User Reviews

This has always been one of my favorite movies for some reason. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's good; just that I like watching it.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone searching for a good fantasy title from the 80's. I would put "Krull" right up there with Ladyhawke, both Conan's, Willow, and the Dark Crystal.

What separates this fantasy film from the others is a plot involving a more science fiction- type element. Visitors from somewhere in space have landed on a planet named Krull to wreak havoc. After they snag up our hero, Prince Colwyn's bride-to-be, he goes on a quest to save her with the help of a star-shaped boomerang with knives called the Glaive and a band of strange characters including a cyclops and a goofy guy who can change into animals.

Good time fun worth the rental price. What else do you need here?

For film buffs, check out early performances by Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane.

I saw Krull recently on the HBO family channel (Comcast 304), of all channels. What's really funny is that Krull is rated PG for adult content! I believe the content of Krull wouldn't interest most adults, and diehard fantasy fans like myself aren't adults in the proper sense of the word anyway.

Krull offers the sheer pleasure of watching medieval men (Englishmen?), armed mostly with swords and spears, fighting seemingly unstoppable alien warriors with laser guns. The guns appear to have only one or two shots apiece, though, because most of the aliens turn their weapons over in combat to reveal blades for close-quarters fighting. If the aliens had infinite shots, that would be just too unfair for the hard-pressed good guys.

There is a story linking the action sequences together, which clearly draws its inspiration from Tolkien, Star Wars, and the Arthurian Legends. I can understand why someone wouldn't like Krull, because its similarities to Star Wars are so obvious that the movie seems derivative and formulaic even though it deserves credit for presenting its familiar fantasy elements in a somewhat unique manner.

The Krull plot concerns a young hero (no, not Luke Skywalker) with an old mentor (not Obi-Wan Kenobi), who must rescue a princess (not Leia) from an impregnable fortress (which is not the Death Star); otherwise, however, Krull bears no resemblance to Star Wars. Except for the massive spaceship/fortress that glides slowly by during the opening credits, of course.

One reason I like Krull is that the whole production has a distinctly British flavor: yes, the cast and the scenery are obviously British, even if some of it was filmed in Italy, but the movie is unmistakably British in more subtle ways.

The movie has bleak moments when all the good guys seem to be dying at once and their cause appears hopeless, but it also doesn't hesitate to be silly and poke fun at itself in quintessentially British fashion. The Ergo character provides comic relief with his transformations into various animals, which are all the more amusing because they are consistently unintentional. His fussiness and insistence upon his dignity are reminiscent of C-3PO from the Star Wars movies, except that C-3PO never expressed a desire for gooseberry pie.

The hero, his mentor and Ergo are waylaid by thieves, but rather than robbing them the criminals agree to join their quest in an enjoyable Robin Hood-type scene; not only do the thieves respect the hero when they learn that he's the future king, but at least one of them (Alun Armstrong) refuses to have his old shackles removed until the quest is complete. Armstrong's character is my favorite of the movie because I can't help liking a criminal who wants to redeem himself with heroism...like Han Solo (sorry, yet another Star Wars parallel).

Some comments have complained that Ken Marshall lacks charisma as the hero, but since he looks like Errol Flynn with a beard he certainly has the perfect appearance for a fantasy swashbuckler. He also runs the gamut of emotions well, bursting with youthful arrogance in the early scenes and seeming near the movie's end like someone who has actually been changed by experience and may grow into a great leader.

At least one comment complained that Marshall doesn't display enough grief for the deaths of his men, but since the good guys drop like flies in this movie (dying words are reserved for the developed characters) I don't blame him for not stopping to cry while alien laser beams fly past his head.

At least two subplots add mythological or religious connotations to the story: first, the Cyclops (Yes, there's a Cyclops in this movie, and it doesn't look believable at all. But who can hate a movie with a Cyclops?), whose ancestors "made a bargain with the Beast" for the gift of foresight, but were cheated so that they could only see their own deaths. Interesting. I think the Cyclops character was well developed in the movie, and his actions offer an interesting exploration of the issue of free will versus destiny.

Second, and my favorite sequence of the movie, is the visit to the Widow of the Web, because nothing could be more symbolic of a person consumed by hate and despair than someone who allows everyone who approaches to be ensnared in a web and devoured by a giant spider: the scene in which one character dares to approach the widow has the power of real myth.

Even if the spider's cheesy stop-motion animation renders it less than believably real, the sequence is so effectively creepy that it couldn't be improved today except by updating the special effects: perhaps the Shelob sequence in the third Lord of the Rings movie (for which the Krull sequence will provide an interesting precursor) will be better.

