5.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A barbarian named Kull unexpectedly becomes a king after an old king (whom Kull has just killed in a battle) gives his crown to him. But direct heirs of a killed king, trying to topple Kull and regain the throne, bring an old witch-queen Akivasha back to life. Their plan backfires, however, as Akivasha is going to allow their lords - demons - to rule the kingdom. The only thing that can stop her now is a breath of the god Volka.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere, Thomas Ian Griffith, Karina Lombard, Harvey FiersteinAction | 100% |
Fantasy | 45% |
Adventure | 2% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Mill Creek has released, as part of its popular 'Retro VHS' line, the 1997 film 'Kull the Conqueror' starring Kevin Sorbo to Blu-ray. The film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2015 via Universal. This issue includes essentially identical video and audio and it carries over the lone extra from the Universal disc as well. Buyers' choice will come down to packaging preferences and price alone.
This appears to be a fairly similar presentation next to the Universal disc, which was neither good nor bad, languishing in some middle ground that offered a perfectly watchable image but one that never excited the senses or required the proverbial eye bleach application afterwards. Here is an image in much the same style, very close overall and appearing to even be sourced from the same dated master. Certainly there has been no work here to bring out the best of the film-based imagery, leaving the picture looking mildly processed but generally film-like if not a little flat (I would call it "filmish rather than filmic). Detailing is adequate to at times even good, especially in good outdoor lighting (look at the 19-minute mark for various armor, clothes, skin, and building elements), clearly a decent step up from standard definition but never fining a real sense of absolute clarity and razor sharpness that is unquestionably there, somewhere, just waiting for a remaster or restoration to uncover. The picture offers decent colors, lacking serious punch and vividness but finding suitable output for general fullness and accuracy. Skin tones are OK but hardly lifelike. Whites lack real crispness, and black levels fluctuate from mildly pale to mildly crushed. The good news is that this is not a compression riddled mess as some Mill Creek transfers can be. It actually holds its own with only the most challenging low light scenes really finding any serious problems with compression, and even then never all that serious. There are a few print blemishes, too, but these are not problematic in sum. Overall, this is not a bad image at all, especially for a Mill Creek catalogue re-release.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack appears to be just about the same as the Universal issue. Some fluctuations in bitrate aside, they offer essentially the same audio superstructure, featuring good, immersive sound elements that take full advantage of the 5.1 configuration, noted right off the bat in the opening scenes and carrying through the picture. While clarity is never fantastic, overall definition and detail are fine, whether action elements, score, or dialogue. Essentially, the review of the Universal disc's soundtrack suffices here, so best to explore that review in order to gain the full audio picture of what to expect here. Again, not identical down to the bit, but certainly more or less the same under the basic ear test.
Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Kull the Conqueror contains one extra: the film's Trailer (480i, 4x3, 1:13), the same which appeared on the Universal disc. The top menu screen offers a static image with no music. The menu options include "Play," an option to toggle subtitles on and off, and an option to select the trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included, but this release does ship with Mill Creek's popular "Retro VHS" slipcover that mimics the look of a video cassette tape and its corresponding rental box from the 1980s and 1990s (the latter being the case here, and for a film that released at the dawn of the DVD era and in the twilight for VHS).
It's a rarity that a Mill Creek re-issue and a Universal original release are pretty much on par, but here it is. This Kull is largely indistinguishable from the other, featuring practically identical video and audio and the same supplement. To be sure, there are differences in bitrate and the like, but when just looking and listening and not reading the bitrate monitors, the discs are essentially the same. Pick the cheaper one, or the packaging you like better. That's the only difference of real note.
2014
Extended Edition
2012
2022
2002
Director's Cut
2007
2010
2012
2011
2008
2011-2019
Director's Cut
1986
Unrated Director's Cut
2007
2015
Standard Edition
1984
Collector's Edition
1985
2016
2014
2018
2011
2017