Sunday, September 28, 2014

Blu-ray Review - Krull



Krull
Director: Peter Yates
Starring: Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis and Liam Neeson
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00LU4URS0
Running Time: 121 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the very first time on Tuesday September 30, 2014 is the 1983 cult classic Krull. The film was directed by Peter Yates (Bullitt) and stars Ken Marshall (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Lysette Anthony (Dark Shadows), Freddie Jones (Dune), Francesca Annis (The Libertine) and Liam Nesson (Taken, Taken 2). There are no extras or special features on the Blu-ray.

There were many science-fiction adventures released during the 1980s, including Krull, which in 1983 was one of the biggest budget ($45-50 million) films ever produced. The film was critically panned and was considered a box-office flop, taking in just over $16 million. Over the years, mostly thanks to reruns on TBS and TNT in the '90s, the film now has a cult following.

The film is set on the planet Krull where The Beast and his army of Slayers arrive to wreck havoc by kidnapping Princess Lyssa (played by Lysette Anthony). Her husband-to-be, Prince Colwyn (played by Ken Marshall), is the only survivor of the wedding massacre and seeks out to save the princess and is nursed back to health by Ynyr the Old One.

Ynyr helps Colwyn find the Glaive, an ancient weapon that can destroy The Beast. Finding the Black Fortress will be a task as it transfers to a new location at sunrise every day. He seeks the help from a band  fugitives led by Torquil (played by Alun Armstrong),  Ergo "the Magnificent," the cyclops Rell and the Widow of the Web (played by Francesca Annis) to help him find the Black Fortress, kill The Beast and rescue the princess.


While on paper a science-fiction adventure that blends Excalibur and Star Wars may seem like a great film, but the final result is the forgetable Krull. Don't get me wrong, I was one of the fans that watched the movie on TBS/TNT in the '90s during my childhood and I do appreicate the fact that Mill Creek Entertainment has finally released it to Blu-ray, but the film has aged quite a bit since its release in 1983. While the practical special effects still look decent, the stiff acting and slow pacing holds the film back. With the right director and screenwriters, Krull could easily be remade for theaters. Until then, fans of the film can enjoy the original Krull on Blu-ray, which the picture quality (1080p High Definition) looks pretty good and the sound is decent with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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