Krull (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Krull (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Enjoyable fantasy romp!
Summary: 4 Stars
In a magical world called Krull, a mysterious dark magic fortress from space called "The Black Fortress" lands on the planet. A powerful Beast and his minions attack the planet, Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and the beautiful Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) as they marry so that two rival kingdoms can be united in peace, that is until the warriors of the Beast kidnap her during the ceremony. Colwyn joins up with an unlikely band of heroes named Ynyr (Freddie Jones), Ergo the magician (David Battley), Cyclopic Rell (Bernard Bresslaw), Convict Rhun (Robbie Coltrane from "Harry Potter"), Kegan (Liam Neeson), Oswyn (Todd Carthy), blind prophet Sneer (John Welsh) and young boy Titch (Graham Mcgrath) go on a quest to find the missing princess and Colwyn is armed with a special magical five-bladed disc weapon called "The Glave" which he must use it to battle the evil alien armies and the powerful Beast.
Exciting and enjoyably campy Sci-fi fantasy romp is one of the cleverist and most stylish Sci-fi and fantasy combo movies around even in the 80's. It is basically an unusual fairy tale that plays like a cross between "Star Wars", "Flash Gordon" and even J.R.R. Tolkein, the film has became to become a cult favorite with some fantasy/Sci-fi fans and people who grew up in the 80's. James Horner's music score is quite majestic here, there's decent acting, good special effects, cool looking monsters and plenty of action. If you like a good old fashioned campy Sci-fi fantasy epic with plain fun then this could be it.
This special edition DVD has quality picture and good sound with cool extras like two audio commentaries, an interactive full length virtual comic book with soundtrack and dialog from the film, Trailers to this and other Columbia titles, featurette, and bios.
Also recommended: "Clash of the Titans", "The Dark Crystal", "Star Wars Saga", "Flash Gordon", "Willow", "The Neverending Story", "Dragonheart", "Excalibur", "Fire and Ice", "Lord of the Rings Trilogy", "The Spiderwick Chronicles", "Heavy Metal", "Wizards", "The Fifth Element", "Army of Darkness", "The Princess Bride", "Big Trouble in Little China", "Princess Mononoke", "Star Trek Series" and "Starchaser: Legend of Orin".
Movie Review: grade 'B' movie gets an 'A'-grade DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
Unlike most reviewers here, I don't think Krull is as good as they say, let alone a classic. But the DVD quality and extras available on it make up for the film's shortcomings and really adds to the viewing experience. Another example of the DVD enhancing the actual film, beyond the obvious upgrade in video and audio. If you like this type of film, buy it. If you don't, a rental will do as it still makes for an enjoyable 'popcorn'-viewing experience. A few notes on the film:
*visually, it's still impressive. From the psychadelic set pieces inside the beast's fortress, the design of the 'Slayers', the 'swamp' sequence(arguably the best scene in the film), the widow's lair, etc. Only the sparse-looking castle designs at the beginning look 'cheap'. The music is also rousing and memorable enough to draw you in.
*the film should be given an award for not having an annoying child actor or grating 'comic relief' actor mess up the film. Both of these characters work quite well. In fact, the secondary characters(bandits, old man, cyclops,etc) all come off better(more natural) than the primary leads. Don't believe me? Can you imagine anyone else playing Luke Skywalker? No. But I could easily imagine someone else playing the leads in Krull. Btw, Lysette Anthony CAN act. She just doesn't do it very well in this one.
*the film does a nice job(for the most part) of invoking a medieval yet far-off time and place, with its main weakness being the not-so-charismatic leads and not so great script.
*One thing really bothers me though, the special weapon 'Glaive' is rendered pointless at the end when the two of them discover it's their love(ugh) that can defeat the beast, not the glaive-that and shooting fire out of Colwyn's hand. So why make such a big deal about getting the Glaive at the beginning?
Other films you might want to check out: Excalibur, Dragonslayer, Clash of the Titans, Conan the Barbarian, & maybe Hawk: The Slayer or The Beastmaster.
