Kull the Conqueror

Kull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy action film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull. The story line also bears similarities to two other Howard stories, the Kull story "By This Axe, I Rule" and the Conan story, "The Phoenix on the Sword", which was actually a rewrite of the Kull story.

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.