In the 50s and 60s, science-fiction was looked down upon as merely kids stuff that couldn’t be considered high art. While the late 60s brought ground-breaking sci-fi films like 2001 and Planet of the Apes, the genre was still stigmatized. That is until 1977, when a little sci-fi film the studio had no faith in was released called Star Wars. After that film became a massive success, numerous studios wanted to capitalize on its success with their own space operas. Enter Columbia Pictures, who wanted to get in on the action with their own sci-fi epic. Stanford Sherman, the writer of Any Which Way You Can, was hired to pen the script. Peter Yates, director of Bullitt and Breaking Away, was hired to direct and the film was given a $30-million budget. Now titled Krull, there was a lot at stake, so how did the film turn out?
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Rating
On the planet Krull, Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) is set to marry Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) to unite their kingdoms. That is, until a creature known as The Beast invades with his army of Slayers, traveling in The Black Fortress. The Slayers attack the castle before the wedding, kill the two kings, kidnap Lyssa, and leave Colwyn in the wreckage. After being nursed back to health Ynyr, the Old One (Freddie Jones), he is tasked with finding the Glaive. The Glaive is the only weapon capable of destroying The Beast, but The Black Fortress teleports every day at sunrise. The two ride off to find the Emerald Seer, who can tell them where The Black Fortress will teleport to. Along the way, they meet Ergo the Magnificent (David Battley), Rell the Cyclops (Bernard Bresslaw), and a group of bandits. Together, they must find the Black Fortress and slay The Beast.
Right off the bat, I will say that this film provides some great escapist fun, especially for fantasy fans. Ken Marshall does a good job as the lead, playing Colwyn as a swashbuckler, almost like Errol Flynn. While David Battley is clearly the comedic relief, rather than annoying, he is genuinely funny and has some good lines. Given the budget of the film, you can definitely see the money on screen, especially in the sets and effects. While some of the visual effects seem dated, many are still impressive, especially the stop motion and optical effects. Plus, the Glaive is easily one of the most awesome-looking weapons in movie history, on par with lightsabers. This is the kind of big budget sci-fi/fantasy film that we don’t see much of anymore. There’s a lot of creativity on display and the people involved were clearly trying to make something amazing.
Unfortunately, the movie was a massive box office flop, making only $16.5 million against a $30 million budget. While I did enjoy the film, I can see why the movie didn’t catch on, especially given its flaws. For every fun action sequence, there’s also a lot of slow moments that really drag the movie down. Also, as awesome as the Glaive is, Colwyn doesn’t actually use it until the third act, which is somewhat infuriating. Much of the film is derivative of other movies, but in fairness, even Star Wars borrowed elements from other movies. Speaking of which, the sci-fi elements feel somewhat shoehorned in, as much of the movie is more fantasy-oriented. Despite its flaws, it’s easy to see why this movie developed a cult following over the years. In short, while somewhat uneven and slow at times, Krull is an enjoyable time if you’re looking for simple entertainment.
