Krull (1983)

35% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(28,250 ratings)

Meant to be a whimsical sword-and-sorcery film about a prince out to save his princess from the jaws of the Beast, Krull has enough scenes borrowed from blockbuster predecessors (Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Robin Hood, Star Wars) and is gentle enough to be rather derivative, ordinary fare. Prince… More Meant to be a whimsical sword-and-sorcery film about a prince out to save his princess from the jaws of the Beast, Krull has enough scenes borrowed from blockbuster predecessors (Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Robin Hood, Star Wars) and is gentle enough to be rather derivative, ordinary fare. Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) has inherited a kingdom under siege by the evil Beast, and not only has to rid the land of the monster, but he has to rescue his bride Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) from the Beast's clutches as well. In his magical land, horses can sometimes fly, medieval castles can harbor weapons that light up, and before he can defeat the Beast, the prince has to get his hands on the glaive (French for "double-edged sword"), a razor-sharp, magical weapon capable of killing the monster. One of the more notable aspects of Krull is that a 30-year old Liam Neeson plays the bit part of Kegan, in only his third full-length feature film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr.
Directed By: Peter Yates
Written By: Stanford Sherman
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jul 29, 1983 Wide
On DVD: Apr 3, 2001
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Despite the heaps of '80s hair and the special-effect sparks added to the clanking of swords, this is richer stuff than anything by Lucas before it, or Peter Jackson after it.
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
The only real fun comes from guessing which cinematic predecessor it'll rip off next.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Dreadful.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Cheesy, yes. Goofy, ridiculous, and even embarrassing. But it looks good and its terminal silliness becomes infectious after awhile.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
dark and creepy
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Pretty dumb, although the glass spider is cool...
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Deserves a bigger cult following than it has.

Read all 7 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

Classic British fantasy film with a classic cast line up of future stars. The plot is very basic and very cliched, you can guess whats gonna happen a mile off but its just so damn cool you gotta forgive all that. The baddies are like Cybermen in black and the huge evil monster in the… More
Classic British fantasy film with a classic cast line up of future stars. The plot is very basic and very cliched, you can guess whats gonna happen a mile off but its just so damn cool you gotta forgive all that. The baddies are like Cybermen in black and the huge evil monster in the dark castle is quite scary hehe scared me when I was a kid haha. The whole Krull world is really well done and pretty expansive, even though it is dated now it still looks really nice, the costumes aren't too bad and the action is quite strong and works well. Its hard to explain but Krull is just one of those films that works yet you dont know quite why :)
Tim S

Cheesy but appealing. I enjoyed it, but I can't say it's the best thing I've ever seen. lol
James A

When I was younger I loved this movie. damn you nostalgia!
Daniel H

A quintessential 1980's fantasy film. The film quite simply contains every important epic storybook fantasy trope, and blends it into a charmingly campy under-the-radar film. What the film lacks in execution, it more than makes up for in ambition and storytelling. A wonderful… More
A quintessential 1980's fantasy film. The film quite simply contains every important epic storybook fantasy trope, and blends it into a charmingly campy under-the-radar film. What the film lacks in execution, it more than makes up for in ambition and storytelling. A wonderful introduction to the genre of Adventure Fantasy beyond "The Neverending Story", or the genre's comedic spoof, "The Princess Bride"
Greg S

With the aid of a band of characters including a crusty apprentice sorcerer and a cyclops, a young prince must recover a mysterious weapon (the "glaive") to rescue his stolen bride from the Black Fortress. Blatant "Star Wars" ripoff, but decent nostalgia/kiddie… More
With the aid of a band of characters including a crusty apprentice sorcerer and a cyclops, a young prince must recover a mysterious weapon (the "glaive") to rescue his stolen bride from the Black Fortress. Blatant "Star Wars" ripoff, but decent nostalgia/kiddie entertainment. Watch for the white spider.
Lafe F

Weird fantasy film. The characters, baddies and weapons are strange. It's very poetic. There's a dreamy hazy look throughout. The concept of a castle which disappears and relocates every day is a good one. The perils of a bog, thieves, a giant spider, spiked walls and… More
Weird fantasy film. The characters, baddies and weapons are strange. It's very poetic. There's a dreamy hazy look throughout. The concept of a castle which disappears and relocates every day is a good one. The perils of a bog, thieves, a giant spider, spiked walls and cyclopes are quite imaginative. The guards which shot laser beams broke the fantasy mold. The European cast and crew flavoured the production. It doesn't get full ratings, because the weirdness sometimes interferred with the awesomeness.
A.D. V

Loved it when I was a kid. Now? Not so much. Painfully dated FX and corny dialogue make it hard to watch anymore. The Glave is still cool as hell though.
Dean !

Before Lord of the Rings this was the closest you got to a fantasy/action epic. Had good SFX for the time of filming '83! Featuring a young Robbie Coltrane and Liam Neeson.
Jason S

A fun fantasy movie.
Dean M

Cool sci-fi, fantasy and sword and sorcery film of the 1980's.
Curtis L

Great old skool fantasy film. Cyclopses, and wizards, oh my!
xGary X

It just goes to show just how half-arsed the entire swords and sorcery genre is when THIS is one of it's best examples. Freddie Jones makes the best of what he's got to work with, and there are some memorable scenes, but the showdown with the beast is unbelievably corny.… More
It just goes to show just how half-arsed the entire swords and sorcery genre is when THIS is one of it's best examples. Freddie Jones makes the best of what he's got to work with, and there are some memorable scenes, but the showdown with the beast is unbelievably corny. Curiously likeable, despite the obvious technical shortcomings and it does have a great score.
Burger S

I enjoy this movie, but that may be just because of fond chilhood memories.
Marion R

There is something pretty cool about this. Although I have no idea what it is. It's kinda lame at times, but overall was a fun film. It's a fun fantasy film that is watchable, there not too many of those out there.
Barry L

What a film...........