Krull:
Retro VHS Style
review by Bobby Blakey
During the 80s the sword and sorcery films were all the rage and much like every other genre they produced both good and bad across the board. One of those films that didn’t do all that well when it was initially released but has since gained a cult following is 1983s Krull from director Peter Yates and starred Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, and Bernard Bresslaw as well as early film appearances by Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane. Now fans of this cult classic can bring it home to Blu-ray in an all-new retro VHS style packaging.
Krull follows two rival kingdoms who form an alliance against The Beast and The Slayers, through the unity of the prince and princess that will unite the kingdoms. But during the wedding, The Slayers attack and the princess is kidnapped. Setting out to rescue her, the prince is joined by a fellowship of companions including a band of escaped convicts, a one-eyed giant, a cowardly magician, a blind Seer and a young boy who set off in search of The Black Fortress where the princess is being held captive by the Beast that intends to marry her in it's evil goal to rule Krull along with many other worlds. Armed with a powerful weapon "The Glave" a disc with five blades, the prince and his companions set off in search of The Black Fortress which changes location every sunrise in hopes to save his bride and defeat The Beast and The Slayers once and for all.
There is no denying that this film sports all the cheesiness you can expect from this genre, but there is some great production value here that makes it clear why this became such a cult favorite. There is a hint to the Lord of the Rings journey here that is likely to suck in the fans, but it’s the little but bigger impacts like the make-up effects to bring the Cyclops to life and the iconic weapon “The Glave” which is one of the coolest weapons ever. While they did do a lot of the clichéd stuff that all of this genre did back in the day, the use of the larger back drops and attempts to make it more epic helped this film be more than your average fare.
This release sports a beautiful transfer that takes an already guilty pleasure film and makes it all the better. There are few of these films that have managed to hold up as well as Krull and thanks to this new release it will be here to stay. Sadly there aren’t any special features, but this fun new packaging along with the 80s awesomeness of it all make it one worth picking up. If you are a fan of the film, the genre or never had a chance to check it out now is your chance to add it to your collection and experience a world light-years beyond your imagination.
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