Kull the Conqueror (1997)

Overrated and overhyped

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

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.

Well, I thought you'd have to motor in order to come up with anything cheesier than Arnie's 3 sword and sorcery outings (2 Conans and a Red Sonja), but Kevin Sorbo's Kull the Conqueror manages to do so with a minimum of trouble.To be fair, the sets and costumes are OK, and the cast give it their all. But the special effects are a bit naff, and the special effects make-up is super-naff.And the script, plot, and characterisations are not only naff, but also cheesy (and when I say cheesy, I'm talking Gorgonzola).It passes the time if you're not feeling fussy.

KULL 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.

The 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.