MovieChat Forums > Kull the Conqueror (1997) Discussion > The first half is actually pretty intere...

The first half is actually pretty interesting, and then...

posted 15 years ago by gothor
3 replies | jump to latest

I saw Kull for the first time since it came out on video, and was surprised by how much I liked it--the first half anyway.

See, all I remembered was the second half: Harvey Firestein on the boat, the really dull ice cave sequence, etc. It came off as a two-bit SciFi channel movie of the week. I can't believe the entire last 45 minutes of the film can be summed up as, "Kevin Sorbo takes a boat to an island, gets in a fight with people he already knew back in his kingdom, then heads back to his kingdom and fights them some more." What kind of epic quest is that? They apparently caught a huge seamonster at one point, but forgot to film it. No, they cut straight to the fish-vomit gag.

On the other hand, the first half is actually pretty damn interesting. I would have liked it better if the movie focused on Kull's troubles in the court. The consequences of him freeing the slaves, settling local disputes with barons, trying to find a wife. Like if the cousins and evil wizard had dropped the standard Ancient Evil plot, and instead tried to set up grand schemes to embarrass or otherwise make Kull unsuited for the crown. They had that whole Wall O' Laws, maybe he could have had to memorize them as a sort of trial. I don't know. It sounds boring as I type this out, but for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, the first half of the movie are really entertaining to me, and the last half is so dreadful.

I think it's because there've been so many Quest fantasy movies, but not many It's Hard Being King fantasy movies. King Arthur is about all I can think of.

Hell, he could have stayed home and figured out how to conquer a neighboring kingdom. I mean, did anyone notice Kull didn't really conquer anything? He mortally wounded a man in self defense, then was given the crown by the very man he had slain. That's hardly conquering!

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[–] Taranaichsaurus 15 years ago

There's a lot that could've made the movie more interesting. "By This Axe, I Rule!" is a perfect example of the hard-bring-king fantasy story, even if it has a substantial action element in the later half. This is a strong element of all Kull stories: where the barbarian usurper has to deal with the decadent and corrupt nobility of Valusia, as well as having to adjust to the mores of civilization and the courtly life.

A search for a Queen would've been particularly interesting, as Kull in the stories was noted for being entirely uninterested in women (a marked contrast from the girl-crazy Conan). Freeing the slaves was just stupid: Valusia's infrastructure would collapse, and one of her many hungry and powerful neighbours would swoop in for the kill, not to mention the myriad barbarian tribes waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The unfortunate thing about the "quest fantasy" to find the only thing that can save his kingdom, is that it's ripped right out of the Conan story The Hour of the Dragon: being written in 1935, it wasn't nearly as played out as it is today.

Hell, he could have stayed home and figured out how to conquer a neighboring kingdom. I mean, did anyone notice Kull didn't really conquer anything? He mortally wounded a man in self defense, then was given the crown by the very man he had slain. That's hardly conquering!

In the stories, Kull was far more proactive. He was the leader of one of the factions in a Valusian civil conflict, backed by the mercenary armies. He barged into Borna's throne with the express intention to rip the crown from his head, and he did. Changing it to Kull not only having to slay Borna in self defense, but to have Borna bequeath the crown, is just one of the countless, heinously insulting changes the film made to Kull's character and world.

[–] roman8 15 years ago

Both of you are right, but both of you are describing more something like a story-arc for a tv show or at least a long feature film with at least two sequels.

[–] bigbadwolf666 14 years ago

I wouldve liked a sequel. Too Bad they didnt make enough money to even consider it. Id wouldve watched it on the big screen.

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