Peter Yates' direction is competent, though it's hardly the equal of Bullitt (the only other work of his that I've seen). The supporting cast is also more noteworthy than the leads, since it includes not only Freddie Jones and Francesca Annis from Dune but Robbie Coltrane, the aforementioned Alun Armstrong AND Liam Neeson! Any film that brings such a cast together deserves some credit.

I'm a huge Tolkien fan and fantasy fan overall, so I'm sure that I like this movie more than the typical viewer does. It has its fair share of problems, such as the fact that it goes on too long and doesn't go out of its way to engage an emotional response from the viewer, but I definitely believe that its sense of fun compensates for its flaws. When a movie shows me Errol Flynn killing alien warriors with a mystical boomerang, I cease to be a critic because serious film analysis has no place here!

At the very least, Krull is the kind of movie that will give you and your friends plenty to talk about afterward, supposing that they're willing to watch it with you.

Rating: 7 (A good fantasy-adventure.)

I remember that when i saw this for the first time i wasn´t very impressed. I remember that i didn´t like the "laser" beams that came out of the bad guys weapons. I remember thinking KRULL wanted to be a STAR WARS but it wasn´t very good at it.

Then as the years passed, i got to watch KRULL on video, and somehow i started realy to like this movie. By this time i had read a couple of fantasy books and i started to appreciate the attention to details in KRULL and the way the whole concept was organized as a movie.

Since then, each time i see it, i realy enjoy it more. Ok, it´s not the perfect fantasy movie, but compared to the usual more recent unimaginative excuses for movies that come out of Hollywood, (see "Neverending Story III" or "Warriors of Virtue"), this movie KRULL is a brilliant fantasy masterpiece.

KRULL has an excelent and different atmosphere, a much, much better script than WILLOW, excellent characters, a fantastic magic weapon, a good set design and it follows the Dungeon and Dragons formula in a very imaginative way, compared to the more recent movies.

The actors do their jobs well, (try to spot Leam Neeson) the situations are imaginative and the soundtrack is realy good and very atmospheric also.

The only minor fault in this production, is the way in wich we can immediately tell, when the outdoor scenes are filmed in indoor studios, because there is immediately a big contrast between the natural magnificent landscapes and the ones that are built in the studio. Which is a shame because sometimes it spoils the movie atmosphere. Anyway, who cares! KRULL is an excellent fantasy movie, and someone should make a directors cut from it and re-release it, because it might teach many hollywood executives how a good fantasy movie should be made. Even with its flaws !

A fantastic High Fantasy movie ! Go see it. It´s a shame this movie is so forgotten. Excelent stuff.

Rating: *** out of ****

Enough people have tried comparing to Krull to Star Wars that I won't even bother emphasizing the similarities aside from the fact that Krull's mythology isn't half as well thought out, but it's just as fun as anything in George Lucas' space opus, and that's good enough to earn a recommendation from me; at the very least, this is easily among the best of its respective genre (better than, say The Sword and the Sorcerer or Willow), and it is to these standards one will immediately realize if this movie is up their alley or not. It probably isn't.

Set on a faraway world known as Krull, the film opens with the oncoming invasion of the Slayers, a fearsome, planet-conquering army led by the Beast, whose lair is a spacecraft shaped like a large mountain called the Black Fortress. They've clearly got the sword-wielding residents of Krull outmatched, as the Slayers are armed with laser, though they curiously still use horses as a means of transportation.

Knowing the only way to stave off the invaders is to unite, the planet's two warring kingdoms set aside their differences so that Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) may be wed. In the middle of the wedding ceremony, the Slayers storm the palace, killing everyone except for Colwyn, and they take Lyssa back to the Fortress as a gift to the Beast. If this was really the extent of both kingdoms' armies, then I don't see how they could have stood even the slightest chance in a full-on war with the Slayers.

Anyway, the Beast has apparently chosen Lyssa to be his bride because he's aware of the prophecy that whomever she chooses to be her husband (and consequently the king), their eventual son will become ruler of the galaxy. Logically, I could only see this working if she chose the Beast, considering Colwyn has no means of interplanetary travel, which would make galaxy-ruling a bit of a tough task.

Determined to save his bride, Colwyn retrieves the five-bladed throwing star (think Alien vs. Predator) called the Glaive and recruits loyal followers during his journey (namely a band of criminals, including Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane). Hindering their quest is the fact that the Fortress automatically transports to a new location during every sunrise. This does beg the question why the Beast doesn't just blast off the planet with his bride-to-be than risk the slightest chance of Colwyn finding her...but I digress.

