Ok ok, I know, you're not supposed to compare this movie to the Hercules series, but please, Sorbo's acting style is unchanged. Kull kills people in this movie and he's not a half-god, but that's where the differences end. This movie even has a Salmoneus-clone played (hilariously) by Harvey Fierstein. Watch it, enjoy it, but don't expect too much from it.
Add a Review
-
Animus26 April 1999
-
xredgarnetx19 September 2007KULL is not to be taken seriously, even though it is derived from a serious book by the author of the Conan stories, Robert Howard. Kevin "Hercules" Sorbo plays Kull, a warrior in search of a kingdom in a time long forgotten, in a breezy, off-handed manner -- and his refusal to take his character too seriously works in favor of this low-budget quickie. The ever-delectable Tia Carrere plays a witch who plans to take over the world, and she is absolutely delicious as a supernatural villainess. The fights are clumsily staged, the sets are from hunger, but the dialog is a lot of fun and everyone would appear to be having a good time. A rainy day pick. It certainly kicks Red Sonja's butt.
-
ma-cortes17 September 2018Kevin Sorbo goes from TV's legendary Hércules to Sword-witchery hero Kull the conqueror , a warrior who becomes king of a mythic land , Valusia . Overthrown by a corrupt nobility (Douglas Henshall , Thomas Ian Griffith) Kull starts a perilous journey to a Island of Ice to find God Balka and the one weapon that will destroy the she-demon , an evil sorceress Akiyasha (Tia Carrere) . Meanwhile , Kull falls for a slave (Karina Lombard) of the former harem of a nasty King (Sven-Ole Thorsen) .
Stars the hunk Kevin Sorbo who battles warlords in animal skins , wizards, sorceress and fantastic gods in this dumb-but -fun Sword and Witchery film . Featuring brutallity , magnificent production values by prestigious designer Benjamin Fernández , colorful cinematography and rousing musical score by Joel Goldsmith . Acceptable film , although the PG-13 rating keeps some the mayhem and violent fights less bloody than might be expected for this popular sub-genre : ¨Sword and Witchery¨ that had splendor in the 80s .¨Kull the Conqueror" is based on the 30s character created by pulp writer Robert E Howard who also originated Conan the Barbarian . A fine Sword and necromancy movie in the wake of Conan The Barbarian by John Milius and Conan the Destroyer by Richard Fleischer produced by De Laurentiis . In fact , it was originally going to be the 3rd Conan film "Conan The Conqueror" also financed by Raffaela De Laurentiis and would be an adaptation of the novel by Robert E. Howard. Which a 45 year old Conan, now King of Aquilonia, learns of a group of conspirator's plot to depose of him, by resurrecting the ancient sorcerer from the pre-Hyborian empire of Acheron. Camp fun , good humor and somewhat silly finale with embarrassing FX with a horrible , ugly and badly-made monster . Passable acting by body-builder Kevin Sorbo in heroic Hercules style , he maintains sympathy admirable sense of humor throughout . He is well accompanied by a good support cast , such as Tia Carrere , Douglas Henshall , Thomas Ian Griffith , Harvey Fernstein , Sven Ole Thorsen , Edward Tudor , Litefoot , among others .
Thrilling and exciting soundtrack by Joel Goldsmith , son of the notorious composer Jerry Goldsmith ; however , containing some inappropriated electronic sounds . Evocative and glimmering photography by Rodney Charters . This action-fantasy was professionally directed by John Niconella (1942-98) . He was a writer , director and especially producer . He directed a few films such as Sunset Heat , Runaway father and Finish line . And directed various TV episodes as Crime Story , Leg work , The watcher , Dark Justice , The Heights , Miami Vice and several others until his early deat at 53 . rating : 5.5/10 , decent action fantasy movie though it has some flaws and gaps . -
El Guapo-223 September 2003"Kull The Conqueror" is cinematic cheese, and knows it. The actors know it. The director knows it. Certainly the person responsible for the inclusion of the constant heavy metal guitar solos know it! Which is the best part of the film, the constant screams "waaaa-wa-wa-wa-wa!!!" of that heavy metal guitar, briefly punctuated by your standard grade-Z fantasy film dialogue. I laughed my arse off throughout the entire film and had a great time. Anyone who takes this film, or themselves, too seriously, will hate it. Anyone who knows how to kick back and enjoy fluff, will have a grand old time.
