Krull (film)
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| Krull | |
|---|---|
 Krull theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Yates |
| Produced by | Ron Silverman |
| Written by | Stanford Sherman |
| Starring | Ken Marshall Lysette Anthony Liam Neeson Graham McGrath Robbie Coltrane Alun Armstrong Freddie Jones |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | Peter Suschitzky |
| Editing by | Ray Lovejoy |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 29 July 1983 |
| Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ US$45 - $50,000,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Krull is a 1983 heroic fantasy film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Ron Silverman. It stars Kenneth Marshall as Prince Colwyn and Lysette Anthony as Princess Lyssa.
One of the film's most distinguished features is a robust score by James Horner. The film is also notable for its early screen roles for the now famous Irish actor Liam Neeson and Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane and for its surrealistic set design within the Black Fortress.
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[edit] Plot
The world of Krull is invaded by The Beast and his army of Slayers, who travel the galaxy in the mountain-like spaceship, the Black Fortress. The "Attacker" Slayers wear black armor (for assault), while the "Defender" Slayers wear white armor (signifying the elite guards of The Beast). Both wield weapons that appear to be a (reloadable) single-shot laser rifle on one end, combined with a bayonet at the opposite end for close-quarter combat. The people of Krull only have primitive medieval technology. While it is possible to kill Slayers, at present they are winning the war against the peoples of Krull.
Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa decide to marry and form an alliance between their rival kingdoms in the hope that together their combined forces will be strong enough to defeat the Beast and his armies. It was foretold that Lyssa, who had an ancient name, would bear a child destined to rule the galaxy. The Beast, intent on ensuring it came true to his satisfaction, had his Slayers attack on the wedding day. The castle of Lyssa's father, King Eirig (Bernard Archard), is destroyed, the Kings are murdered, the human armies protecting the castle are devastated, and the princess is kidnapped and taken to the Black Fortress.
Colwyn, the only survivor of the attack, sets out to rescue his bride under the guidance of Ynyr the Old One (Freddie Jones). His first task is to find the Glaive, an ancient and magical weapon that he must retrieve from a lava cave high in the mountain peaks. Next, he must learn the location of the Black Fortress, which teleports to a new location on the planet at sunrise every day. On his journey he is joined by a cowardly shapeshifting magician, Ergo "the Magnificent" (David Battley), the cyclops Rell (Bernard Bresslaw), and Torquil (Alun Armstrong), the leader of a band of ten escaped convicts that includes Kegan (a young Liam Neeson), Rhun (Robbie Coltrane) and Oswyn (Todd Carty in his feature film debut). Colwyn enlists the convicts' aid, as his armies have already been slaughtered by the Slayers. He offers them their freedom as reward for their service.
They are also aided by the blind prophet, the Emerald Seer (John Welsh), with his young apprentice Titch (Graham McGrath) in the attempt to find the Black Fortress, but the Beast manages to have the Emerald Seer disposed of before he can reveal his location. This forces Ynyr to see the Widow of the Web (Francesca Annis) for aid at the cost of his life. The Widow of the Web is an enchantress who loved Ynyr long ago and whose terrible crime exiled her to live within the lair of a giant spider. With the information given by a dying Ynyr, Colwyn and his group have only until the next sunrise to find the Black Fortress, defeat the Slayers, vanquish The Beast, rescue Lyssa, and save their world.
[edit] Trivia
- The voice of Princess Lyssa was re-dubbed by American actress Lindsay Crouse.
- Twenty-three sets were built for the film covering ten soundstages at Pinewood Studios, London.
- The chosen weapon of Colwyn is the Glaive, a boomerang-type of spinning, five-clawed throwing disc that returns to the wielder's hand. It should not be confused with the glaive, a medieval polearm.
- The dub for the death screams of the Slayers was taken from the Mayar shrieks in "At The Earth's Core"
- The Fire Mares, steeds that travel so fast they leave a trail of flame and can defy gravity, are played by Clydesdale horses.
- A Krull board game was created by Parker Brothers in 1983, and Atari produced a Krull game cartridge for its Atari 2600 platform that year as well.
- A Krull pinball machine was created by D. Gottlieb & Company, but never went into full production. Only 10 units were ever manufactured.IPDB.org Krull Pinball Information. The company did create, produce, and distribute a Krull arcade video game.
- The film's notable theme would seem to be sacrifice — the human soldiers in the beginning give their lives trying to cover Lyssa's escape. Ynyr and The Widow of the Web die so that Colwyn might learn where the Black Fortress (and Lyssa) are to be, and Rell, the Cyclops, chooses to endure a horrible death so that he might help his friends.
[edit] Adaptations
A novelization was written by Alan Dean Foster. A two-issue comic book adaptation was published by Marvel Comics.