For all the moments of cheese (no moment unintentionally funnier than when Colwyn is able to recognize one of his men by a blood trail), unconvincing blue-screens, and occasional subpar effects, Krull still works dandily as a rollicking adventure. The cast is much better than usual for this kind of material, with Ken Marshall making for a charismatic and likable hero and lovable rogues like Neeson, Coltrane, and Alun Armstrong (whom I'll always remember as the traitorous Mornay in Braveheart) providing solid support. Lysette Anthony radiates beauty as Lyssa, she's easily one of the most drop-dead gorgeous princesses in cinema history. There's no question I'd go through the same trouble to rescue her as well.

Despite running a little over two hours, Krull moves at a consistently excellent pace, delivering good production values (loved the exterior and interior sets of the Black Fortress), beautiful locations (and thus, some lovely cinematography), and a number of exciting action sequences. The battle scenes are surprisingly well-choreographed; whatever the sword fights may lack in gritty violence is made up for by pure swashbuckling fun. Other terrific scenes include Colwyn's solo rock-climbing, the trek through the swamps, the adventurous ride on the Firemares, and the battle/chase within the Fortress. The action and adventure is given a great boost from James Horner's rousing score, one of the composer's personal best.

Director Peter Yates strictly adheres to fantasy formula, so there are no surprises to be found. The plot is occasionally baffling, essentially making up a lot of its own rules as it goes along (the old mentor telling Colwyn he can't use the Glaive until the right moment, a character staying behind because his "time is up" only to come to the rescue later, etc.). But it's all in good fun, and the movie is pieced together with moderate coherency and consistent momentum. Recommended to fans of 80s fantasy, Krull delivers the goods for those into this sort of thing.

It's hard to rate this film in conventional terms. I am a sucker for this golden age of sci-fi fantasy. I did see it as an adult for the first time, so didn't imprint on it as a child. The good was wonderful and the bad was amusing. It's certainly derivative, but shines in moments of originality.

Plot: 6/10 (derivative fantasy; a cornucopia of Star Wars, Willow, LOTR and other classics) Art direction: 10/10 World/Magic: 10/10 Characters: 6/10 (none evoke much empathy, development is mostly shallow) Acting: 4/10 (mostly - a few good actors stood out) Locations: 9/10 Pace: moves quickly, stays dynamic. Definitely doesn't drag.

Better than Legend, not as good as Willow. Similar in overall style & quality to Labyrinth, except no Bowie, no muppets.

Lowkey cameos by: Galadriel/Shelob, ponyta, Starlord, Highlander, the princess from Legend, Fin Raziel, Sauron, Capt. Archer's beagle, necromongers/stormtroopers/ringwraiths, light sabers, Obi Won, John Carpenter's The Thing, Mt. Doom, Sarumon, Road Warriors, Lothlorien x Death Star, Jodorowsky's Dune. Granted, in some cases this came first. Watch the madness unfold. Enjoy.

What happens when you mashup Star Wars, Robin Hood, Lord of the Rings, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon? You get Krull!

It's a campy fantasy story which borderline doesn't take itself too seriously. This style would eventually be perfected in "The Princess Bride" a few years later - and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the latter film was heavily inspired by this one.

An alien called "the beast" (who resembles a certain 1950s movie monster) inexplicably invades the planet Krull in a mountain-sized spaceship - seemingly made of foam painted to look like rocks. Thus begins an invasion of Darth Vader styled soldiers wielding light sabers and blasters. Meanwhile the local inhabitants - resembling swordsmen and knights from the middle-ages - are forced to fight back. This climaxes in the alien's capture of their princess (although why they need this princess is not fully explained!) Naturally our hero and his band of merry-men/fellowship have to go on an epic quest to Mord.... er sorry, the Beast's castle - and what happens next is mostly predictable!

Despite it's a cliched and tired "rescue the princess" story which has been tabletop role-playing game fodder for decades, it has enough weirdness, campiness, strange characters, and twists that keep it enjoyable. It's somewhat perversely funny and silly, with clumsy paper-thin sets and poor quality rubber masks, and acid-induced special effects. This prevents it from getting boring or too predictable. Also, Krull presents to us one of the coolest movie weapons ever shown on the silver-screen, the shuriken-esque "Glaive". Why the protagonist doesn't use it earlier to defeat his enemies is always going to be the lingering question!

If you enjoy wonderfully weird and campy "quest" films like Zardoz, or even Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain - you are going to enjoy this one too... although Krull manages to keep it all G-rated!

