The backstory of the tepid 1997 fantasy film Kull The Conqueror is much more interesting than anything that happens on screen. Back in the day, Arnold Schwarzenegger made his Hollywood breakthrough with the 1982 sword-and-sorcery epic Conan The Barbarian, which was followed later by Conan The Destroyer. Based on a character created by author Robert E. Howard, Conan was a property that permeated popular culture and made Universal Pictures a decent amount of pocket change. Admittedly, this was mostly due to the charisma of its hulking Austrian-American star, but studios will follow money down any path possible. Universal was desperate to have a third film in the franchise, but Schwarzenegger was past donning a loin cloth and passed on Conan The Conqueror. The next idea was to have Hercules: The Legendary Journeys star Kevin Sorbo take over the role, but he was reluctant to inhabit a role famously performed by another. Thus, they reworked the script for Howard’s other fantasy barbarian character, Kull. The film is clearly a product of numerous compromises, and it rightly bombed upon its release.
This story takes a basic fantasy tale which Howard could write on a lazy afternoon and tells it in the most uninspired way imaginable. Kull (Kevin Sorbo) is valiantly attempting to prove his worth to General Taligaro (Thomas Ian Griffith) as he seeks to join the General’s “Dragon Legion” army. Yet, when he reveals that he hails from Atlantis, he’s dismissed outright due to his blood being “tainted,” making him unfit for duty in that elite unit. When a series of circumstances leads to Kull being proclaimed king by the murderous king, the reluctant barbarian is suddenly in a much better position than where he began his day. He earns powerful enemies swiftly with his “backwards” ideas of how a king should act; he attempts to free the slaves, and he is not one to follow the traditional rules of the kingdom. There is an interesting moment when Kull attempts to free a slave only to realize that this man grew up in slavery and would have nowhere to go. The realities of this situation is intriguing, but is soon eschewed in favor of getting to a powerful ancient demon, Akivasha (Tia Carrere, Wayne’s World), who is enlisted by Taligaro to charm and marry Kull before dispatching with him.
The plan to overthrow the new king does not go completely as planned, thanks in part to a beautiful card-reading fortune teller named Zareta (Karina Lombard) and her brother Ascalante (Gary “Litefoot” Davis). Kull is not as dead as his enemies might wish, and he goes on an “epic” journey to rid his kingdom of the demonic forces while also sparking up a relationship with no sizzle with Zareta. It is a predictable series of sequences that culminate in a finale filled with very rocky special effects and an expected ending. The movie is not good, but there are moments that will appeal to those who want mindless fantasy action and nothing else. Sorbo knows his way around a cringeworthy one-liner, and you may find yourself chuckling in spite of itself. The demon special effects are deliriously cheesy, but in its own unexpected way a bit transfixing. The performers are given nothing to work with in the script, but they do their level-best to not embarrass themselves. There are some creative choices here that make that a tall order, such as the rock-n-roll soundtrack filled with dated guitar riffs that are so out of place. There is nothing to this film beyond what is on the surface. Only those who go into this one looking for a fun time with a bad film will find the experience worthwhile.
Video Quality
Kull The Conqueror gets somewhat of an upgrade to Blu-Ray courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment, but it is far from a flawless presentation. The transfer is sourced from an older master provided by Universal Pictures for its return to Blu-Ray. Compared to other recent releases from the company, this release does not suffer quite as much in terms of compression artifacts and macroblocking. They are definitely still present, just not quite as egregious as other discs. Skin tones fall a bit more on the side of warm and unnatural, and the presentation offers up some fairly unimpressive black levels. The disc experiences a decent amount of black crush, but once again it is not as overwhelming as some Mill Creek discs. Thankfully the image retains some texture in small aspects of the photography such as costumes and interior settings. The colors are one of the standout aspects of the disc, as particular elements of the production design pop off the screen with a nice vibrancy. Mill Creek Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that is a fine step up from DVD, but it does not quite hit it out of the park like a new master may have. Given the lower quality of the feature, this might be good enough for most people.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is capable and well balanced. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Environmental effects play a substantial role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite splendidly. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. This movie provides tons of action and kinetic moments which yields great activity in the low end. The bizarre “modern” rock riffs are presented with a pleasing fidelity. Mill Creek Entertainment has delivered a stable track for a film that capably brings this environment to life.
Special Features
- Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided here.
- Slip Cover: This release ships with a “VHS-Style” slipcover sporting some superior cover art.
Final Thoughts
Kull The Conqueror is a very silly movie that might just meet the level of so-bad-it’s-good for some audience members. As a straightforward film, it is pretty dreadful with only a handful of moments that demand you to take notice. The performances are passable but absolutely nothing special. The biggest issue is the tired script and even less inspired directing. Sword-and-sorcery films can go bad in a hurry without the right elements, and this one is pretty much missing them all. It is no wonder Schwarzenegger stayed far away from this one. Mill Creek has released a value-priced Blu-Ray sporting a passable A/V presentation and next to no special features.
Kull The Conqueror will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on October 19, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Mill Creek Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
