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Krull

Actor(s): Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, Alun Armstrong
Director(s): Peter Yates
31

Movie Details

MPAA Rating: PG
Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Suitable for Children
Movie Release: 1983
DVD Release: 04/03/2001
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Edition: Special Collection
Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Korean, Spanish, Thai
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 2 hrs 1 mins
Studio: Columbia TriStar
Members Wishing: 24
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sword-and-Sorcery, Sci-Fi Action
See Also: Krull [Includes Digital Copy]

DVD Synopsis

Meant to be a whimsical sword-and-sorcery film about a prince out to save his princess from the jaws of the Beast, Krull has enough scenes borrowed from blockbuster predecessors (Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Robin Hood, Star Wars) and is gentle enough to be rather derivative, ordinary fare. Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) has inherited a kingdom under siege by the evil Beast, and not only has to rid the land of the monster, but he has to rescue his bride Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) from the Beast's clutches as well. In his magical land, horses can sometimes fly, medieval castles can harbor weapons that light up, and before he can defeat the Beast, the prince has to get his hands on the glaive (French for "double-edged sword"), a razor-sharp, magical weapon capable of killing the monster. One of the more notable aspects of Krull is that a 30-year old Liam Neeson plays the bit part of Kegan, in only his third full-length feature film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Actors

Ken Marshall - Prince Colwyn
Lysette Anthony - Lyssa
Freddie Jones - Ynyr
Francesca Annis - Widow of the Web
Alun Armstrong - Torquil

Editorial Review of DVD

Krull was a lot of fun when it met with a Star Wars-hungry audience back in 1983, and it's a great deal of fun on DVD as well. Fitted with a beautiful, rich 2.35:1 presentation and dynamic Dolby Digital Sound, the DVD seemingly delivers a viewer right into the lap of director Peter Yates' fantasy world. Since the movie wasn't a blockbuster on the level of the films that inspired it, it's a treat that the DVD is packed with great supplemental material. The stylish menus are admirable eye candy, though it's unusual that the movie's score doesn't play after one accesses the "Special Features" area. "Journey to Krull" is a nostalgic, blurb-heavy, 20-minute promotional featurette narrated by Tom Bosley; it's worth a look for fans. Two full-length audio commentaries are available. The first features Yates and three of the movie's stars; Yates and company are friendly and informative, putting the movie and its action scenes into proper perspective. The second commentary track is an odd advertisement, as a monotone narrator reads from a script; it's hard to enjoy. Four high-quality photo galleries present cast portraits, behind-the-scenes images, design and concept artwork, and vintage advertising material. "Talent Files" presents the usual filmographies for Yates and three primary actors. A theatrical trailer sits alongside two trailers from like-minded films. All chapters can be instantly selected via chapter titles, numbers, and film clips from the "Chapters" menu. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

Jason C. (JJC) from NEWARK, NJ wrote on 1/30/2008...

Two months after I witnessed what would be the last installment (for a long while anyway) of "Star Wars," I witnessed another cool sci-fi flick that pretty much came from nowhere. I'm talking about the epic sci-fi fantasy film, "Krull."

A cross between "Star Wars" and "Excalibur," "Krull" follows the story of Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) who is about to be married to the beautiful Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony). However the Beast, a giant alien tyrant has traveled to the planet Krull, via his space castle known as The Black Fortess, with plans to conquer the Earth-like world and taking Princess Lyssa as his own bride. The Beast steals the Princess on her wedding day, by destoying her father's kingdom and all its people with his army of Slayers; all except for Colwyn.

Colwyn is found by the old and wise Ynyr (Freddie Jones), who tells Colwyn of the Beast and the journey he must set out to take to get back his bride. But the first stop is to obtain the Glaive, a flying blade capable of powers that will help against the Beast. Along the way, Colwyn and Ynyr meet up with a magician, a small band of outlaws and a giant cyclops, all who join up in the adventurous journey.

It's no doubt that "Krull" is a formula film. I mean all of us who adore "Star Wars" can see what Columbia was trying to bank on here, but "Krull" does have a heart. What I liked about it was the science-fiction mixed with medieval times. Great adventure, great fun and entertaining.