-
dave13-19 February 2008First the good news. This picture has production design worthy of Conan creator Robert E. Howard's legacy. Everything else is bad news. The script is allegedly a many version hand-me-down re-working of the never made third Conan movie, the film in which Conan would finally win the throne of Aquilonia. Instead we get Howard's backup hero (Kull) who takes the throne at the beginning of the film in an un-stirring, non-epic little battle and then loses it quickly to Witch Demon Akivasha (played to the hilt by Tia Carrere who obviously had rare fun as a bad girl). Kull then kills an hour on a very routine quest-to-find-his-right-to-rule and finally returns for the classic Howard showdown between good brawn and evil sorcery. The main problem is Kevin Sorbo, who got so good at playing Hercules in self-spoofing post-modern fashion that he simply doesn't resonate with the necessary authentic bronze age thuggishness of a Howard hero. Here was a chance to play a variation on his usual screen self and he punted it. Too bad. The set decorators captured the proper essence of Robert Howard...
-
Rainey-Dawn17 January 2017Is the film any good? No. Is the film at least fun? Yes. I agree the film does not take itself seriously. It's one of those lazy afternoon films when there's not a lot on and you simply want to rest watching a silly film - but you'd have to like sword and sorcery films to even begin to enjoy this movie.
Acting is mediocre at best. Costumes, sets and creatures are cool enough. Lame story but somehow fun enough to keep me a bit interested. I can easily watch this film and let my mind wonder off without missing much of anything.
Some funny scenes - I like the farting camel. LOL.
The Conan films are better but this one but this one is alright enough for something different in the barbarian category.
5.5/10 -
Rock198423 June 2002I saw the movie on television yesterday evening. When I had looked into the tv magazine I saw that the movie is rather new (1997), but I had never heard of it, which means nothing good. Then I saw that Kevin Sorbo starred in it. I don't have a problem with him, but he's absolutely fixed to that "Hercules"-role, so I knew exactly what to expect. But it wasn't THAT bad. The plot was mediocre, but not ridiculous. The special effects weren't too good, but some looked nice. The scenery looked extremely fake from time to time, but there also were some nice backgrounds and such. It's not really a bad movie, I was not bored when I watched it. If you are a fan of such medieval settings and lower your expectations a bit it might be worth a watch.
5/10 -
The screenplay writer must have read Howard's book, since there are literal quotes like `By this axe I rule!', which Kull exclaims during the coronation, yet again, this movie is no serious attempt to capture the raw, barbarian spirit of Howard's heroes. `Kull the Conqueror' reminds me of `Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger' rather than `Conan the Barbarian' or `Hercules'. Exactly like Patrick Wayne, Kevin Sorbo has to sail to the Land of Ice to find a solution to his problem: the evil witch threatening the once peaceful kingdom. `Kull' is nice, colourful adventure, Sinbad with more muscles and less charm, nothing special, but not as bad as some reviewers wrote, either. I'll watch it again on a rainy day. Of course, if you expected another `Conan the Barbarian', you'll be disappointed, but `Conan the Destroyer' and `Red Sonja' were no match for this masterpiece in the past, and `Kull' is at least a bit better than these two.
Tia Carrere as the red-haired witch Akivasha who cannot be killed, for she is living in a fire, is brilliant. Her immediate transition from the enchanting beauty to screaming rage compares to nothing. I still didn't figure out why Sorbo chose the same profession as De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, but he's passable here. Give it a try if you like the genre. -
liodavix20 February 2019Well, the truth is that despite the many bad reviews that this film has received since its premiere, I must say that the movie is surprisingly effective in its purpose of entertaining.
Yes, I am aware that altogether it is a very bad movie, with a poor production design more typical of the television series, Hercules, the legendary journeys, with which the same protagonist shares, the stony Kevin Sorbo, with the worst band sound never composed for a heroic fantasy film and sword fights that provoke more laughter than anything else.
But despite all this the film has positive aspects.
The story, although topical and uninspired, is elaborate enough to maintain interest.
Likewise, the film has a good narrative rhythm and does not become heavy or boring at any time, which is a great achievement, the few special effects are quite acceptable and the villain of the story interpreted by the very beautiful Tia Carrere is sensational, the best of the film.
