Krull (1983) Peter Yates   Although the title sounds like a bad caveman movie, Krull is, in fact, a lavishly produced sword-and-sorcery fantasy, combining elements of Beauty and the Beast and an old-fashioned quest adventure (with some ill-fitting sci-fi elements thrown in). The story concerns a far-away world called Krull, whose pseudo Middle Ages society is invaded from outer space by an evil Beast who enslaves the planet with his army. Determined to fight back, the two largest kingdoms on Krull consent to merge via marriage of their respective prince and princess. The princess, however, is captured, and the armies of both houses are massacred, so the young prince must rescue her and defeat the Beast with help of a small force of vagabonds and thieves recruited from the countryside. Fantasy and sci-fi are hard to blend together, and, unfortunately, much of the film does not add up. For instance, the denizens of Krull make mention of other planets, yet are obviously incapable of space travel while the heroes do battle with swords against an army armed with ray-guns! As a result, Krull seems rather silly at times, but remarkably, the film is able to sell this scenario with surprising persuasion, and is really quite entertaining. There is plenty of old-fashioned adventure and heroism to go around here, and it is also a great-looking film, much of which can be attributed to the gorgeous scenes filmed on location in Italy. The sets and costumes are also fabulous, invested with a fairytale feel, yet are unlike anything seen before (one of the few positive by-products of combining sci-fi and fantasy). Most importantly, the characters are better drawn and more accessible than in most films of this kind, and many are played by great luminaries of the English stage, such as Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, and Bernard Archard, as well as the then-unknowns Robbie Coltraine and Liam Neeson. The film's widescreen photography is given a first-rate video transfer, and the disc's supplements are impressive. An insightful commentary track (featuring the director, editor, and stars) can be heard on an alternate audio channel. The documentary, "Journey to Krull," is also included, offering fascinating insight into the production's background. Not the best film ever made by any means, Krull is still an entertaining movie, and this DVD presents it in a first-rate package. —Paul Andrew MacLean

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