Flash Gordon's values

Flash Gordon's values according to this movie, are... what, exactly?

Do we see him speak for the downtrodden, for the poor, for the oppressed masses?

What sort of ideology does he express, what sort of things does he consider to be good?

Let's examine a few other 'hero' characters from famous movies and TV shows.

MacGyver.

Immediately upon seeing this name, you think of a pacifist agent that solves problems with intelligence and vast knowledge of physics, chemistry and such, instead of violence and mob rule. You know he believes in individualism, serving the public good, and he can get angry, when he meets some stubborn a-hole that hasn't thought these things through.

You know his values, you know his character, you understand his motivations, and even if you don't agree with him, it's very clear what kind of a Gy(ver) he is.

Michael Knight.

This man defends the helpless, the powerless, and loves intimate relations with the opposite gender. He enjoys philosophical conversations with his car, enjoys good music and even video games. He hates people that break the law, and who oppress others, and is willing to punch such people in the face to prevent them from doing more crimes. He's passionate about his work, and he lectures his enemies often.

You know exactly what kind of values he has, and what sort of Knighting he does.

Columbo.

Now, this man wears a sort of 'behavioural personality disguise' in the form of a bumbling fool, in order to get the criminals to relax and make mistakes or divulge information that he can use to catch them. He's sneaky, but likable. He hates evildoers passionately (and has lectured very angrily in some episodes), and he'll do anything he can, including tricking the criminals, to get the guilty and put them behind bars. He even learns their trade, if need be.

It's very easy to see what sort of values Columbo has, and what makes him tick.

Now, let's turn our observational eyes back to Flash Gordon.

What has he lectured about passionately? What kind of values has he expressed? What wisdom has he expressed, what information has he helped others with, and what is his philosophy, what are his ideals?

It seems the only reason he does things in this movie, is because circumstances push him in certain directions, but he certainly isn't determined to take control of a situation and to direct the situation towards the realization of his ideals, values, philosophy or goals. What are his goals? Where did he even come from, really? Is he just a football player? What kind of a hero is that?

I just can't express enough how bad this movie is, but perhaps this kind of observational inspection of Flash Gordon's COMPLETELY blank-slate-of-emotions-values-and-ideals gives some clue. Holy cow, how can anyone have thought this was acceptable?