In short, Kull the Conqueror is a bad movie, but many of us have certainly seen much worse movies and much less entertaining than this one.
Insurance!!! -
Ky-D20 April 2010On the scale of sword and sorcery flicks, this ranks below 'Conan The Barbarian', above the dreary 'Red Sonja', about on par with 'Conan The Destroyer'; which is to say that it's an energetic fantasy film that doesn't take itself seriously and can be a lot of fun if you let it be.
Kull of Atlantis seeks to join the army of Velusia, but instead, through an unexpected turn of events, he finds himself proclaimed king of the empire instead. Holding onto his new throne will be much harder than taking it, as the blood heirs to the empire make a deal with a wizard to revive a 3000 year-old demon who seeks to kill King Kull and claim the empire for herself.
'Kull the Conqueror' originally started out as 'Conan the Conqueror', but after Arnold refused to reprise the role, the script was changed to accommodate Howard's other barbarian hero, Kull. As such, much of the story is actually taken from the Conan stories ('The Hour of the Dragon' in particular). Interestingly, the first Conan movie took most of it's story material from the Kull tales. A little bit of irony for you.
As for the film itself, it does enough things right to entertain; Sorbo fits Kull role perfectly (actually truer to the source character than Arnold ever was), Griffith is an effectively grim villain and Tia Carrere hams it up nicely as the evil Akiavasia. The locations and sets have a wonderfully fantasy feel to them and the assorted fight scenes are well choreographed and fast paced. Given their age, the FX and make are good without ever looking terribly real. One thing I found very enjoyable in the film was the liberal dose of humor; not lame one-liners or goofy antics, but some solid humor that compliments the scenes rather than ruining them.
The biggest problem the movie has is the damn PG-13 rating; it keeps the movie from really delving into adult fantasy the way you want it too. Both 'Red Sonja' and 'Conan the Destroyer' suffered the same problem. Another issue is the generic butt-rock music that accompanies the fight scenes; the music for the rest of the film is epic and fits the period nature of the film, but the lame guitar riffs that get churned out during every fight is just annoying. Also, many of the supporting actors just aren't any damn good at acting and tend to injure many of the scenes. Lastly, the script is a little lean for an epic adventure film, clocking in at just 90 minutes, almost no time is spent getting to know the characters any better than is necessary to drive the plot.
All told, this is a fun, fast, fantasy film meant to be enjoyed rather than analyzed. It makes a decent entry in the Howard film canon (the best way to watch it is part 4 of a Howard marathon; Conan 1 & 2, Red Sonja, Kull). The film made no money in theaters, which is too bad, as we aren't likely to see any more of these any time soon.
Energetic, humorous, and full of action (though not without some issues), a solid sword and sorcery flick.
7/10 -
reb-warrior4 March 2017Well I mean he goes around shirtless the entire time. Maybe that's all TPTB thought he was good for, eye candy.
This movie was basically Hercules the Legendary Journeys with the name Kull slapped on it. Yeah, but Herc's alright, right? It was a weekly campy TV show. Kull was a movie that was in the theatres that you shell out money for. It should be a tad bit better quality. More than a tad.
Sorbo proves his acting range is limited. He doesn't even try to play a different character than Herc. There are no little nuances and characteristics in manner, facial expressions, and delivery. You ever see him in Andromeda? It's the same there. Basically playing Hercules again with a different name slapped on. Can you ever imagine this guy playing a part in Shakespeare? Even just a tiny role? Nope, I can't either.
Karen Lombard and Litefoote were the best actors and seemed to take their roles, and their duty to fulfill a good delivery seriously. Everyone else just seemed like they were there for the paycheck.
The plot was meh. I guess it was suppose to be the third part in Arnie's Conan movies. I liked the first one. The second was just OK. Kull lacked the mood, and at least Arnie had presence and a fierce expression despite being a non-actor. It's a B movie. What else is there to say. At least you get see Sorbo shirtless most of time. But seriously, to make a movie for the big screen which cost money for people to see, the logic was let's have Sorbo shirtless and it will be good? He's not that special. Not even close. Word. -
ab-214 May 2000I thought that this movie was great. It has a lot of action in it which made me want to watch more. Kevin Sorbo is great in this movie and also Tia Carrere is. The only reason I give it a 9 is because some parts of the movie were hard for me to understand. But overall it is great.
