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In the wake of Star Wars, all the Hollywood studios were scrambling to replicate its success with similar big-budget sci-fi/fantasy epics. Krull was Columbia Pictures’ effort, released the same summer as Return of the Jedi, and destined to box office failure in the formidable match-up. I think Krull is actually a pretty good movie in its own right, though — much more than a mere Star Wars cash grab.

Ken Marshall plays Colwyn, a young prince who must rescue Lyssa (Lysette Anthony), his bride-to-be, from a galactic Beast who’s conquering worlds one at a time. Colwyn is aided by the requisite wise old man (Freddie Jones), and teams up with several other characters on his journey to the Beast’s Black Fortress. Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane are among the supporting cast, and the lovely Francesca Annis (Dune) makes a striking appearance as the mysterious ‘Widow of the Web’. Her scene is one of the film’s strongest, pitting Jones against a giant stop-motion crystal spider in attempt to get vital information from Annis, a cursed woman who was once Jones’ lover. It’s a sequence as creepy as it is poignant.

Marshall brings a little Errol Flynn to the lead role, but the screenplay remains too superficially archetypal for any truly memorable characters to develop. The early action sequence in which the Beast’s army of ‘Slayers’ interrupt Colwyn’s wedding and kidnap Lyssa is by far the most exciting in the movie. In contrast, the climactic confrontation with the Beast is less compelling, partly because the Beast is photographed in an odd, optically stretched format and only appears on-screen with the protagonists by way of rear-projection. The result is that the Beast never feels ‘there’, and his threat never feels immediate.

Stanford Sherman’s screenplay is somewhat generic, leaning on nearly every fantasy trope you can think of — but it’s passable. I find Krull worthy of repeat viewings because of its rich, aesthetic accomplishments. The sets and wardrobes are bold and original in their design, and James Horner serves up an astonishingly complex and dynamic score that, like John Williams’ work on Star Wars, stands on its own outside the film. Krull also features beautiful photography by Peter Suschitzky (The Empire Strikes Back) and strong editing from Ray Lovejoy (2001, Aliens). The visual effects, while quaint by today’s standards, are pretty impressive for a fantasy film from the pre-digital era.

Directed by Peter Yates (Bullitt, Breaking Away, The Dresser).