On the surface, 'Krull' may be a hopelessly dated pastiche of better films, but I'm here to contend that it's actually far better, clever and more original than it gets credit for. Skillfully directed by Peter Yates (Bullitt, Breaking Away) and featuring a rousing score from James Horner's high heroic period, it looks and feels very much what I imagine a live-action 'Lord of the Rings' adaptation would have if made during the 80s. The sets are extraordinary, and the on location shots are equally breathtaking. No expense was spared, with its production budget reportedly pushing $50 million (Approx. $122 million in today's dollars), and it shows. The lead ('Marco Polo' star Ken Marshall) is a bit bland, but believably heroic as he swashes his buckle in an effort to rescue his bride (the incredibly beautiful Lysette Anthony, who was dubbed for no good reason by a much older American actress), and his supporting cast, featuring then unknowns Liam Neeson and Robbie Coletrane, add a nice dash of flavor.

Equal parts 'Dungeons and Dragons', Errol Flynn and 'Star Wars', 'Krull' is a fun, agenda-free throwback that deserves a second look.

This movie is half way between being so bad, it's good and being so good, it's er...good. It's neither too camp, nor badly acted, nor does it have any really dire special effects. But then again, the acting isn't brilliant nor are the effects stunning (except for the spider, which is pretty good).

In short, it's OK.

The hero's main weapon is a kind of giant shuriken-thing which slices through almost anything. It's also under his mental control, which is nice, but as he's non-too bright we don't get to see any of the really wicked things you COULD do with a flying circular saw if you had an imagination.

The cast has a few well-known names in it. Liam Neeson, for example, in his early years. The things actors do before they become famous.

There's also my fave bad actor, Bernard Bresslaw. Sadly, his bad acting is hampered by a dodgy facial prosthetic which hides half his face. So we are not treated to his usual silliness and clown-like mugging. Instead we have to endure the presence of his cyclop's prosthetic throughout the movie. And trust me, it ain't very convincing. Imagine a one-eyed giant whose face has been frozen through Botox abuse and you'll get the idea.

And there's the evil Beast, which the cast are trying to destroy. Apparently it doesn't have legs, and is trapped inside it's fortress. All it can do is blow fireballs at the hero, which are pretty ineffectual. I actually felt a bit sorry for it. The final fight scene was rather like watching someone beat up a disabled person.

But on the whole this movie is alright and destined to be remembered with fondness for years to come.

I grew up in the 80s with my grandparents renting this on VHS over and over again. It's one of thouse movies that took me back then by storm. It has a bit of Star Wars and a bit of Sword in the stone/King Arthur mixed in to this perfect fantasy like adventure movie. From start to finish there is a pretty fast pace through everything. And no part felt boring for a child in the 80s in this movie. Great effects for it's time that might look outdated by todays CGI standards, but that shouldent take away much if your looking for a Classic Sci-fi fantasy movie from the 80s. And this one actually has the most amazing weapon used in any movie out there period. I think all actors did great in this movie and some of them became big or known stars later on in their carrer. And Ken Marshall should have been one of them in my opinion. Krull has a very special vibe to it, that is hard to describe in words. So give it a go if you havent, and enjoy the adventure in this Classic tale of good vs exil.

A sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man named Colwynn , a mythic and valiant hero fighting heinous forces of evil. A world light-years beyond your imagination. This is a tale of magic , death , blood and fights ; set in a mythical primitive world and wild age . A good sword and sorcery story dealing with a prince (Ken Marshall) and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride (Lysette Anthony) from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet. , He wanders the ancient lands, seeking out his beloved Kira , and pitting his might against various sorcerers and tyrants . Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his friends wage war against weird enemies .

This fantasy picture packs thrills , imagination , impressive fights , a love story , fantastic creatures and special effects galore . This amusing movie packs witchery, wizardly, necromancy, brutality, magnificent production values and lots of adventures and action. In the wake of Robert E. Howard's Conan (John Milius) , Conan the Destroyer (Richard Fleischer) and Beastmaster (Don Coscarelli) it's a sort of comic-strip and one of the best from ¨Sword and Sorcery¨ genre . Thrills, action and adventures are brilliantly presented and edited to offer the maximum impact . Enjoyable main cast as Ken Marsall and Lysette Anthony , though both of didn't have a notorious career . Marshall is perfect cast as classic fantasy-hero and Lysette is attractive as valiant heroine . Sympathetic support cast with prestigious secondaries such as Robbie Coltrane , Alun Armstrung , Francesca Annis , Liam Neeson and last film of John Welsh. . Thilling and imaginative musical score by James Horner , though it is based on the score he did the previous year for Star Trek II - wrath of Khan . Glamorous and luxurious cinematography by Peter Suschitzky .