-
Wuchakk26 August 2018An Atlantean barbarian (Kevin Sorbo) takes the throne of Valusia when he defeats King Borna (Sven-Ole Thorsen) and so General Taligaro (Thomas Ian Griffith) & assorted "noble-blooded" men conspire to overthrow Kull by resurrecting the wicked Acheron sorceress Akivasha (Tia Carrere). Karina Lombard plays Kull's love interest, Zareta, while Litefoot is on hand as the priest Ascalante.
Released in 1997, thirteen years after the last Conan movie, "Kull the Conqueror" was intended to be the third Conan film, but Schwarzenegger declined so they morphed it into a Kull movie. For those not in the know, Kull was author Robert E. Howard's other barbarian hero, who wasn't as popular as Conan. Kull, incidentally, existed thousands of years before Conan's Hyborian Age. The switch didn't really matter because the script was loosely based on Howard's Conan story "The Phoenix on the Sword," which was a rewrite of the Kull yarn "By this Axe I Rule."
Sorbo was in his prime here and definitely looks like Kull from the comics, except he has his characteristic geniality whereas Kull was more grim and brooding in Howard's tales. Nevertheless, Sorbo is well cast and one of the film's highlights.
The score by Joel Goldsmith is quite good, except for a couple of semi-cheesy metal riffs, like the eye-rolling riff near the beginning and another one much later during the fight at the ice cave, which isn't as bad. At least half of the score lacks any metal guitar whatsoever and most of the pieces that do include it are very good; there's just a couple of dubious riffs, which turned me off the first time I watched the movie. These wannabe metal rhythms were rather lame in 1997, let alone today.
Another flaw is that the opening of the movie is weak with Kull's dealings with the Dragon Legion and his fiery sword fight with Taligaro. If you're patient, however, the story takes a compelling turn with the palace confrontation. The production is acceptable, but noticeably inferior to "Conan the Destroyer" (1984). I'd say it's on par with "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982), but with a superior story and more interesting characters (once you get past the lousy opening). I should add that Tia looks great as a green-eyed redhead and the fiery demon F/X at the close are quite effective.
IF you can handle its obvious shortcomings, "Kull the Conqueror" is an entertaining S&S flick that should be enjoyed by fans of Conan, Sinbad and the like. If you watched it before and didn't like it, give it a second chance. I'm glad I did. It's flawed, but there's too much to appreciate to give it a negative rating.
The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes and was shot in Slovakia (Bratislava & Cerveny Kamen) and Croatia (Kornati National Park & Murter Island).
GRADE: B-/C+ -
ccthemovieman-115 July 2006The only thing "slick" about this film is the video box cover. The movie is strictly Grade B material, although there are some nice special-effects and color to it. The lead actor is probably what gives this movie such a lower-grade feel to it. Kevin Sorbo, who has not exactly become a household name among movie actors, shows why as he plays "Kull." He doesn't look and he doesn't sound like a man from the medieval ages. Only his acting is medieval!
The stupid dialog didn't help him, either. The sorcery with stupid doses of political correctness made the whole thing ludicrous. The leading lady wasn't any better: a broody, unlikeable Karina Lombard. You'd be better off with the horrible Steve Reeves Hercules movies of the 1950s - similar sort of thing. -
bob the moo19 April 2005Former slave and pirate, Kull is now a great warrior but can't seem to fit in with the army because he is one of the few who does not have noble blood. When he stands up to the King for slaying his relatives, Kull is forced to fight and kill him and, as a result, the King sees the light and passes the crown to Kull seconds before dying. The Princes don't like it and the court officials are pretty unimpressed but the law is the law and whatcha gonna do? When he starts to free slaves, treat lesser as equals and generally be a nice king, the Princes plot his removal but when assassins fail they go to a wizard to breathe life into a demon in a ginger wig in the form of a gorgeous woman.
I must admit that, when I recorded this I thought that it was Krull from 1983 simply because I had misread the television guide. Never having bothered with Xena, Hercules or any of these modern swords and sorcery television series and movies that tend to clutter some cable stations in the UK because they all seemed of very low quality to me, but I still decided to watch this anyway. Perhaps it is because the lack of development and character isn't a major problem for me over 90 minutes whereas it is over a 22 week long series but I actually did enjoy this even if it just plays like an extended version of one of these shows all rock music and modern humour.
