Director – Peter Yates (Bullitt)
Starring – Ken Marshall (Quantum Leap), Lysette Anthony (Beneath Loch Ness), and Freddie Jones (The Elephant Man)
Release Date – 1983
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “A world light-years beyond your imagination” and “Beyond our time, beyond our universe…there is a planet besieged by alien invaders, where a young king must rescue his love from the clutches of the Beast. Or risk the death of his world”
In the late 70s and early 80s the world began to see an influx of action adventure films that sometimes used elements from the sci-fi and fantasy genres. We have Star Wars to thank for these films but once the 80s were in full swing the films began to borrow heavily from the films that came out before. 1980 saw the release of Flash Gordon which is a film that I absolutely adore. The film was a melting pot of action, adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi. This would be a blend that many films would use with a majority of them unable to pull this mix off.
Several months back I caught wind that Mill Creek Entertainment would be releasing the film Krull on blu. I had never seen the film but it looked amazing so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send me a review copy.
**Spoiler Alert**The film takes place on the planet Krull where a creature known only as “The Beast” has been sending slayers out to wreak havoc on everyone that inhabits the planet. Caught in the middle of The Beast and his war on the planet is warrior Prince Cowlyn and his soon to be wife Princess Lyssa.
Before the wedding the slayers attack the castle. Lyssa is taken alive and everyone is slaughtered with Cowlyn being the only survivor. The only man from the mountains visits the castle to take care of the dead and nurse Cowlyn back to health before setting out to get Lyssa back. Before he can face The Beast, Cowlyn has to get a mysterious weapon known as the “glaive.” On the road the old one and Cowlyn cross paths with a wanna-be wizard named Ergo the Magnificent, a band of thieves and bandits, a wizard and his young helper, and a cyclops. They face many foes along the way and suffer causalities but Cowlyn is able to reach The Beasts castle and save the princess.**Spoiler Alert**
When I heard the news about Mill Creek Entertainment releasing Krull on Blu I saw a lot of people that had actually seen the film lashing out and saying the film was bad and a waste of time and money. However, those that have read my reviews know that I often like what most don’t. Now, after seeing the film I am glad that I paid them no mind because this film was fucking fantastic. The film was truly amazing but I can see why some people may dislike it. It is a bit cliched and some scenes did not stand the test of time.
The acting in this one is very 80s and very over the top. The actors did not try to give serious performances and instead had fun with their roles which made some of the scenes feel like it was aimed at children. This gave the film some charm. The story for this one is detailed but it borrowed heavily from other fantasy, action, and adventure films that came out before them. Instead of using the same ideas they changed them up to make them feel new and unique.
Finally, the film is full if visual and special effects. The practical effects is great and really make the film fun but the visual effects are dated and this does take away from the film a small bit. Overall, Krull is a phenomenal film that has beautiful cinematography, rich story, and characters you will fall in love with. I highly recommend this one.