This entertaining film was well directed by Peter Yates, appointing the accent on the adventures and struggles . Peter was a good craftsman , being mostly known for ¨Bullit¨ , the success of this venture prompted Yates to remain in America, adapting himself to a variety of other genres, though continuing to be preoccupied with action subjects . Never a prolific director, Yates subsequently made only a few more films . His best films include the stylish and ingenious caper comedy Hot Rock (1972); the underwater adventure Deep (1977), based on the novel and screenplay by Peter Benchley; and the quirky coming-of-age comedy Breaking away (1979). For the latter, Yates received simultaneous Oscar nominations as Best Director and Best Producer and the enjoyably old-fashioned comedy Curtain call (1998), starring Michael Caine and Maggie Smith as a couple of theatrical ghosts. He was nominated again for a more cerebral 'actor's piece', The dresser (1983), starring Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay , based on a play about an ageing stage actor and his long-standing assistant. It was followed by a flop titled Eleni (1985) with John Malkovich . Most memorable, perhaps, were the courtroom thriller Suspect (1987), the political drama House de Carroll Street (1988) .

I count myself a great fan of classic fantasy movies, usually they´re cheesy b-movie trash and even those I can bring myself to like, Krull is a strugle for me. I dont know if I can truly recommend it, Ill back off a bit to explain myself.

The movie has great production value, especially the sets and some costumes and props look amazing and create a world distinguished from other fantasy worlds, in regards to acting and so forth there are also no comlaints. The huge problem for me is the plot. The movie just asumes you understand things and especially motivations that really arent explained. If your hero just grabs into lava although there is no reason to believe that it wont just burn off his arm, if companions sacrifice themselves although there is no reason for them to do it, if the established coward just follows into the most dangerous place in the land without even having any concern (etc.) your story just doesnt work. You will understand what the movie wants you to think and feel, but only because you´ve seen other movies and know how they are supposed to work. The best examples of how this "because... reasons" storytelling makes the movie fall flat is the motivation of our protagonist and our antagonist. Hero and princess meet and within seconds they are somehow deeply in love. Damn, now I can totally root for that deep 10 second connection to survive the movie. Why not start the movie with them already being a couple? Saves time and makes more sense in the progression of the movie. Our antagonists reason why he specifically captures that princess are never explained. So the two motivations of our hero and our villain are basically non-existant, the result is, that I didnt care who wins, who looses, who dies or lives.

Ive reviewed other cheesy movies that tend to make no sense, those also get around 3-4 stars, the issue I have with Krull is, that unlike those other movies, this movie had a respectable budget but the story is even more frustrating than most b-movie plots. Not the plot as a whole, but those countless tiny stupidities just like the ones I mentioned before. They dont allow me to get emotionally invested into anything thats going on. I could just as well watch the movie without any audio, my mind would probably come up with a story that makes more sense than this.

The planet Krull has been invaded by a great evil The Beast. Two kingdoms have joined through the planned marriage of Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) and Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall). At the wedding, the forces of The Beast attack, kidnapping the princess, and massacring everyone else. Sole survivor Colwyn joins with a band of disparate characters on a quest to kill The Beast and rescue the princess.

This is a very simple good versus evil storyline. It's a quest road movie. David Battley is especially funny as the incompetent magician Ergo. All the iconic characters are there including the great Alun Armstrong as the bandit leader Torquil. And sharp eyes will see a younger Liam Neeson.

This along with Dragonslayer is my favorite British fantasy of that era. The stories are original and yet comfortably familiar. It had the FX but CG would soon make the miniature models and real sets old school. It didn't help that Return of the Jedi came out right before this. This movie has great cheese appeal, but is outclassed in production value by Jedi.

--- As usual, no spoilers or plot-description here. ---

Krull is oft-criticised for its formulaic derivative plot, that is absolutely justified. Even back in 1983 this was tired formula. And not just derivative: the plot & mythology is so thin that there's not much for the viewer to grab on to. No real mysteries to ponder.

The other significant weakness is poorly-choreographed action: slow lumbering swipes, obvious moves, no real feeling of thrill or oomph in the fighting.

The dialogue is basic, the cast of characters are merely functional.

Normally such weaknesses will damn a film to the below 5/10 group. Yet Krull engages so well with its pace and visual story-telling. It entertainingly hits the beats of standard fantasy fare while offering a generous handful of fine visual stimuli: epic mountain terrain, atmospheric sets, interesting villain designs and artful photographic imagery. FX are decent.

