Kull the Conqueror

Starring:Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere, Thomas Ian Griffith, Litefoot, Roy Brocksmith, Harvey Fierstein, Karina Lombard, Edward Tudor-Pole, Douglas Henshall, Joe Shaw, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Terry O'Neill, Pat Roach, John Hallam, Peter Petruna, Boris Bacik, Paul Weston (II), Paul Kynman
Director: John Nicolella
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

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If you're into sword-and-sorcery tales, look no further than this critically underrated big-screen fantasy based on the fiction of Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard. It was a troubled production and the outcome is far different from the more serious and intelligent epic that screenwriter Charles Pogue had originally conceived. Still, this is a giddy, energetic throwback to the Ray Harryhausen movie fantasies of the 1950s and '60s, and it's a perfect vehicle for Kevin Sorbo, the hunky star of TV's Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Sorbo brings an appropriate combination of depth and physical agility to the role of Kull (son of Conan), but he and director John Nicolella know better than to take this stuff too seriously. The movie's humor is nicely integrated into the dialogue without resorting to lame punch lines, and Tia Carrere is enjoyably campy as the evil goddess who lures Kull from his favorite concubine (Karina Lombard) as she plots to overthrow the kingdom of Valusia. Playwright Harvey Fierstein also provides comic relief in a scene-stealing role, and with an abundance of black magic, stunning Slovakian locations, and grand battles of good versus evil, this heroic adventure is more entertaining than you might expect. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Kevin over Arnold anytime.......2007-05-07

Well.. at least this time. This movie is a funny, action packed, sword slashing, babe rescuing, good time.

"That's How A Barbarian Fights".......2006-07-13

'Kull' released in '97 is an enjoyable fantasy action/adventure starring Kevin Sorbo as the invincible barbarian Kull. There's not much difference in Kevin's characterization in this film from his 'Hercules' role he played so well for 6 seasons on television, but when you've got a good thing going why change.

The film has all the required elements; attractive hero Kull (Kevin Sorbo), beautiful love interest Zareta (Karina Lombard), sexy evil villianess Akivasha (Tia Carrera), likeable side-kick Ascalante (Litefoot), an oncoming invasion of demons, and a dangerous quest against impossible odds. What else could anyone ask for? Add to that a superior supporting cast of other would be heroes and villians and you've got a pretty good evening of entertainment awaiting.

Maybe it's not exactly a classic, but if you're a Hercules fan or just a kid (chronologically or at heart) who loves sword and sorcery movies this is one you'll watch over and over again.

the best rainy saturday afternoon movie I know.......2006-06-29

Kevin Sorbo is fun to watch, with or without a shirt. But for a rainy Saturday afternoon, I will opt for this delightful actor, fencing across the screen, tossing one-liners such as "She said she was only 18" and doing in the bad guys, or bad girls, as the moment requires.

Is the story original? No, but it is intertaining.
Is the acting legendary? No, but does it matter?
Are the special effects the best I have ever seen? I don't know, I got lost in the movie again and forgot to pay attention to the electronic wizardry.
Does the good guy get the girl? Silly question, considering the good guy is a tall, gorgeous man with muscles and a twinkle in his eye.
Go get the popcorn, pour out a glass of iced tea, turn off the phone and settle back and just enjoy the show.

horrid treatment of Howard's work.......2005-12-07

This movie is just horrible. Whereas Robert Howard's Kull was a somber, brooding character capable of both savagery and scholarly pursuits, this movie's Kull lacks any definable personality at all. Sorbo--horrible actor he is--simply is not the right actor to play Howard's first savage barbarian. Putting Acheron ahead of Valusia's time shows the writers couldn't even research the source naterial carefully enough to at least try to translate Howard to the screen. In addition, Howard's Kull is uninterested in women, while this Kull is almost as much a womanizer as Conan. (If they wanted to make another Conan movie, they should have done so. This is a completely different character.) Almost all--if not all--of Kull's supporting characters are removed in favor of holdovers from Howard's Conan stories (ie, Ascalante, Akivasha, et al). Though the story vaguely borrows from several Howard stories like The Hour of the Dragon (Howard's Conan novel), "By This Axe, I Rule!" (the story Howard converted from a Kull story into the first Conan story), and Exile of Atlantis (Kull's origin story), it is sloppy and incoherent and reduces his lyrical writing to dissonant garbage. Although of course it too has its flaws, Conan the Barbarian featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger is a much more satisfying rendition of one of Howard's creations. This movie should definitely be avoided while someone in Hollywood finds a way to bring a worthwhile version of something the late, great Texan wrote to the screen. Lastly, even the reviewer couldn't get things right, for Kull was an Atlantean of the Pre-Cataclysmic Age even as Conan was a Cimmerian of the Hyborian Age of several thousand years after Kull's time. Ah, well. I'm done venting.

Ridiculous rock music + Tia Carrere + Action = Awesome.......2005-10-12

Tia Carrere is awesome in this movie, only better in Showdown in Little Tokyo. And Dolph Lundgren owns Kevin Sorbo. But still, this movie rocks. If you buy this movie, you cannot be disappointed - it's scientific fact. Unless of course you're a communist. But what kind of communist would be reading reviews for a product at an online store? Hypocrite!

Average customer rating:

Kevin over Arnold anytime
"That's How A Barbarian Fights"
the best rainy saturday afternoon movie I know
horrid treatment of Howard's work
Ridiculous rock music + Tia Carrere + Action = Awesome

Kull the Conqueror
Starring: Kevin Sorbo , Tia Carrere , Thomas Ian Griffith , Litefoot , and Roy Brocksmith
Director: John Nicolella
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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