Krull
Dir: Peter Yates
1983
***
Krull seems to be the 1980's forgotten fantasy adventure. I remember the poster well and it always had a prominent position on the shelf in my local video rental shop. Although I didn't see it until years later, it was often spoke about at school and quoted thereafter. So why has it been forgotten? I think the answer is that it has been picked from so savagely since its release in 1983 that it now seems like an inferior predecessor of some much better films. This is entirely the case. So it does borrow somewhat itself from films such as Star Wars and Flash Gordon but films such as The Princess Bride, Ladyhawke and Legend may not have fared so well without its influence. However, the overbearing influence that puts it's shadow on Krull today is that it's quite clearly a Lord of the Rings rip off. A Lord of the Rings rip off with added 80's cheese though, and what is not to love about that? Although it's low budget shows and it's far too serious, highlights include the great Freddie Jones vs. Giant Spider, early appearances of both Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane and the still greatly missed Benard Bresslaw as The Cyclops. It's a classic film that nostalgia will tell you is better than it really is but it's impossible not to like it.