Krull
In the wake of Star Wars and Conan The Barbarian, sci-fi / fantasy films became a hot commodity in Hollywood, and with the economy as good as it was in 1983, studios were willing to take a chance on original ideas, such as this opus written by Stanford Sherman (best known as the head writer on the 60s TV series Batman) that combines elements of the previous two classics. Set on a planet named Krull, it concerns the marriage between a prince and a princess from different kingdoms when suddenly it is invaded by evil aliens from another world. Now, since the denizens of Krull are stuck in medieval times with weapons like swords and the aliens have laser beams, the battle is short-lived and the princess is taken off to be married to the head alien (âThe Beastâ), while the prince sets out to rescue her, picking up various companions on his way Fellowship Of The Ring-style. As cheesy as this sounds (and it is), thereâs no denying the HEART brought to the proceedings by director Peter Yates (best known for Steve McQueenâs Bullitt), and the earnest way the no-name cast (except for supporting turns by Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane) deal with the material itself. In the lead role of the prince, flash-in-the-pan Ken Marshall grins eagerly and tries to channel the spirit of Errol Flynn without success, while Lysette Anthony as the princess fares much better with her blue eyes and dubbed in voice from American actress Lindsey Crouse. Among the companions he picks up along the way are a group of escaped criminals, an old seer and his little boy accomplice with a soup bowl haircut, a perpetually corny looking Cyclops a.k.a. latex nightmare, and a shape-shifting insecure little magician who garners one of the funniest scenes when he turns into a tiger and the laser armed aliens back away from him in fear (even though they have lasers). In the midst of this, veteran British character actor Freddie Jones contributes the best performance as the old man who patches the prince up and helps him on his way before he gives his life by visiting the âWidow Of The Webâ (Francesca Annis) in order to find out just where the hell the aliensâ fortress actually is. Meanwhile, the aliens employ such dirty tricks as a doppelganger look-alike for the seer and a seductress to trick the prince before they make it to the castle (and most of the heroes die), and the reunited couple manage to defeat The Beast with the power of their marriage vows(!). What helps make much of this so damn entertaining is despite an epic feel to the proceedings and advanced special effects for its time (with a $27 million dollar budget) is that NONE of this comes off as complicated or incoherent at any time, opting instead to go about its business while leaving the viewer with a big dumb grin in the aftermath, with its awful sets and major plot point of the hero having the âultimateâ weapon of a throwing star with five sets of blades sticking out. In addition, the pacing is much better than expected and Neeson, Coltrane, and the other actors playing the thieves seem to be having a lot of fun. Overall, if big dumb mindless fantasy is your thing, you could do worse than this cult classic, considering much of the dreck from its genre that came out after itâŚ
7/10