As you know, my goal is to scour the films and tv series of yesteryear to find examples of great story-writing, to dust off forgotten gems and introduce them to a new generation. After getting the suggestion a few times, this week I’ve gone all the way back to 1983’s Krull. Seeing it again, after all these years, I have to ask: is this one of the greats? Is it an overlooked masterpiece, a treasure of good screen writing, a film that should be remembered and celebrated as a work of art?
Um, no. No, it’s an utter trainwreck.
That said, it’s a trainwreck that still sticks in my memories decades after I first saw it. Krull was created by veteran screenwriters Ron Silverman and Ted Sherman, a fantasy epic set upon the aforementioned world of Krull (yes, I know, I thought Krull was the cool spinny-death-blade-thingy too). Written in an age when Star Wars was still in its first trilogy, this story is a weird mix of sci-fi and fantasy, where an interstellar, dimension-shifting ship owned by the alien known as Beast lands on Krull and wages war with weird squid monsters armed with laser spears. These soldiers also wear armour and ride horses. They then capture Lyssa, a medieval princess, as it is fated her child will rule the galaxy as an interstellar overlord.
Yes, I’m already confused too.
The protagonist is Prince Colwyn, who must rescue the princess, joined by the fantasy cast of the wise man, the comically inept wizard, the thieves with hearts of gold (including a very young Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane), the innocent boy, and the mysterious non-human Cyclops. These characters all play the traditional role in these films, which is to A) move the plot along by getting into danger or, B) move the plot along by dying.
I usually take some notes while reviewing a film, but in this case it became an essay. Let’s sum the problems as broadly as possible. First off there’s next to no character development, and characters can swing wildly from scene to scene, often with motivations that make little to no sense. A bigger problem is that every scene has a single purpose. Modern screenwriting can use a single event to move several plot threads along, reveal multiple character tensions and backstories, and raise the tension for the audience. For Krull, the step by step pace draaaaags the film out, and easily half of the scenes could have been summarised, amalgamated, or cut altogether. Finally, the plot is frikkin bonkers. Why does princess’s uterus seemingly grant interstellar power? Why the does the ultra-legendary Glaive weapon seem so damn useless? Why the hell does a technologically advanced alien need to attack with mounted spearmen? They literally could have beamed the princess up then nuked the continent from orbit.
But! Yes, but… let’s be fair about this. There are some good scenes. The sequence between the seer guarded by a giant spider and the wise man who leads the party is well written, revealing a backstory that was surprisingly dark. It was worth watching the film just for that one little story within a story. The Beast’s castle interior is surreal, organic and actually pretty cool for 1983 technology. The music is also damn good, and you may recognise the tunes as being re-used in the films Alien and the Rocketeer.
I think the reason Krull is still fondly remembered, even after all these years, is due to some amazing, surreal visuals, a few bright spots in the story telling, and – it was earnest. The plot was off the wall nonsense, but you know what? It was delivered wholeheartedly and without any cynicism.
So, Krull, despite your many – many – flaws, I salute you. May you still haunt our dreams for decades to come!
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