-droids, a group of half-organic, half-robotic beings who live in a form of autocracy. These Man-droids capture Orin, intending to vivisect him and use his body parts to replace their own, which are decaying. Unexpectedly, his sword's hilt produces what is apparently an invisible blade, killing two of the Man-droids. The remaining Man-droid, terrified of this 'magic', helps Orin escape.
Orin is pursued by two other Man-droids who have yet to fear his power, but they are shot down by a human smuggler named Dagg deBremi. Moments later, Orin kills a large predator which was about to eat Dagg.
Because they are about to be attacked by a law-enforcement patrol, Dagg allows Orin to board his aerospace craft, which is called the Starchaser. This flying machine is operated by an anthropomorphic computer named Arthur. Dagg, now accompanied by Arthur and Orin, enters a city in order to dispense with the crystals that he has stolen. When in the city, they are attacked by Zygon's robots, as well as by Zygon himself. During the fight, Dagg seizes a 'Fembot' — a robot built to look and act like a human woman, used to accomplish clerical tasks — and uses her as a shield. Subsequently re-programmed by Dagg, this Fembot, named Silica, becomes very fond of him. Seeing Orin alive and in possession of the hilt, Zygon reassesses him as a "Kakann"; a word explained only at the end of the film.
Dagg flies the Starchaser to a pirate city called Togo Togo, where he abandons Orin and gives Silica to a slave auctioneer. Orin then wanders through the city, trying to find a clue that will lead him to the location of the sword-hilt's vanished blade, which he believes is the essential factor by which to decide his people's fate. Orin gains a suggestion of dubious truth value from a fortune-teller, consisting of advice to visit a place called Novaluna. Later, Orin sees Silica offered for sale, whereupon he offers high prices to buy her. When the auctioneer finds that Orin has no knowledge of local currency, he takes Orin's freedom in addition to Silica's. Dagg, moved by his own conscience, frees them.
Later, Dagg and Orin visit the home of two desert-dwelling merchants, to whom Dagg sells the stolen crystals. Because Zygon has placed a price on Orin's head, the merchants offer to buy Orin as well; Dagg refuses, believing that they will kill or damage Orin. In response either to this refusal or to Zygon's reward, the merchants place a time bomb in Dagg's newly acquired money. Orin is forewarned by a mysterious "Starfly", whereupon Dagg and Arthur throw the money and bomb into their enemies' camp.
Dagg, Orin, Arthur, and Silica have by this point departed from Trinia and are flying over another inhabited planet. Dagg now knows Orin's story, though he is initially skeptical of the claim that humans take part in mining activities, which according to him has been for millennia a task undertaken solely by robots. They are shot down by Zygon's robotic soldiers. Dagg is captured, Arthur rendered inactive, and Orin thrown clear of the Starchaser. Orin is rescued by a governor's regal daughter, Aviana, who is intrigued by him.
Upon having woken and met Aviana, Orin tells her his story. Her memory is stimulated by the revelation of his hilt, which, she reveals, has historically been used by suddenly emergent warriors to vanquish threats to humanity. Among these threats is a robotic force called Nessus or Nexus, after whose defeat the hilt vanished until Orin's discovery of it.
Aviana, her stubborn demeanor become determination as a result of learning about the injustice wrought upon Orin's people, takes Orin to Trinia, where he again faces Zygon. It is here revealed that Zygon is Trinia's Commissioner of Trade. Orin attempts to kill Zygon; in the act of striking, he exposes Zygon as a robot. Zygon then reveals that he is Nexus/Nessus, seeking again to eradicate humanity and replace it with robots. He is said to have systematically subjugated many humans, on Trinia as on many other planets, and now has the wherewithal by which to attack openly. This is in keeping with his eugenic philosophy, wherein the new generation of life-forms overthrows the previous.
Orin and Aviana are imprisoned in the cell block wherein Dagg is captive. Zygon takes Orin's hilt and begins to co-ordinate the attack. Despite the brevity of their acquaintance, Orin and Aviana have become sexually fond of each other. They embrace. Aviana is then taken hostage aboard Zygon's flagship. Thereafter, Orin is again approached by the Starfly, which he treats as an equal. At Orin's request, the Starfly brings him the hilt, which he uses to free himself and Dagg. They enter Zygon's flagship and take control of it, using it to destroy much of the offensive fleet. Zygon escapes, but most of his robots do not.
Silica revives Arthur, and the two of them enter the fray. A series of pursuits ensue, wherein Dagg pilots the captured flagship desperately to avoid being shot down by Zygon's remaining assault craft. Zygon seizes them in a tractor beam, whereupon Arthur and Silica enter the tractor beam so that their friends can escape. Orin goes into the Mine-World while the others board the Starchaser and attempt to flee.
Orin enters the Mine-World via Zygon's entrance. Having attracted the people's attention, he speaks of the surface world and urges them to join him there. The Mine-Masters, as well as Raimo, protest this apparent heresy. Orin begins to denounce Zygon, but is interrupted by Zygon himself. They fight, with the result that Orin is left dangling over a chasm, unable to reach the hilt, while Zygon gloats over him.
As Orin hangs, three Starflies appear and merge into one. This one tells Orin that he has no need of the hilt, adding that "there never was a blade". Orin therefore realizes that the power to create a cutting force originates not from the hilt, but from himself. Resolute, he pulls himself away from the ledge, creates a cutting force without the aid of the hilt, and uses it to kill Zygon.
Above, Silica causes the crystals mined by Orin's people to explode. Orin uses the resulting quake to open a fissure between the Mine-World and Trinia's surface. His people emerge and rejoice, while Orin heals Calli of his blindness. Dagg, Silica, Arthur, and Aviana join Orin and his people in celebration.
Several Staflies arrive and reveal themselves to be the Kakann, a society of transcendental guardians to whom Orin now belongs. Although Orin chooses to remain among his friends and family rather than transcend his body as is offered him, it is implied that he will join the Kakann after his death.
Home video and DVD
Patrons attending the film during its initial release were given this promotional pin.
Starchaser: The Legend of Orin was released on VHS and Laserdisc in 1986 by Paramount Pictures, and also by KVC Home Video. The DVD was released on June 21, 2005 by MGM
Reception
The New York Times described it as "such a brazen rip-off of George Lucas's Star Wars that you might think lawyers would have been called in"[1].
References
External links
