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It is a movie that still doesn’t have the audience it deserves.  Krull, a gorgeously mounted fantasy film from 1983, continues to live on in spite of the massive ignorance surrounding it.  Director Peter Yates’ broke the Joseph Campbell mythology and saddled it on the back of an entirely new/old world and developed a big-screen fantasy that simply refuses to die in the VHS/DVD bargain bins at Dollar General.  While Mill Creek Entertainment’s bare-boned blu-ray release isn’t a total restoration, Krull has simply never looked better than it does right now.

Starring Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, Robbie Coltrane, and Liam Neeson, screenwriter Stanford Sherman’s heroic journey takes place on the planet Krull, where a hideous villain – appropriately named The Beast – and his army of “Slayers” have invaded.  They roam the picturesque countryside (and the galaxy) in a craft known as the Black Fortress, their skull-shaped spaceship.  It is up to Colwyn and his travelling band of thieves and wizards to retrieve the "Glaive", a five-pointed star-shaped weapon with retractable blades, defeat The Beast, and rescue the princess. 

It all sounds rote and, yes, Krull is unapologetically mechanical.  This is uncomplicated fantasy and yet it remains enjoyable.  Sherman’s script takes us on an expectedly magical journey through a foreign world wrought with swamps and spooky caves and a huge white spider.  A Cyclops even joins in on the fun.  The actors don’t do anything special in their performances and the routine script offers little surprise and still Krull entertains. 

Obviously, in this electronic age of fanboy baiting, there’s no chance that a film like Krull would be made today, let alone survive the haters.  That’s one thing I miss about the 1980’s.  For every sure-fire hit, you got an Explorers or Flight of the Navigator to make your imagination soar.  Krull is no Excalibur but the seeds for greatness are there, sprinkled round about in such a fashion as to make you feel wondrous all over again. 

James Horner’s heroic score – with its recycled Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan themes – helps to make the journey feel epic.  The lavish set work and special effects also assists in covering up some of the weaknesses in the routine.  Regardless of your initial feelings concerning the fantasy, there is one thing you won’t stumble over: pretension.  Krull, amidst all its fire mares and imaginative scenery, is wildly unpretentious and still very, very British. 

So hop on the back of your flame mare, raise your Glaive high, and go hunt for your copy of Krull on blu-ray among all the other Changelings out there.

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[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: PG
Runtime: 121 mins
Director: Peter Yates
Writer: Stanford Sherman
Cast: Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones
Genre: Fantasy | Sci-fi
Tagline: A world light-years beyond your imagination.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Freedom? We have it! And fame? Nah. It's an empty purse. Count it, go broke. Eat it, go hungry. Seek it, go mad!"
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: July 29, 1983
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: September 30, 2014
Synopsis: A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - September 30, 2014
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: Locked to region A

Mill Creek’s release of Krull on blu-ray comes devoid of any special features, but they claim it is presented in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio.  If correct, this means that we are technically seeing a bit more of the image than anyone has seen before.The transfer provided here is absolutely excellent.  Black levels are sharp and skin tones are accurate.  In early scenes featuring mountain vistas, the picture quality is so fine and detailed that it serves as an excellent example for just how impressive 1080p HD images can look. With that in mind, it’s important to note that some of the special effects on display in the film simply don’t hold up to the test of time.  At times, the green screen effects and other aspects of the film just look like garbage, although it’s rarely the fault of the transfer.  Other practical scenes – such as the spider lair – look insanely crisp and beautiful.  The film looks and sounds amazing, presented here in a rich DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.  This is the best it has looked since release.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

If you are expecting a collector’s edition Blu, then you are going to be let down because the special features simply don’t exist.  Bad ass sci-fi/fantasy, fun action sequences, and James Horner‘s amazing score makes up for the extras.

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