The plot is very simple but is enough to allow for the basic fighting and swaggering that the audience would demand. It isn't that well written of course and simply has lots of mystical nonsense in the place of narrative while the characters could only be more one-dimensional if they had been painted onto a wall. Likewise the cast don't do a great deal but at least they seem to be having fun and at least not take it too seriously. Although I'm not about to claim he is anything other than a muscle-bound cable television actor, I was quite won over by Sorbo's charisma and good humour he makes a good lead for stuff at this sort of level. Despite being stuck in a silly red wig that does nothing for her looks, Carrere enjoys overacting in a vampy role which is good even if she has little screen time. Lombard has a plainer, less fun role but I did enjoy her and she worked well with Sorbo. The princes are quite fun, in particular Griffith and, as always, Fierstein camps in up in the way only he can. None of them are great but at least they make the film seem like a bit more fun.
Overall this is not the film to come to if you don't like the genre or have standards higher that daytime television (Hercules is now a kids TV filler on channel 5 here) but if you like that sort of thing then this does just about enough to be an entertaining little bit of modern sword and sorcery in the mould of, well, everything else Sorbo has been in! -
My Dear. What has happened here. I am one of the greatest fans of Sword & Sorcery films ever (I can enjoy almost all of them). I have seen all the sword and sorcery films I can. I even liked Wizards of the Lost Kingdom! ALOT! But this movie was a complete waste of my time. I bought it for $2.00 at a local video sale and after watching I felt ripped off (and went out and sold it) The main reason for me getting it was that the script was by Charles Edward Pogue, a man who I have alot of respect for after "The Fly" and "Psycho 3" But I could'nt see a trace of his usual good work here. Was it producer interference??? I wont bother with the plot or the acting or lighting and direction except to say that they are all terrible. This feels like a movie done by a bad commercials director (e.g No understanding of narrative or character). But I guess what I find most objectionable about this film is that there was no entertainment value or originality whatsoever. Even in some of the very worst films there can be weird or inventive or hilarious sequences just due to experimentation. But there was nothing here. Im sorry to be so critical but really please avoid.
-
Sergiodave22 January 2021A Conan the Barbarian rip off it might be, but this movie kept me amused throughout. The acting at times is hysterically camp, and all the cast looked like they had fun making it. Very cheesy, but good fun for a rainy day. You could watch a lot worse.
-
lost-in-limbo28 March 2013Around this time Kevin Sorbo was starring in the fashionably popular TV series "Hercules", so I guess it was only natural that he would go on to find himself starring in this sword-and-sorcery romp that's a cheesy, water-down version of "Conan the Barbarian" that felt like it was made for straight-to-TV. It uses the same world brought to us through the novels of author Robert E. Howard, as this was meant to be a Conan sequel; "Conan the Conqueror" but was changed to Kull for Sorbo when Schwarzenegger turned down the role.
Kull a lowly born barbarian inherits the throne of Valusia and becomes a real favourite of the people. However the king's sons believe the throne to be theirs and conjure up an ancient spirit of darkness to rid Kull of their kingdom. However she has plans of her own.
There's some mindless fun abound and Sorbo makes for a comfortable heroine, but it somewhat plods along and is fairly unimaginative with it being limited in most aspects. Namely its use of bland visual effects. Although we do get to see Sorbo smack lips with a hideous rubber looking demon. Then throw in the beautiful ladies Karina Lombard and Tia Carrere in her seductively villainous role. Thomas Ian Griffith plays it mean and Sven-Ole Thorsen chews up the scenery in the small part he has as the king Kull inherits the kingdom from. Sorbo actually brings a considerately articulate nature to his part. Stagy sets, cheap costumes and mechanical direction.
It knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything more, but it just lacks energy despite barbarian smashing, corny dialogues and howling guitar score.
"My whole life has been a quest." -
quincy-white22 April 2007I didn't see Kull when it first came out, not a fan of the Hercules TV show, or all the over-ironic self-parodies of the time, save Scream. But after becoming a fan of Robert E. Howard, and reading the original Kull stories, I decided to check it out.