Movie Review: Kinda cheesy but fun B movie
Summary: 4 Stars
I hadn't seen this movie in a very long time until I rented it just recently. Seeing it as an adult is another experience than seeing it as a child as I did the first time around, but it was still a lot of fun. The special effects are dated now, and the acting is a little on the corny side, but it's still a good time. I'm not much of a fan of fantasy movies, but this had enough adventure in it to take away from those aspects that usually turn me off.
The premise is there for a good triumphing over evil story, which is always a good time. Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa have arranged a marriage, uniting their two kingdoms as an ancient tale has told. Their son will rule the gallaxy. On the eve of their wedding, the party is attacked and crashed by an army of evil. Princess Lyssa is taken away hostage by the army of The Beast, an invader whose Black Fortress has taken hold of their world. Colwyn has nothing but a wise old man advisor, his horses, and a band of happy bumbling fool wizards and criminals (one being a young Liam Neison) to help him on his quest to rescue Lyssa and defeat The Beast.
Fairy tales are wonderful things, especially in this harsh and rather bitter times we live in. The idea of the handsome prince wanting to come and rescue the damsel in distress in the ivory tower is always a wonderful fantasy for women of any age to have. Action and adventure always appeal to us, seeing people preform great physical stunts and overcoming impossible odds is a great thing. There's enough humor in it from the awkward wizzard Ergo, to the cyclops, to the cute kid Tich that appeals to people of all ages. And it's English humor on top of it, which provides some camp and silliness that only English humor can provide. A good movie for a lazy afternoon or an evening in. Have fun with it.
Movie Review: A SCI-FANTASY MUST OWN
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the more original fantasy films of the 80s, Krull is indeed an amalgamation of Excalibur and Star Wars (and even stars Liam Neeson, who has appeared in both). Krull itself is a pseudo-medieval world of swords and sorcery, but imperiled by aliens from another world known as Slayers, and their master who is known simply as the Beast. For reasons none-too-well defined, the Beast kidnaps Lyssa, the betrothed of the young swashbuckler Colwyn, and leaves the newly united kingdoms destroyed in his wake. With the aid of the wise Ynir, Colwyn sets out to rescue his fiancé and the entirety of Krull, while employing the aid of a ragtag group of adventurers he meets along the way. Though the visuals are dated now, the world of Krull is an interesting place filled with giant spiders, seers, firemares, and cyclopean aliens. Still, the adventure itself is a bit contrived, and somewhat predictable, and vague in more areas than it should be. And yet the film is one of those classic fantasy movies that see the light of day so rarely now, and brings with it an inherent charm and classical ambience. It is a straightforward sci-fantasy adventure, and aspires to no false pretenses.
The DVD itself is packed with interesting features for fans of Krull new and old, including audio commentaries and a making-of featurette which may not have been seen since around the time of the film's theatrical release in July of 1983. The on-screen display (menus and such) are very attractive and enhance the presentation value of the disc. It's certainly worth the money to own this little gem and add it to those collections of science fiction and fantasy out there.
Movie Review: An '80's classic!
Summary: 4 Stars
Despite the predictable, formulaic plot, this film contains plenty of visual and symbolic creativity to entertain sci fi and fantasy lovers. Surreal images and stunning filmography dominate the entire movie, and sufficiently overshadow the somewhat weak characterization and acting that is no more than satisfactory. The pre-computer age special effects are good enough and, most importantly, put to good use. The plot maintains a consistent pace and doesn't become sidetracked from its original aim. The music is an upbeat, John Williams-like symphonic composition.The story takes place on the planet Krull, which has been besieged by an evil entity known as the Beast. He inhabits the Black Fortress, a mountainous structure that changes location at every sunrise. Price Colwyn embarks on a quest to destroy this evil after his father is slain and his bride imprisoned in the Black Fortress. The plot progresses in a way reminiscent of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Some intriguing oddities, like the use of driving bits (normally used in conjunction with carriage harness) on the riding horses, help to create an otherworldly feel through relative unfamiliarity. Medieval style weaponry and laser guns bring past and future together in an interesting combination. Symbolism involving the concepts of time and space is prominent and repeated in countless different forms.
Though i personally like this film a lot, it's not for everybody. The lack of character depth and not-so-great acting are major counts against it, so i highly recommend renting it at your local video store before buying it.