It's the kind of film where if you're in the mood for a lightweight typical-80's fantasy quest-adventure it'll hit the spot.

Krull falls into the category of movies that are better in your memory than they are in reality. Released in 1983 this fantasy epic boasts performances by some acting greats, Robbie Coltrane (Cracker, Hagred from Harry Potter), Liam Neeson (Rob Roy, Phantom Menace)and Bernard Bresslaw from the classic Carry On British movie series. Despite this though the movie throws in character after character without developing any of them beyond a one line description and as such you connect with none of them.

The plot starts out as an interesting blend of sci-fi meets fantasy as the Beast in his planet hopping mountain sending in his black armored stormtroopers to steal him a bride in what can only be described as an intergalactic booty call. After Princes Lyssa is taken by the Slayers, her intended, the scarcely bearded Prince Colwyn, seeks out a mystical weapon, the Glaive, a super sharp frizzbee and gathers an army of criminals and outcasts to assault the mountain of the Beast.

Sadly the movie turns into predictable fantasy as character after character is killed in a series of uninspired set pieces and the final battle with the Beast is so badly done you feel robbed. Plus if you are a galactic conqueror wouldn't you spend the extra cash and get your henchmen guns that fire more than one shot before they have to be flipped and turned into traditional bladed weapons? The appeal of this movie however is purely in its nostalgia factor. I watched this as a young boy and loved it even if I knew it wasn't the greatest movie my Dad had sat me down in front of. I watch this movie now to take me back to those days when life was simpler and Lysette Anthony was everything I wanted in a woman.

In the wake of Star Wars, fantasy films about brave heroes trying to rescue kidnapped princesses were suddenly in demand. Krull was one such film to jump aboard the band-wagon. There are also elements here of Robin Hood (the costumes look like they've been borrowed from natives of Sherwood Forest, and the hero is aided by a rogue's gallery of "merry men") and Perseus and Andromeda (the hero has to complete several mini-tasks before he can get on with his main quest).

Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) has just married the beautiful Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) when their city is raided and the princess is kidnapped. She is taken away to a heavily defended citadel. Colwyn sets off to rescue her, and during the course of his quest he picks up additional companions, including a bumbling magician (David Battley), a courageous cyclops (Bernard Bresslaw), and a gang of honourable bandits (which includes Alun Armstrong, Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane).

Krull is highly derivative, but reasonably entertaining. The special effects are decent for the time, but probably look a little primitive to over-spoilt modern eyes. Marshall's leading performance is extraordinarily bland, but his unashamed earnestness actually becomes part of the fun once you get used to the fact that he's trying desperately to play it seriously (without a shred of success!) The supporting characters are more interesting and are fairly well-played (despite the hopelessly hokey dialogue they have to contend with). In general, Krull is a likable movie which tries to keep up its lively pace, and manages to provide a fair number of thrills for youngsters and sci-fi afficianados. If you don't expect too much from it, you'll come away satisfied.

Krull has impressive sets, an impressive soundtrack and impressive visual effects, so why isn't the movie more impressive? I guess it's because the story is overly complicated, while the characters are one-dimensional and mostly forgettable. Even the Glaive, exciting at first glance, ends up being underwhelming in the end. Rifftrax made this film hilarious, but I don't think I'd enjoy Krull as much on its own.

There's a silliness that "Krull" is never able to shake off, but on the other hand, you can't deny the film's imagination. The lavish sets, matte paintings and staggering scenery do a pretty good job putting you on another planet (or at least that planet's English countryside), and it adorns the classic hero narrative with futuristic trappings. At the end of the day, it's a brave knight questing to save true love from the gnarly beast . . . with his friendly neighborhood cyclops. Two things that jumped out at me were the (very) "Wrath of Khan" score, and the end glaive battle felt like Tron fighting the MCP. But that's just nitpicking. Pacing issues aside, this movie seems to tick off the full checklist of space fantasy, and it's kind of a cool visual trip.

Also, this is the same guy that directed "Bullitt". I get a kick out of that.

