Main Cast: Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere, Thomas Ian Griffith, Litefoot, Karina Lombard
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Inspired by the characters of Robert E. Howard (whose best-known creation was Conan The Barbarian), this epic tale of swords and sorcery stars Kevin Sorbo as Kull, a barbarian warrior who kills the King of Valusia in the midst of a battle; with his last breath, the monarch hands Kull his crown and names him as his successor. Kull soon learns that possessing great power brings you great enemies, as Taligaro (Thomas Ian Griffith), leader of Valusia's Royal Guard, plots to murder Kull and take his place on the throne. Meanwhile, Kull's love for the comely slave Zareta (Karina Lombard) is tested when his head is turned by the exotic Akivasha (Tia Carrere), though Kull doesn't know at first that the leather-clad temptress is actually a 3,000-year-old demon given human form by a sorceress. Between the treachery of Taligaro and Akivasha, Kull finds his life and leadership threatened at every turn, and he must count on the help of his friends Zareta, holy man Ascalante (Litefoot), and pirate Juba (Harvey Fierstein) if he is to survive as Valusia's leader and put an end to slavery and the subjugation of women. Kull the Conqueror was, in its first drafts, planned as the third film in the Conan the Barbarian series, and it marked the first starring film role for Kevin Sorbo, who rose to fame on the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Roy Brocksmith - Tu; Harvey Fierstein - Juba; Edward Tudor-Pole - Enaros; Douglas Henshall - Ducalon; Sven Ole Thorsen - King Borna; Terry O'Neill - Captain; Pat Roach - Zulcki
Credit
Pier Luigi Basile - Art Director, Arthur Lieberman - Associate Producer, Jeffery Passero - Casting, Elizabeth Hayden-Passero - Casting, Fran Joseph - Choreography, Jerry Poteet - Choreography, Hester Hargett - Co-producer, Sibylle Ulsamer - Costume Designer, Thomas Casterline - Costume Designer, Ian Wolff - First Assistant Director, John Nicolella - Director, Dallas Puett - Editor, Jeff Franklin - Executive Producer, Beverlee Dean - Executive Producer, Steve Waterman - Executive Producer, Joel Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Giannetto De Rossi - Makeup, Benjamin Fernandez - Production Designer, Rodney Charters - Cinematographer, Raffaella de Laurentiis - Producer, Reinhard Stergar - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul Weston - Stunts Coordinator, Kit West - Special Effects Supervisor, Charles E. Pogue - Screenwriter
The film was originally intended to be a third Conan film. The protagonist was changed due to Arnold Schwarzenegger's refusal to reprise his role as Conan and Kevin Sorbo's reluctance to redo a character already played. Screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue has stated on several occasions that he was extremely displeased with this film, feeling that his script was ruined by studio interference.
Plot
The film begins with what appears to be a great battle between Kull and several of the mad King's elite legion. However, this turns out to be a test required for admission into said legion, which Kull ultimately fails for revealing that he is not of noble blood, and instead hails from the barbarian lands of Atlantis.
Shortly thereafter a messenger from the palace arrives to notify the leader of this legion testing Kull that the king has gone insane and slaughtered all of his children.
Following the legion, Kull then rides to the city that the King and his guard are from. There they are surprised to find that the king is covered in blood and all of his heirs slaughtered. The leader of the guard questions the king as to what has happened, but, still mad with rage, the king attacks him, and brings his sword up to finish him off. However Kull steps in and stops him, resulting in a fight that ultimately destroys the king. Kull is then given the crown by the dying King, knowing that many will now seek to kill Kull for it, notably the leader of the King's guard, and his cousin, both of whom are of royal blood.
The head guard and the king's cousin then conspire to bring an evil witch queen back to life whom they plan to use to destroy Kull and take the crown themselves. This witch queen, Akivasha, once alive, entrances Kull with ease and marries him. Once married she becomes queen and promptly poisons Kull, who is believed by the royal court to be dead. However, Kull reawakens to find out the truth of Akivasha. He frees himself from confinement and plots to regain his throne and vanquish the evil witch.
What results is a series of tests and adventures which, ultimately, results in the death of the witch, the reinstating of Kull as King, the reformation of the laws of the lands, and the inclusion of a new Queen who, along with her mystic abilities to tell the future, is an excellent addition to the region's resources.