Dare I say it, I liked it better than the John Milius Conan the Barbarian. Kull the Conquerer, parodic though it was, still used more elements from the actual Kull stories, right down to character names. Taligaro, Zareta, although no Brule, maybe they were saving him for a planned sequel. Plot elements were there as well, including the famed line 'By this Axe I rule!' The characters speak in hip modern dialogue, part of the joke. Usually, this kind of thing gets on my nerves. But thinking about it, in Howard's stories characters were always articulate. In the John Milius/Oliver Stone scripted Conan movie it was apparently decided that because the characters were barbarians they...must...speak...very...slowly. At least in Kull we have complete sentences.
Kull is still a very loose adaptation, but I found myself having fun during many of the fight scenes. From what I've heard, the new Conan movie in development is to be more loyal to Robert E Howard's work. I hope so. Until then, Kull, surprising as it is, will have to do. -
funkyfry11 January 2010Some films are mediocre, some films are bad, but still other films are so misconceived and poorly executed that the film-makers should be embarrassed of themselves. "Kull" is exactly that film, and it's more fun to laugh at its unintentional idiocy than to make any attempt to take it seriously as fantasy. At any rate the film-makers also took care of that possibility by filling the sorry affair with so much contemporary humor in a pathetic attempt to imitate the formula of the "Hercules" TV show that starred the same "actor" who appears in this film, Kevin Sorbo.
It didn't have to be this way. King Kull is one of the more interesting characters created by the legendary 1930s pulp writer Robert E. Howard, famous for Conan. Howard's writing has been mostly insulted and degraded by these film versions -- but this one is so awful it makes "Conan the Destroyer" look like "Lord of the Rings." It makes "Red Sonja" look like "Jason and the Argonauts." And it makes "Conan the Barbarian" look like "Citizen Kane." I actually paid to see this in the theater because I'm such a big Robert Howard fan. It was so disappointing that I had to give it a spin on DVD just to see if it could really be as bad as I remembered it. It's far worse than any memory can convey. Right away, you have probably the worst music I've ever heard in a film, a combination of mock-Wagner and mock-Megadeth. Electric guitars on the soundtrack are an especially poor harbinger for a film supposedly set in ancient history. Then you start to notice that all the characters look like roadies for Spinal Tap, and the main villain dude has a mullet that would make Billy Ray Cyrus jealous. So maybe it all makes sense in a twisted way... apparently this was a demographic they were shooting for; perhaps they even advertised this film on WWF smack-down.
There's no getting around what limits the movie the most -- basically the entire cast is wrong and incompetent. Kevin Sorbo always seems like a nice guy, and little else. He's all wrong to play a sadistic barbarian, but the film-makers have solved that problem by removing all traces of Kull's personality and all signs that he was created by Robert Howard, or you could say all signs that he was created by anyone other than a market research survey group. He's polite, soft-spoken, respectful of women, and he wants to free all the slaves. He's a hero -- a character who has no business in a Robert Howard story. Just once I'd like to see this great writer's stories rendered in a way that isn't just to turn all the characters into generic knights in shining armor. Doing that to his world and his characters is like making a Disney movie about the Donner Party. I can understand why a lot of people look down on writing like his, because they assume it's actually junk like this movie.
It doesn't stop there, but I get too tired of thinking about it to go on. Sorbo is the least of our worries in the cast actually, considering that Harvey Fierstein is painfully hammy (and his character seems modeled on a dull character from the TV show), and the director seems to have thought it was a good idea to give all the heavy acting scenes to Tia Carrere. Her misbegotten performance lends the movie most of its laugh factor. This movie is cheap and ugly looking -- I would guess that they spent more money on the lame "Merlin" miniseries in the 90s than they did on this movie which was foisted on theater audiences. Not only that, but the director has no taste and no talent for cinema at all. Everything is shot in a bland and generic way so that none of it seems infused with any kind of power or majesty. Whatever the faults of Milius' original Conan film, and there are many, at the very least he attempted to get the dark atmosphere of Howard's world right and to convey some fraction of the characters' fatalism. Unless the new "Solomon Kane" film is a huge surprise, it will be the only example of somebody even attempting something different of this type in a fantasy movie for a long time. -
gmichael-313 March 2000Sine I was twelve years old (and now I'm thirty-eight years old)I'm a great fan of the stories of Robert E. Howard, the unforgettable creator of Conan, The Barbarian. Howard was a great storyteller and the imaginary world where he develops his stories and heroes, mainly during the Hiborian Age, has a notable charisma. This movie is based in one of the Howard's most famous heroes along with Conan: Kull, the mighty Barbarian who rules over Atlantis. Maybe because of this special interest that I have for Howard's work, "Kull" makes me remember of the paperback books of my youth. In a critical mood, I know this movie is not a great deal. But I have to say I was tighted to the screen and had a great time watchiong this. For me, even Kevin Sorbo was good and convinced. Sorry, fellows, I'm back to my childhood!!!! (3 of five).