7/10

Star Wars. Star Trek. Lord of the Rings. These are all films/genres that helped create this clichéd yet imaginative film called Krull. A child of the early 80s, Krull is a film that bases so much of its emphasis on special effects and world-creation that the story and characters fall clearly on the wayside. The acting and the story itself could not stand alone for this film, so the director countered it with a plethora of animation, green-screen, and well-designed sets. This is the greatest part of Krull. Do not go into this film expecting a powerful hero, well-liked sub-characters, or even a comedic tone (though director Peter Yates tries over and over again to use David Battley for this purpose), but instead revel in the power of the 1980s special effects. In a pre-"Industrial Light and Magic", pre-Lucas, pre-Jackson era, Krull stands alone as a visual masterpiece. I loved the world that Yates created. I could literally see the vast stories that could have been told about each character. I could see the different creatures and magic of the land. I could see the horror of this alien evil, but alas, I could not see the characters.

Acting classes were needed for everyone in this film. Even the illustrious Liam Neeson could be seen at times slipping in and out of character (though to find the true character would be a harder task). Ken Marshall does a horrid job as the new King of Krull attempting to show emotion as he saves the supposed love of his life. In nearly every scene Marshall counters the enemy with smirks and emotionless drive. You could tell from the beginning that Marshall was not Yates' first choice to lead his picture, but instead the option they had to fall back on. With a horrible actor leading this band of cheap delinquents, it is obvious that nobody else took this film seriously. Torquil tried to be rugged, but instead just felt useless. Ergo tried to play the comic card, but instead felt like a dated magician at a child's party. The rest fell flat on their faces as well. The use of voice dubbing for both Robbie Coltrane's role as well as Lysette Anthony was embarrassing. When you would watch the special features on the DVD, you just wanted to yell to the actors saying that their voices wouldn't make the final cut. Their voices on the final film just didn't match the bodies that produced them. It was completely off kilter, and a formidable mistake by Yates.

The lack of acting ability comes from not knowing the character that you are playing. If you develop your character strongly, then you become that character, and the acting comes naturally. In Krull, there was no character development, which added more to the acting hindrance. We needed to see more of the devastation by the Slayers and perhaps a bit of backstory on the leader of the Slayers. This would have lead to a very climactic ending, instead of the clichéd and rushed ending that we were handed. I wanted to know more about the characters, more about their histories and stories, but we didn't get them. I could have used a campfire scene where each talked about their lives on Krull. It would have given so much more depth to not only the characters, but also the story and the planet. While it was obvious that the special effects budget was high, some of that money could have been used to strengthen the characters, build their lives, and deliver them to audiences. Instead, I felt we received cheapened, nearly stolen, versions of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars packed into two hours.

The plus side to this film has to be the special effects. While it is obvious that the characters were not given any depth or unique values, the world of Krull did. The journeys that our team makes to several unique places on Krull made this film exciting. I didn't realize that Krull's mythology was going to develop so well. The scenes with the Seer, the Widow of the Web, and the location of the five-bladed boomerang kept me glued to the screen. I wanted to see where special effects department would take me next. While some seemed cheap, it was well imagined. Detail seemed to be a big point with the special effects. While it was overlooked with the characters, it doubled in size for the effects. The spider was obviously fake, but it was a "fun fake" meaning it kept you glued to the screen to see what would happen next. The special effects on this film reminded me of Ray Harryhausen's work, or at least a decent dedication to him. For the special effects alone, this film was worth watching once. If it wasn't for these saving effects, I do believe Krull would have long been forgotten by now.

Overall, I thought this was a mediocre science fiction film. If it hadn't been released in my youth, I do not believe I would have enjoyed it. The characters were annoying, the story was nothing spectacular (alas, you can see this "lone king bands together with hooligans to save his queen" story everywhere), but the special effects were outstanding. Again, this film was no Star Wars, but it did provide for two hours of eye candy fun. Both the amateur sci-fi watchers to the most experienced fanatics could enjoy Krull. I do not suggest continual viewings of this film, but to enjoy the special effects and the rich world of Krull, I say watch it once … it will do you no harm!

Grade: *** out of *****

'Fantasy', in the traditional 'Dungeons & Dragons' sense, in the movies is often seen by the general public as a warning sign (and often rightly so). On the surface, Krull does seem like standard fantasy cliche. Prince must rescue princess from monster. Not very promising so far, is it? Already starting to lose interest? YOU FOOLS! Consider these additional elements: An orchestral soundtrack by the mighty James Horner (Titanic), which is possibly the best score he has ever written, possibly even THE best score ever written; A brilliant mostly-British cast, including Liam Neeson, Robbie Coltrane, Tucker Jenkins :) and a host of other distinguished actors; A script which is so corny that it cannot fail to be fantastic when delivered with such hammed-up enthusiasm by the actors; and finally a few brilliant touches such as the boyhood-dream-weapon the Glave - a giant mind-controlled shuriken. This film falls in to the same category as Flash Gordon which was released a few years before - epic, brit-centric, totally entertaining masterpieces of camp grandeur. Don't write it off until you've seen it enough to appreciate its subtleties.

