Liam Neeson's First Sci-Fi Movie Was A Flop That Became A Cult Classic

World-famous butt kicker Liam Neeson has spent much of his career dabbling in science fiction, with one of his most notable roles as the rebellious Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." However, long before he took a lightsaber to the chest courtesy of Darth Maul, he took a supporting role that threw every sci-fi fantasy trope and the magical kitchen sink into the story. Released in 1983, "Krull" was directed by Peter Yates, whose career highlight saw Steve McQueen tearing up the streets of San Francisco in the 1968 movie "Bullitt."

Set on the titular planet of Krull, the movie followed the heroic Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall), who, with a motley crew of warriors, sets off on a mission to retrieve a weapon that could beat a monster known as the Beast and save his future wife, Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony). The weapon in question was the now-iconic Glaive, a jewel-encrusted boomerang that, even years later, looks anything but practical. Among his brothers-in-arms was a young Liam Neeson as Kegan, who sadly doesn't make it out alive.

This project marked a major departure for Yates, who had earned commercial success with McQueen's movie and helmed other, less fantastical projects like "Murphy's War" and the heist film "The Hot Rock." Here he was instead helming a hybrid of "Excalibur" (one of Neeson's earliest films) and "Star Wars." Unfortunately, it failed to replicate the success of either, suffering at the hands of both the box office and the critics, who tore it to pieces.

Sadly, critics saw through the cracks in "Krull," of which there were many. Jennie Kermode of Eye for Film said, "It's just about the most boring fantasy film ever made. Relentlessly po-faced and momentous, this is the story of a prince who must fight his way into an alien fortress to rescue his kidnapped bride." Richard Hollis from Starburst also called it "a dull derivative movie idea."

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 35% critics score and an audience rating only slightly higher at 52%, showing that fans still have some love for this misfit fantasy movie. That score is understandable for a movie that has its moments. The story might drag, but bold, original special-effects sequences set it apart. It features shots of horses galloping with their hooves on fire and creature designs like a cyclops, even if they look more like Ryan Gosling sketches from "Saturday Night Live."

For Neeson, "Krull" was a stepping stone in a career that would last decades, eventually turning him into a staple of action thrillers. Speaking to Den of Geek in 2011 about the film and its director, the Oscar nominee recalled, "I'm still very proud of being in 'Excalibur,' the John Boorman piece, and 'Krull.' I had a lot of fun with Peter Yates, God rest him," explained Neeson. "I was fond of Peter, and I was really, really sad to hear of his passing away." Like so many great directors, Yates leaves behind an illustrious legacy, including Liam Neeson and an inconvenient throwing star.