---
title: "Krull: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/krull/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/krull"
critics_score: 41
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Krull (1983): what the critics said

Critics' score 41 from 7 reviews: 1 positive, 2 mixed, 4 negative.

Most critics find Krull a derivative fantasy adventure whose action fails to sustain an absorbing story. The praise centres on its fantasy world, with the more receptive reviews finding charm and excitement in the effects and imagery. Even some sceptical responses allow it modest pleasures: Variety credits Peter Yates’s professionalism and the mainly British cast with keeping the material from becoming laughable, while finding it never quite dull.

The spread is wide, particularly on the effects and the question of whether the quest entertains. /Film offers the clearest positive dissent, praising the practical effects, spider sequence and miniature fortress, and arguing that familiarity need not spoil the enjoyment. Other reviews find the effects poorly realised and the action clumsy. Eye for Film is especially severe, finding too little imagination, humour or character development to establish an emotional connection. The central divide is between enjoying the fantasy trappings and finding them insufficient.

## Time Out — SGr

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available description highlights the film’s fantasy world as its main interest. It compares that world to Mad Max 2 and Excalibur, but the full review’s verdict is unavailable.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/krull)

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 3/5. 

Parkinson finds the fantasy engaging but not enthralling, while noting its poor box-office performance. He praises the charming world created by the effects and the excitement they add to the quest.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-8xt484/krull/)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1982. 

The review finds the film derivative and its action sequences unable to form an absorbing narrative, though it never becomes genuinely dull. It credits Peter Yates's professionalism and the mainly British cast for keeping the film from becoming laughable.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/krull-1200425514/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film derivative and dreary, though mildly distracting. He singles out the poorly realized effects in the final confrontation as a major weakness.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/krull-review/)

## Little White Lies — Adam Lee Davies

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 

Davies delivers a sharply negative verdict, portraying the film as a dull, failed fantasy adventure. He singles out its contrived flying-horse rescue and clumsy Glaive fight as especially inept.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/ex-rent-hell/krull-ex-rent-hell)

## /Film — Witney Seibold

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 February 2025. 

The critic argues that Krull is genuinely entertaining despite its derivative reputation. The film’s practical effects and imagery, especially the spider sequence and miniature fortress, stand out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1790691/liam-neeson-sci-fi-flop-visual-treat-krull/)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 8/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2011. 

Kermode gives the film a sharply negative verdict, calling it an exceptionally boring fantasy adventure. She singles out its lack of imagination, humour, emotional connection, and character development.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/krull-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/krull.md