-
anaconda-4065811 September 2015Kull the Conqueror (1997): Dir: John Nicolella / Cast: Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere, Litefoot, Thomas Ian Griffith, Roy Brocksmith: Pathetic fantasy about overcoming trials, although viewers may find the trial of sitting through this embarrassing film difficult to overcome. Kull is destined to become King. His enemies raise a demon Queen from her tomb and Kull chooses her as Queen but that night he ends up in chains. He frees himself and sets out seeking destruction of his enemies. While production is fine the story is lame. Director John Nicolella is no road map either. Kull instructs people to serve any God they wish. Kull sounds like the type of warrior who would bow down to a toilet if he had to crap bad enough. Kevin Sorbo must be proud to play a character this dumb. Kull is basically a rags to riches character who falls for his foe like a naïve child coaxed into a stranger's car. Tia Carrere puts in an effort as the demon Queen who proves to be a worthy opponent to our knuckle headed hero. Litefoot was much more interesting in The Indian in the Cupboard but here he is Kull's sidekick and little else. Thomas Ian Griffith is also featured among the cast. Apparently this was suppose to be Conan the Conqueror until Arnold Schwarzenegger read the script and realized that it would conquer his career. Pointless mayhem that showcases senseless violence and a complete lack of intelligence. Score: 2 ½ / 10
-
ronaldotheheel18 July 2002I don't understand all the bad reviews for this movie. So it's not an oscar winner. BIG DEAL. It's just a fun action movie. I thought the mixture of fantasy and rock music made the movie seem more fun. Also, who couldn't enjoy a movie with Litefoot? This guy is totally awesome! I bought it recently after I saw it in theaters. Man, I could watch it for 24 hours straight and not be bored!
-
While this movie is no "Conan", it still was rather entertaining, and even more so if you enjoy the fantasy adventure genre.
Story-wise, then the movie was quite stereotypical; a conflict of good versus evil, an underdog that will rise to be king against every possible odd.
The story is about Kull, a former pirate slave, who happens to earn the throne and Crown to the Kingdom of Valusia. But dark things stir beneath an otherwise calm kingdom, and a wretched wizard brings back to life an ancient and long dead sorceress queen. To save the kingdom, Kull embarks upon a treacherous quest to the frozen north.
The costumes and props were quite good in the movie, and really helped to bring the fantasy world to life. And I must say that I really liked the designs of the armors in "Kull the Conqueror".
The music was adequate. Most of the time it was suitable and fitting for a sword and sorcery fantasy movie. But there were times where the music took on a heavy metal twist, which was really awkward and misplaced.
As for the cast, then I will admit that they actually put together a good ensemble of acting talents for the movie. Kevin Sorbo is cut out for the sword and sorcery genre, no doubt about it. But Tia Carrere really brought something good to the movie with her usual charm and also with her portrayal of Akivasha.
If you enjoy sword and sorcery and the fantasy genre, then you should sit down to watch "Kull the Conqueror", because it is an entertaining movie. -
This is a text book example of how not to do a fantasy movie. Sorbo is wasted..and its a sad comment that the writing for his hit show Hercules is 20 times better than this dreck. From the cheesey rock music sound track at the opening credits you realize they are not going to give the genre any respect..and great movies like Army of Darkness..can make fun of the genre while still respecting it.
Kull is nearly devoid of any intentional humor. Though you will find yourself laughing out loud at various points due to the incredibly lame dialogue and ridiculous performances. I think this is also a film that clearly had no art direction and it offends the chronological senses even worse than Hercules and Xena to the point at which you began to think the entire thing took place in a world of cheesey movie sets instead of some time in our distant past.
No effort is made to build any characters or make us care about anyone..and no one is likeable or cool enough to care about them at first sight.
I'm not even sure this would be good WITH the MST3K crew riffing on it. When its not being stupid ..it just drags.