# Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn
**Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn** is a 1983 American science fiction film directed by Charles Band, written by Alan J. Adler, and distributed theatrically by [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures).[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) Set on the desert planet Lemuria, it follows the peacekeeping ranger Dogen as he pursues the warlord Jared-Syn, who has abducted the miner's daughter Dhyana to sacrifice her to a life-giving crystal.[2](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn) The film was shot in 3-D as part of the brief early-1980s revival of the format and opened in the United States on 19 August 1983.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 19 August 1983 (United States), rated PG, 84 minutes[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) |
| Director and writer | Charles Band; screenplay by Alan J. Adler, who also produced with Band[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) |
| Principal cast | Jeffrey Byron (Dogen), Mike Preston (Jared-Syn), Tim Thomerson (Rhodes), Kelly Preston (Dhyana), Richard Moll (Hurok), R. David Smith (Baal)[2](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn) |
| Format | Filmed in 3-D by cinematographer Mac Ahlberg, an entry in the 1981–1983 3-D revival[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) |
| Production | Albert Band International Productions; locations in Simi Valley and Box Canyon, California[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) |
| Music | Richard Band, the director's brother[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) |
| Tagline | "It's High Noon at the End of the Universe"[4](https://letterboxd.com/film/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
On the desert planet Lemuria, a miner and his daughter Dhyana fall prey to the dictator Jared-Syn's reign of terror. Dogen, a peacekeeping ranger, must save Dhyana and her planet from Jared-Syn, his son Baal, and the cyclopean warlord Hurok; if he does not find her in time, she will be sacrificed to Jared-Syn's strange life-giving crystal.[2](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn) Dogen's only lead to Jared-Syn's hideout in the mysterious "Lost City" is Rhodes, an aging, burned-out fellow seeker, and the pair battle the hunter Baal and his Cyclopean minions before the final encounter.[4](https://letterboxd.com/film/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/)
The Moria review describes the villain's method in more detail: Baal is a cyborg whose mechanical arm sprays people with a poison that traps their souls inside a giant crystal, and after Jared-Syn abducts Dhyana, Dogen and a fellow ranger set out to find the secret city.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) The film ends with Dogen thwarting Jared-Syn's plan to draw energy into a mega-crystal and pursuing him in a miniplane dogfight.[5](https://www.the-solute.com/year-of-the-month-miller-on-metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/) Despite the title, no "metalstorm" appears and Jared-Syn is neither destroyed nor killed on screen.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm)
## Production
Universal Pictures acquired the foreign distribution rights through Arista Films, Inc., as announced in [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) on 13 October 1982, and pre-production was underway by 20 December 1982.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) According to a Universal press release, seven weeks of preparation preceded seven weeks of principal photography, which began in February 1983.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) Executive producer Albert Band, the director's father, obtained the initial financing.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616)
**Locations and schedule.** The film was shot at Simi Valley and Box Canyon in California, standing in for the alien desert.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) A Universal representative attributed the 84-minute running time to the removal of several scenes that could not be completed because of the weather.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) The crew included cinematographer Mac Ahlberg, editor Brad Arensman, and production designer Pamela B. Warner.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616)
For Charles Band, then early in his career, the film followed his 3-D horror film *Parasite* (1982); he went on to found Empire Studios the next year and later Full Moon Productions.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) Tim Thomerson's appearance was his first for the Bands, and he became a regular in their films, most notably as Jack Deth in the *Trancers* series.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) [Kelly Preston](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-preston), later known for a long film career and her marriage to [John Travolta](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-travolta), played the heroine early in hers.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) A fan retrospective credits the film with getting [Richard Moll](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-moll) cast in the television series *Night Court* because he stood out as the cyclops Hurok.[6](https://www.horrorweekly.com/p/hw326)
