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Jan 23, 2019 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

The two-sunned planet of Krull is under attack by the Slayers, a mysterious race of laser rifle-wielding knights ruled by an entity known only as the Beast. There’s no clear reason for their wanton slaughter until the fair Princess Lyssa is kidnapped by these aliens in the midst of her wedding ceremony to the brave Prince Colwyn. Holding her prisoner in his teleporting Black Fortress, the Beast will continue to purge her planet of mankind unless she’ll agree to be his bride.

Naturally, if there’s one thing a Prince can’t stand for, it’s his Princess being in another castle. He’s nursed to health by an old cleric who leads him to the Glaive, a legendary weapon that looks like a shuriken had it been designed the rapper Lil Jon. As they march on toward a final showdown at the Black Fortress, Colwyn recruits a small army of fantasy adventure types, from shapeshifters to bandits, a soothsayer and a small child, to a cyclops and Liam Neeson. Along the way they square off against a giant crystal spider, navigate a quicksand swamp, and tame the fabled fire mares. It’s complete and utter nonsense, but it’s thoroughly entertaining and the practical special effects are up there with any big-budget Hollywood fantasy movie from the same era.

Krull’s fascinating and troubled production history, with all of its sordid script revisions, near-death situations, and personnel taking vacations mid-shoot, is absolutely deserving of the sort of deep dive you’d find in a special edition Blu-ray release, but until that day comes this is probably the best we’re going to get. It’s devoid of extra features –at $7.50 MSRP, what can you expect? – but the sound and picture quality is very high; it’s not a new restoration, but the source print appears to have been crisp and clean. It’s a more than solid theatrical presentation, which is good enough for a budget disc.

A notorious, expensive misfire upon its release in 1983, Krull has gone on to a cult following, and deservedly so. At its worst, it’s a visually exciting bunch of gibberish. At its best, there are scenes that are among the most memorable of the ‘80s sword and sorcery genre. This good-looking Blu-ray release (coolly styled to look like a beat-up VHS rental tape) should please fans of the movie, even when they’ll have to provide their own audio commentaries.