Fantasy movie/series about a guy with magical returning sword [duplicate]

Question

So, this has been bugging me for some years now. I vaguely recall seeing this on TV some 15-20 years back. It's either a movie or a series.

Things I'm pretty sure about

It's set in a high fantasy world, there are elves, dwarves and mages. The protagonist is some guy who gets a pretty large magical boulder which he can levitate by squinting at its center. He puts this boulder into a specially crafted sword with a hand for a pommel (which grips the boulder), gathers a party, and goes on some quest.

The main gimmick is the sword can be recalled as long as it's visible by squinting intensely, so the protagonist likes to literally throw it around.

The party included an elf archer at some point. While recruiting the elf, the following scene plays out: a blacksmith (for some reason in the middle of the woods) is hammering arrow tips, near him a hooded figure puts those tips on arrow shafts. Two punks come into the frame, pay the blacksmith two gold to go look at their busted wagon (it's implied that the point is to get the guy out of the picture), and start pestering the hooded figure about an archery competition.

The hooded figure ignores the guys for a bit, but then takes the hood off, revealing pointy ears. They then agree to an archery competition between the elf and one of the punks, tying two ropes around a tree, and competing to see who can cut the rope with a shot. The elf wins, but the loser insists that he's still the better archer, and challenges the elf to a duel. Ultimately, the elf shoots the punk dead, at which point the protagonist suggests the elf joins him on his quest. The elf accepts, most likely to avoid repercussions for the murder.

Stuff I'm much less sure about

I think there were a dwarf and a mage in the party as well, but the details are extremely fuzzy. I also vaguely remember the elf dying to a trap in some dungeon, but again I'm not too sure. Finally, I can vaguely recall that the stone itself was literally taken from the hands of the protagonist's dead father, and the whole plot is revenge-motivated.

Beyond this, I barely remember anything. I don't remember any names.

I also think it was pretty cheap-looking, probably a made-for-TV movie or series, and it didn't have the "Kevin Sorbo"-type feel to it, so I'm suspecting this was European in origin, but don't quote me on that. All the actors were pretty European-looking too, IIRC.

Does this ring any bells? I can't say this keeps me awake at night, but I am pretty curious, and I've spent many hours on Google in multiple sittings. TBH, my memory is fuzzy enough to believe I've thought this all up in a fever dream, but it feels real enough to keep searching.

Answer 1

This is Hawk the Slayer, a 1980 British sword and sorcery adventure film directed by Terry Marcel, and starring John Terry and Jack Palance.

The story follows two warring brothers who fight to gain control of a magical sword. Brave warrior, the titular Hawk, assembles a small force of fighters to help them rid the land of a powerful and devious enemy.

The plot according to Wikipedia:

Voltan infiltrates his father's castle and demands the key to the ancient power but is denied. The wicked Voltan mortally wounds his own father when the latter refuses to turn over the magic of the "last elven mind stone". As the old man lies dying, another son, Hawk enters the castle, and is bequeathed a great sword with a pommel shaped like a human hand which attaches itself to mind stone. The sword is now imbued with magical powers and can respond to Hawk's mental commands. Hawk then vows to avenge his father by killing Voltan.

Voltan torments the whole countryside. Some time later a warrior, Ranulf is struggling to run away from Voltan's forces. Ranulf arrives at a remote convent. Ranulf tells the nuns that he survived Voltan's attack on his village and his people, which resulted in the brutal horrifying deaths of women and children. Ranulf is seriously injured and nursed back to health by the nuns losing a hand in the process.

Voltan calls out to his wizard to stave off the pain he has in his wounded face. The wizard performs a spell on his face, telling him “your face will not pain you for a while” and “there is one who stands between us and the final victory, you will prepare the way to his death.”

Voltan appears at the convent interrupting the nuns mass and kidnaps the Abbess, demanding a large sum of gold as a ransom. After Voltan and his henchmen leave with the Abbess, the nuns tell Ranulf to seek the High Abbot at the Fortress of Danesford.

Ranulf arrive at the fortress of Daneford. The High Abbot tells him to find the warrior called Hawk. The High Abbot gives Ranulf a token to give to Hawk when he finds him.

Hawk is travelling through the land and discovers Ranulf has been captured by brigands. Hawk rescues him and Ranulf convinces Hawk to rescue the Abbess.

Hawk locates his old friends: Gort, a giant who wields a war hammer; Crow, an elf who uses a bow; and Baldin, a dwarf skilled with a whip. The five warriors travel to at the convent and fight Voltan's men. It is not enough though and Voltan threatens to kill the Abbess. Voltan still demands the ransom. Hawk steals gold from a slave trader to pay the ransom.

Hawk doubts that Voltan will free the Abbess after the ransom is paid as Voltan had treacherously murdered Hawk's wife, Eliane. Hawk and his team attack Voltan's camp to rescue the Abbess but fail. Hawk kills Voltan's son Drogo. Enraged, Voltan confronts the heroes in a final battle at the convent and with the aid of a turn-cloak nun captures the team. A sorceress, the friend of Hawk helps the heroes escape, but Baldin is mortally wounded as a result.

The heroes now attack the convent for the last time for Hawk to exact his revenge on Voltan; Crow is wounded and Ranulf is killed, Hawk battles his way to Voltan, taking down Voltan's men relentlessly, he confronts Voltan who has managed to get Gort and the Abbess's sisters as prisoners. Hawk asks for them to be set free in exchange for Hawk to be Voltan's prisoner. Voltan agrees but Hawk manages to free Gort, and the two fight Voltan and his remaining men killing them all.

Hawk and Gort travel off to find new adventures leaving Crow to be tended to by the nuns. An evil wizard carries off Voltan's body.