## Release
The film opened in the United States on 19 August 1983, rated PG, and reached the United Kingdom on 24 February 1984, Australia on 10 May 1984, and [West Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-germany) on 1 June 1984.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) • [4](https://letterboxd.com/film/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/) In Japan it was released as *Metalstorm* (メタルストーム) on 4 July 1987, distributed by Japan Herald Films; while the American release was in 3-D, the Japanese one was flat.[7](https://eiga.com/movie/50073/) [Universal Pictures Home Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures-home-entertainment) keeps the film available on digital rental and purchase.[2](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn)
## Reception and legacy
Contemporary critics were negative. Gary Arnold of The Washington Post called the film the "poor man's" *Spacehunter*, noted its inferior grade of 3-D filming and badlands location shooting, and compared its production values to *Robot Monster*; he judged Jeffrey Byron's lead performance rigid and found the film amateurish even after allowing for its borrowings from *Star Wars* and *The Road Warrior*.[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/08/23/the-daze-of-yor/1c15e33a-4399-456c-b7bf-e405eb70d283/) The Moria retrospective rated it one star and called it "a miserably cheap and dull film on all counts," faulting the editing and matte work while noting that the low-tech makeup for the cyborg Baal was well done.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) On IMDb the film holds a rating of 3.9 out of 10 from about 2,100 users.[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085935/)
**Borrowed parts.** Reviewers have cataloged the film's sources: desert Western conventions and gunfight showdowns, *Mad Max 2* (1981) in look and design, [Death Star](https://www.edgepedia.org/death-star) trench shootouts from *Star Wars* (1977), and speeder-bike chases anticipating *Return of the Jedi* (1983).[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) • [5](https://www.the-solute.com/year-of-the-month-miller-on-metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/) Casting reinforced the borrowing: Mike Preston, who played the leader of the besieged community in *Mad Max 2*, appears here as the villain Jared-Syn.[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm) • [8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/08/23/the-daze-of-yor/1c15e33a-4399-456c-b7bf-e405eb70d283/)
The film did little at the box office but, like many of Band's productions, gained a cult following over time.[10](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/everything-to-know-about-the-fall-guys-fake-movie-metalstorm) Its widest recent exposure came through *The Fall Guy* (2024), which named its fictional movie-within-a-movie "Metalstorm"; the real film was distributed by Universal, as is *The Fall Guy*, and the two share the tagline "It's High Noon at the End of the Universe," though their stories differ.[10](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/everything-to-know-about-the-fall-guys-fake-movie-metalstorm)
A note on the hero's name: Universal, the AFI Catalog, IMDb, and The Washington Post all identify Jeffrey Byron's character as Dogen,[2](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085935/) • [8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/08/23/the-daze-of-yor/1c15e33a-4399-456c-b7bf-e405eb70d283/) while the Moria review credits him as "Jack Rojan."[3](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm)
## References
1. [Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58016-METALSTORM-THEDESTRUCTIONOFJARED-SYN?cp=1&cxt=Filmography2&pos=5&sid=97fd4f01-390a-4d63-8bf0-6f0ef11abfb3&sr=0.04849616)
2. [Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, Universal Pictures At Home](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn)
3. [Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), Moria: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review](https://moriareviews.com/sciencefiction/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn-1983.htm)
4. [Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/film/metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/)
5. [Year of the Month: Miller on Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, The-Solute (2018)](https://www.the-solute.com/year-of-the-month-miller-on-metalstorm-the-destruction-of-jared-syn/)
6. [Crash!, Parasite, Meridian, City of Demons, and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, Horror Weekly](https://www.horrorweekly.com/p/hw326)
7. [メタルストーム : 作品情報・キャスト・あらすじ, 映画.com](https://eiga.com/movie/50073/)
8. [Gary Arnold, "The Daze of 'Yor': Boring 'Metalstorm'", The Washington Post, 23 August 1983](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/08/23/the-daze-of-yor/1c15e33a-4399-456c-b7bf-e405eb70d283/)
9. [Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085935/)
10. [Everything to Know About The Fall Guy's Fake Movie Metalstorm, SYFY WIRE (2024)](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/everything-to-know-about-the-fall-guys-fake-movie-metalstorm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 1980s › Released 1980 to 1985*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license