An Earth like planet named Krull finds itself under a state of Siege by an all-powerful Beast and its many minions, which are known as Slayers. Two opposing groups unite to fight the Beast and the Slayers only to perish. However, a prince named Colwyn (Ken Marshall) survives, and spurred on by a wise old mentor type named Ynyr (Freddie Jones), he makes the journey necessary to find the Black Fortress (a.k.a. the Beasts' stronghold), to find the weapon he needs (the Glaive - sort of a multi-bladed boomerang), and to gather together a group of travelling companions.

This may not be among the most prestigious of the many films that the late, versatile filmmaker Peter Yates directed, but it's got to be among the most fun. Aided by a very talented cast and crew and a substantial budget, he makes this an agreeable diversion, if also a rather familiar one. The widescreen photography (by Peter Suschitzky, who'd shot "The Empire Strikes Back"), the glorious rural vistas, the soaring music by James Horner (this has to rank as one of his finest scores), the makeup effects by Nick Maley, and a generous dose of cheese and corn do make "Krull" very watchable if not altogether memorable entertainment.

Leads Marshall and Lysette Anthony are appealing and very good looking, if also on the bland side, but compensating for that is the rock solid supporting cast: Jones, Francesca Annis as the "Widow of the Web" (the sequence with Jones and Annis is emotional and poignant and the highlight of the movie), Alun Armstrong, Liam Neeson, and Robbie Coltrane as three of the several bandits who join Colwyn in the fight against evil, Bernard Bresslaw as the one eyed Rell, John Welsh as the blind seer, and David Battley as the character Ergo, who supplies comedy relief by changing into various animals, whether he wants to or not.

All in all, "Krull" should prove to be enjoyable enough for devotees of the fantasy genre.

Seven out of 10.

Which shocks me more - how bad this film was, or the glowing comments by other viewers? I have been an SF / Fantasy fan since my childhood 40 years ago(remember Time Tunnel?) reading John Christopher novels, then moving up to Tolkien, Bradbury and the Thomas Covenant series.

Krull has it all: Princess Vacuous (Lysette Anthony) who succeeds only in looking pretty, but cannot act to sell detergent, Liam Neeson once again proving that even good actors will do anything for screen time or money, cheesy special effects that would not have made the cut for Star Trek in the 60s, badly choreographed action sequences, a villainous monster that looks like a Halloween costume my wife might throw together for a five year old, and tense battle scenes that consist of the Prince stretching out his arm and trying to vary the pained expression on his face for minutes at a time. Or maybe he just broke character when he realized how bad this film was going to be.

I gave this 2 of 10, because it is a hilarious study in bad film-making, right up there with Condorman. Just don't watch more than 1/2 hour at a time unless you have insomnia.

I was very surprised when I saw this money years ago. I had VERY low expectations for this fantasy film but it turned out to be a pretty good film--with an interesting story and decent acting. About the only disappointment was Krull's weapon the "glave"--it was really neat but he never really got to use it very much. Oh well. In fact, years later, I watched the film again (and I rarely watch films more than once) because it was just mindless fun. I do think, though, that those who really don't like medieval fantasy films still won't have their opinions changed by the film, but those willing to at least, on occasion, see this type of film (and that's definitely me) will have an enjoyable time.

Oh dear. Is the best statement about this film. It's common to view films through a rose tinted filter when re-watching years later. Although I remember this being liked at the time its one of few fantasy films from the 80's I hadn't seen back then one so this review is based upon a single recent viewing - sorry Krull but you were pretty bad.

I would say watch it if you particularly want to see very early roles for Liam Neeson, Robbie Coltrane, Todd Carty but a YouTube clip maybe better than watching the whole film.

If the bad guys with laser guns (that shoot out of their swords) just shot from range all the time the good guys would not have stood a chance but fortunately for them though for some in explicable reason these technologically advanced aliens only shoot a few times then close the range and used the guns as swords! Oh and they also ride horses.

The story plays out a bit like one of our role playing adventures when we were kids, where you journey for a bit, find one dead end, then journey some more and find another before a mad rush to the treasure at the end - in this case the princess.

Watch it for a bit of nostalgia, young stars and to thank the stars films are not like this anymore but don't expect the special effects to be anywhere near as good as Return of the Jedi from the same year or even as good as other fantasy films like Conan and the Dark Crystal made the year before.