Film

Krull

Name: Krull
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Released: 1983
Cast: Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, Alun Armstrong

Krull is 1983's answer to the question 'what if Excalibur had a spaceship in it?' — a fairy-tale prince leads a scrappy fellowship across a doomed planet to rescue his bride from a shape-shifting alien warlord. Swords, magic glaives and laser blasts share the same scene, scored like it all matters. Big, sincere, a little ridiculous — practical-effects fantasy for anyone who wants their quests unembarrassed by their own excess.

TMDb rating

6.1

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Willow1988

Same Lucasfilm-era magic: a reluctant hero, a ragtag fellowship, and gorgeously tactile practical effects standing in for anything digital ever could. If Krull's earnest quest-fantasy scratched an itch, this scratches it harder.

But The tone skews younger and cuter — fairy-tale whimsy over swords-and-lasers spectacle, so it can feel slight by comparison.

The Dark Crystal1982

Jim Henson's puppet-built fantasy world is as strange and fully realized as Krull's, minus the sci-fi crossover — pure otherworldly myth-making with unsettling creature design and a hero's quest at its core.

But No human actors at all — if you wanted more of Ken Marshall's swagger, this all-puppet cast might feel like a colder substitute.

Legend1985

Ridley Scott's fairy tale has the same fever-dream visual excess as Krull — misty forests, a genuinely frightening villain, and a rescue plot dressed in gorgeous, overripe production design.

But Slower and moodier than Krull's swashbuckling pace; it's more interested in atmosphere than momentum.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Jason and the Argonauts1963

Same bones: a chosen hero assembling a fellowship for a perilous journey toward a fantastical goal, using pre-digital effects that Krull's own creature work owes a real debt to.

Twenty years before Krull, this is the fellowship-quest template it inherited — a hero gathering companions to sail toward a magical prize, brought to life with Ray Harryhausen's astonishing stop-motion creatures.

But No CGI, no gloss — the effects are handmade and theatrical, which some modern eyes read as slow or stagey.

Excalibur1981

John Boorman's Arthurian epic is the serious, blood-and-mud ancestor Krull is riffing on — same fellowship-quest bones, played with operatic, unembarrassed grandeur and real mythic weight.

But Heavier and more brooding, with none of Krull's pulpy sci-fi lightness or charm.

Dragonslayer1981no page yet

A dark, surprisingly grim sword-and-sorcery adventure from the same era, with a dragon that still holds up and a quest structure that shares Krull's DNA almost beat for beat.

But Bleaker and more downbeat than Krull — this one doesn't play its danger for fun.

Conan the Barbarian1982

If you want the muscle-and-magic side of Krull's family tree, this is the meaner, moodier cousin — same era of practical-effects fantasy spectacle, minus the alien invasion twist.

But Grittier and more violent, with a lone-wolf hero instead of Krull's ensemble-fellowship feel.

Clash of the Titans1981

Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion monsters and a hero's rescue quest make this the Greek-myth cousin to Krull's sensibility — earnest, creaky, and completely committed to its own spectacle.

But The effects are charmingly dated even by Krull's standards, and the pacing can feel stately.

The Beastmaster1982no page yet

Pure 80s sword-and-sorcery cheese — a chosen hero, animal companions, and a villain to topple, all delivered with the same unselfconscious sincerity that makes Krull so lovable.

But Thinner story and lower budget than Krull; it leans harder into pulp than polish.

Ladyhawke1985no page yet

A rescue-driven fantasy romance with a curse at its centre, trading Krull's alien invaders for medieval sorcery but keeping the same sincere, adventurous heart.

But Smaller in scale and more romance than action — don't expect Krull's sprawling battles.

Warriors of the Wind1984

Both are early-80s fantasy epics about a world facing an overwhelming outside threat, but Miyazaki trades Krull's macho rescue plot for a young heroine's plea for coexistence — same era, opposite temperament.

Made the same year, Miyazaki's animated epic swaps swords for a post-apocalyptic ecology and gives you the same sense of a doomed world under alien-feeling threat, but rendered with tenderness instead of bombast.

But It's animated and far more contemplative — no swashbuckling, more quiet dread and environmental grief.

Galaxy Quest1999

Same engine, opposite register: a ragtag crew rescuing someone from a menacing alien overlord, but Galaxy Quest turns Krull's earnestness inside out into affectionate parody.

This pitch-perfect comedy runs the exact same rescue-a-captive, gather-your-crew, defeat-the-alien-warlord plot Krull does — except everyone's an actor cosplaying as a hero and it's played entirely for laughs.

But It's a comedy through and through — if you want Krull's sincerity, this send-up might feel like it's mocking what you love.