Before the major release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Line decided to test the waters by bidding $5 million to distribute this much lesser sword 'n' sorcery affair - a decision they must now deeply regret. Lumbered with an appalling script, some plastic-looking props and a plot that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, this is shaky from the start.
Irons clearly took his bad guy role to help pay for the castle he's renovating in his spare time, while scripters Topper Lilien and Carroll Cartwright have blatantly mimicked some Star Wars scenes to pep up proceedings.
Yet, despite it all, it does have a certain appeal, at least to younger viewers. The dragons and animated city scapes are decent, and it's certainly no worse than Krull (1983), which seems to enjoy a cult following. Maybe one day this can aspire to as much.
