Krull Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1983

Krull was a 1983 sci-fi/fantasy hybrid that featured plenty of action, magic, atmosphere and special effects wrapped around a story that at first glance may seen generic (boy loses girl, boy sets out to rescue kidnapped girl, boy has final confrontation with kidnapper) but is actually far more unique than most films within the genre. Krull is a quirky fantasy film that borrows as much from Star Wars as it does from the standard fantasy fare of the time.

How does it hold up twenty plus years after its release? Not too badly at all… read on to learn more about this movie.

Krull is a beautiful planet that was recently invaded by an all-powerful entity known as the Beast as well as his minions (dubbed Slayers). Two rival nations are forced to drop their feud and become one in order to resist the tyranny of the Beast and defend the planet against the hoards of Slayers. To seal their partnership and ensure it remains stable, Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) will unite together in marriage.

During the wedding reception the Slayers assault the stronghold and kidnap the princess, leaving the prince and his defenders for dead. Of course Prince Colwyn isn't dead at all, and is brought back to health by an old wise man, Ynyr (Freddie Jones), who also explains to the heartbroken young prince that his love is very much still alive. Together the two set out to retrieve a mythical weapon named the Glaive, the only instrument of war capable of defeating the Beast.

After recovering the Glaive with relative ease, the difficult leg of their journey begins. They must seek out the Black Fortress, the lair in which the Beast resides. The problem is the fortress never remains in one place - it teleports to a random location on the planet Krull each sunrise.

Ynyr knows of one old mystic that may be able to predict the next appearance of the Black Fortress, but the journey to this knowledge is long and hard. Along the way a motley group of thieves as well as an honorable Cyclops joins Prince Colwyn's party, but the army of Slayers as well as murderous changelings that can take the form of anyone harries their progress. On such a perilous quest, who will live and who will die…

The storyline is one of the movie's strong points; it borrows from typical fantasy archetypes and gives a more than subtle nod to Star Wars too, but the sum of its parts creates a unique tale that even today stands alone in the genre. The entire story isn't inspired, as evident by generic titles such as "Beast" and "Slayers," but overall the storyline is well above average when compared to the typical fantasy plot.

Special effects are a mixed bag; some of the effects are almost painfully dated (such as a fantastical horse ride in the latter half), but others managed to withstand the passage of time pretty well. You can't fairly compare Krull's special effects with that of today's since obviously twenty years ago effects were reliant less on technology and more on creativity. Today, any whiz kid with a computer can create snappy effects.

The acting ranges from cheesy to proficient. Freddie Jones nails his role as the wise Ynyr, and Bernard Bresslaw brings a quiet dignity to his performance as the Cyclops. David Battley brings comic relief to Krull with his depiction of Ergo the Magnificent, a bumbling magician that doesn't allow his ineptitude to shake his confidence in himself.

Ken Marshall left me scratching my head at times. He looks the part of Prince Colwyn, and he certainly possessed the agility and skill to make his swordfights and action scenes entertaining. The problem is that during certain scenes he had a goofy boyish grin splayed across his face! Sure, it made perfect sense when he grinned at Ergo's humorous antics, but Marshall also grinned at scenarios that even the village idiot would have taken seriously, such as his final confrontation with the Beast. It wasn't enough to ruin the movie by any means, but his performance was definitely one-dimensional.

The weapon worked for the film; most of the battle incorporates standard medieval weaponry, but the Slayers are armed with spears that fire lasers (similar to some rods aliens wielded in Star Wars). The Glaive was an interesting idea also: a five-pronged bladed instrument meant to be thrown as a boomerang. You'll just have to suspend your sense of disbelief a bit, lest you start pondering how it is Prince Colwyn can easily capture the spinning weapon on its return journey without cutting his fingers off.

In summary, Krull is a pretty good mixture of sci-fi and fantasy that is wholesome enough for the entire family. It's not a work of art, certainly, but it does provide plenty of action and entertainment for fans of the genre.

Movie rating: 6 stars

If you enjoyed Krull you may also find the following films to be of interest:

Enjoy the Krull experience in the comfort of your own home with these products!

DVD

VHS

Movie Sitemap

Wondering if the Netflix service is all
it's cracked up to be? Read our
detailed review and find out!