Krull Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Krull Blu-ray Movie Review

The absence of bonus materials hinders an otherwise solid release of a cult favorite.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 7, 2014

Krull doesn't accomplish much more than putting some Sci-Fi makeup on the classic "Quest" film, but it does so with a self-assuredness, a spring in its step, and its tongue lightly planted in its cheek. The end result is a catchy, enjoyable romp through basic Fantasy adventure that comes with all of the requisite stumbling blocks -- character strife and mistrust, environmental hazards, tough enemies, and even a giant spider -- that make the adventure tough on the heroes and entertaining for the audience. The film, from acclaimed Director Peter Yates (Bullitt, Murphy's War, The Deep), plays with a simple premise -- good versus evil, a captured princess, a band of ragtag heroes united against a powerful foe, and a special weapon in the hands of the would-be king -- that's adequately explored in a rather fast-paced two-hour window. It's good fun, certainly not up to par with the likes of the best Fantasy/Adventure films out there (such as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), but it makes for a solid watch and, now, a Blu-ray release of strong A/V quality.

Struggling to survive.

Prophecy foretells of a prince and princess who shall marry. She shall become queen, he king, and their son shall rule the universe. On the day of Colwynn (Ken Marshall) and Lyssa's (Lysette Anthony) wedding, a great evil strikes. The world is attacked by "the slayers," evildoers under the control of the powerful "beast." Lyssa is taken prisoner and Colwynn barely escapes with his life. He sets out to rescue Lyssa. He must first ascend a treacherous mountain and locate a powerful weapon known as "the Glaive." Once he recovers it, he teams up with a ragtag bunch, including a magician named Ergo (David Battley), a cyclops (Bernard Bresslaw), and a band of criminals led by a man named Torquil (Alun Armstrong). It will require their combined skills and wills to survive all the dangers that await.

While the fundamental Krull experience isn't significantly different than those found in other Quest/Adventure films, its blend of swordplay and Sci-Fi and spaceships and cyclopses makes it a fairly unique experience beyond the core. The picture blends these elements to excellent effect. The world never feels jarring or out of place. It's not The Lord of the Rings meets Star Trek (though Composer James Horner's score does have something of a Star Trek: The Motion Picture feel to it). It's far more subtle than that. Even the spaceship looks like a giant rock formation rather than a Star Destoryer. It's very well put together. It's a seamless world, a believable world, a world that uses its pieces to proper effect and proportion, emphasizing the story, the perils, the thrills, the ups, the downs, and the characters, leaving the visuals and special effects as story supplements and enhancers, not definers. That's certainly the film's best asset, its ability to maximize story while blending together classic narratives and story lines with some compelling additional material that gives the movie a unique flavor but not one so powerful that it washes away the core essence of the journey and the battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil.

The movie enjoys solid peripherals, too. The special effects, of which there are some but not an abundance, look fine for the era and are somewhat subdued, capable but not overwhelming of any shot, scene, or sequence. The film is gorgeously photographed, making good use of some breathtaking locations and offering some intriguing set pieces, too, that can trend towards a slightly corny appearance but that ultimately add a bit of subtle charm to the experience. The acting is solid as well. The performers never ham it up, but neither do they offer an ultra-serious front. Ken Marshall is enjoyable in the lead, delivering a balanced effort that's part enthusiastic, part energetic, part scruff, part prim and proper, part heroic, part confident, part unsure. He carries the lead well, engaging not so much in a deep character study -- the part, and the film, for that matter, is too linear for that -- but playing Colwyn for all he's worth, unearthing every little nuance available while still pushing forward with the story in every scene. His supporting players are good, too, with special note of Alun Armstrong's and Liam Neeson's efforts, the latter of whom, unsurprisingly, offers the best pure performance in the film even under the constraints of somewhat limited screen time. The end is rather anticlimactic considering the energy of the lead-up, but Krull nevertheless makes for a fun, fairly mindless, but rather well put-together lowish-budget experience that's unsurprisingly grown into a cult favorite.

Krull Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Krull arrives on Blu-ray with a rock-solid 1080p transfer. Mill Creek, a studio not necessarily known for higher end Blu-ray presentations, delivers one of its very best efforts here. It's naturally filmic, retaining a light and even grain structure. Details are strong and the image is naturally sharp. Image clarity excels, and the transfer is capable of revealing with pinpoint detail exterior terrain textures, including rocks, dirt, and grasses. Stone work and tiles look great across a few interiors, too, and viewers will enjoys sufficiently complex clothing, skin, and makeup lines. Colors aren't abundantly bold and vibrant, but they're natural and visually compelling, delivering bright natural greens and clothing with handsome accuracy. Black levels pose no major problems, and flesh tones appear natural. The image suffers from no major occurrences of blockiness, wear, or other unwanted elements, but some viewers will note some occasional minor anomalies, for example some blue vertical lines buzzing over the image around the 1:07:45 mark, and again around the 1:19:31 mark, that almost looks like noisy rainfall. Overall, however, this is a good, even transfer from Mill Creek.

Krull Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Krull's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack impresses. The film opens with the "Glaive" spinning around the listening area, moving from one speaker to the next with precision imaging. Musical delivery is robust and pleasant, playing with good fundamental clarity, front end placement and width, and just the right bit of surround support. Action elements enjoy fruitful heft and stage presence, whether galloping horses or battle scenes. The track never quite fully draws the listener into every environment -- ambient effects lack the precision detailing of better tracks -- but the net effect remains positive. Dialogue is delivered firmly and intelligibly from the center. All in all, this is a good, engaging soundtrack that longtime fans and newcomers alike should enjoy.

Krull Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Krull contains no supplemental content. The main menu contains only a "play movie" button.

Krull Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Krull blends Fantasy and Science Fiction rather well, favoring the former and only making use of the latter as a plot propellant, not a major factor in every scene. It's not great, but it's not bad, either, favoring the better end of the spectrum by quite a bit but never truly excelling to the point that it'll be remembered as a bonafide classic outside of its comfortable cult hangout. It's well acted and none of the visual effects are insulting. The finale is a little too easy and straightforward, but it's otherwise a fun little journey with enough replay value to make it a viable option for a weekend movie marathon. Mill Creek's featureless Blu-ray offers surprisingly strong video and audio. Recommended to longtime fans and newcomers alike.