Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Kull the Conqueror Blu-ray Movie Review

Hard Rock Fantasy.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 5, 2015

Kull the Conqueror has a quasi-interesting history behind it, a history that might be a little more spicy if the end product wasn't quite so dull. Story has it that the film was slated to be next in line in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan series but fell through when the muscular superstar refused the role. The part was finally reworked to star Kevin Sorbo of TV's Hercules fame, who is certainly no Arnold Schwarzenegger but who has proven his worth and ability to carry this sort of material in the aforementioned longstanding hit production. Alas, however, this is no Conan, and not just literally in name only. It's a pedestrian, lethargic movie, one made of 100% recycled content, lacking even a hint of creativity or originality in its sword-and-sandal, love triangle, heroes-and-demons, who-will-rule-the-kingdom narrative. It's Fantasy watered down to its most overly simplistic core, yielding a superficially fun, if not mindless, movie but one that lacks the depth and complexity of the meatier, more robust, more intimately meaningful and dramatically purposeful Fantasy narratives that define the genre's best works.

The king.

Kull (Kevin Sorbo) is in the final stages of proving his worth to General Taligaro (Thomas Ian Griffith). He's desperate to join the General's "Dragon Legion" army, but when it's revealed he's a hero hailing from Atlantis, he's dismissed outright, his blood, they claim, tainted, making him unfit for duty in that elite unit. When the general receives word that his father, the king, is murdering his heirs, he, and Kull, rush back to the kingdom. There, Kull is proclaimed the next king, much to Taligaro's dismay. Kull upsets routine, freeing slaves and ignoring the kingdom's established rule of law. Taligaro enlists the help of an ancient demon, Akivasha (Tia Carrere), to deceive the king into marriage and, eventually, rid him of Kull and empty the throne for his taking. Kull, with the help of a card-reading fortune teller named Zareta (Karina Lombard) and her brother Ascalante (Litefoot), has no choice to but to fight back, trust only those closest to him, and rebuild the empire in his own image.

Kull the Conqueror essentially whittles the Fantasy genre down to its very essence, telling a tall tale of one man's revolt against nobility and tradition when he assumes the role of king, making him an unjust heir not simply by blood in the eyes of those who would see him deposed so they may take their rightful place on the throne but by those behind-the-scenes power players who care not who warms the throne but that their own interests are served by he who wields the highest power in the land. Add in some demons, some tarot cards, and yada, yada, yada. It's grossly simplistic material that's hardly the stuff of legend, at least legend that's not been completely eviscerated for convenience and a compact, wannabe crowd-pleasing narrative. The film hints towards some juicier bits that involve political intrigue when the newly crowned Kull essentially overthrows centuries of tradition, doctrine, and law that favored the ruling class and hindered the common folk, declaring, instead, that slaves be immediately set free or, if they have nowhere else to turn, provided an honest wage in return for their duties. But the movie is ultimately more concerned with middling adventure, dull ritual, uninspired romance, and generic evil forces at play, resulting in a clash of heroes and villains with the intrigue of vacuuming the floor rather than a confrontation with the fate of the world in the balance.

The movie further stretches its credibility with a hard Rock-inspired soundtrack that's as out-of-place as Bill and Ted in ancient Greece, but, sadly, not to the same excellent, tone-appropriate result. The movie is further stifled by a direct but nevertheless vapid script that's hardly worth the weight of the pages on which it's printed. The story depends on everything falling to the lowest common denominator, whether crude, unimaginative dialogue, flat characters, a fully linear adventure, and even broad stroke plot points. Leads Kevin Sorbo, Karina Lombard, Thomas Ian Griffith, and Tia Carrere commendably stretch their parts as far as the script allows, but it's clear they've more or less surrendered to the absence of complex material and simply performed their parts to satisfaction, resulting in performances that aren't quite so limp nor insipid as they might have been but that are certainly held back under the script's tight grip of relative emptiness that refuses them much room in which to work.

Kull the Conqueror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kull the Conqueror's 1080p transfer is another in the growing line of decent-not-great catalogue presentations from Universal. The image as presented offers good-to-great detailing, even under the limitations of some minor-to-moderate noise reduction. Light grain does remain in spots, though there are more than several scenes that look particularly flat and devoid of their more natural filmic state and textures. On the whole, however, viewers will note some sufficiently complex skin details, quality textures on various regal appointments, and a few crisply defined surfaces scattered throughout the film. Colors are cheery if not a little lacking in the finest subtleties, though darker scenes take on a more washed-out, dull appearance. Skies often look like a washed-out white blob (with a couple of particularly troubled shots revealing light blockiness) and black levels that waver between naturally stable and evident crush (with light noise in accompaniment). Flesh tones aren't problematic. While not reference material, Kull the Conqueror's Blu-ray satisfies base requirements, leaving a more finely-tuned presentation behind but managing a good, basic HD experience.

Kull the Conqueror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kull the Conqueror's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is flashy and hard-working, though absent the subtle nuances and tight precision that define the format's best sound presentations. It's aggressive and wide, with the Rock tunes blasting out of every speaker and supported by some tight, deep bass. Musical clarity lacks the tight, lifelike precision one might expect, though it still proves satisfying in a broad, big cinema context. Battle scenes are appropriately heavy and complex, with sounds scattered all around the stage. Even calmer moments enjoy a full-bodied atmosphere of blowing wind, rustling armor, crackling fires, footfalls, and animals. Whether these be quieter pieces or more aggressive elements heard later in an ice cave, the track provides listeners with a full, complex, and big sound presentation. Where this track lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for in power and position. It's rounded into shape by faultless center-focused dialogue.

Kull the Conqueror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is the Kull the Conqueror theatrical trailer (480i, 1:19). No top menu option is included. Settings, chapters, and the trailer must be accessed in-film via the pop-up menu.

Kull the Conqueror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kull the Conqueror isn't a total loss. It's decent enough to enjoy on a rainy sick day home from work or school, lying on the couch and only half aware under the haze of whatever OTC medication one might be taking. Otherwise, it's a lame, direct, largely empty A-to-B-to-C generic Fantasy film with larger aspirations that crumble under the hindrance of its middling-at-best script. The cast commendably does what it can with the material, and bits of fair production values and decent special effects don't hurt, but in total Kull the Conqueror is about as flat as they come. Universal's Blu-ray is likewise rather pedestrian. Decent video, flavorful audio, and no extras beyond a standard definition trailer aren't exactly ringing endorsements, either. Rent it or pick it up on the very cheap.