Conan the Barbarian [DVD]

I confess I've come to see this movie with mixed feelings and knowing about some other review (not so kind with it), but in the end it's been a real feast for the eyes & highly enjoyable, I definitely recommend it. Especially from a female point of view, even if when like action, I also look for a good balance of other things too, and this new Conan has them as a good sword & sorcery kind of story-telling. What I've also appreciated has been its making a good use of the special effects, without them being overwhelming, letting the mood to seem gritty realistic (not at all as in worse example, like Transformers franchise for inst.).

Jason Mamoa was a perfect choice for the main role, but also round of applause for the kid, Leo Howard (the young Conan), truly a revelation; I know that many are too fond of the old version with uber famous Arnold Swarzy to even consider it, but just give it a try since this version with these actors have better captured the spirit of its original creator & the old pulp fictions, obviously it's more updated.
Also the choice of making it an adult adventure and not the usual family oriented 1 is a plus for my taste...even if clearly influenced by the style of 300, Spartacus etc, I've appreciated that they've also found a way to bring in the old traditional sort of action plot.
For those saying the plot could have been "deeper" more focused & so on, I guess it was deliberatly a simple story to begin the saga & set the tone, because they had in mind to continue it with the next installement (just see the kind of open ending to it), therefore mostly "presenting" the character(s) with this 1st film...unfortunately most likely it won't be the case but this attempt wasn't so that bad regardless.

-The dvd comes with a double disc, 1 with the version 2D the other with the inevitable 3D-version (even if honestly on my tv didn't work that much) plus an whole bunch of interesting features: cast interviews, the origin of the myth, the creation of the battles (great setting in Bulgaria, smart use of their horses too!). Even if you're a fan of the old cult, gives this a chance.

To be honest I expected this to be absolute rubbish, just using the "Conan" name to sell copies. Actually it is rather good in a "B Movie" sort of way. Jason Momoa is very good in the lead role (though his dialogue can be hard to understand at times) and the storyline works pretty well too. Also, there is plenty of action to carry you through the parts where the story doesn't quite make sense. In fact, I would say that this is better than the 1982 Arnie version - there I said it !. Why? Well there is much more action in this film and it is better done. If you cut through the rosy glow of nostalgia and actually watch the 1982 film you'll find it quite slow, with only a couple of set-piece action scenes in it - and they are not that well put together. The effects in this film are also much better (understandable given CGI).

A pretty cheesy script, some doubtful acting and annoying American accents do take away from the film to some degree. And I feel that it could be edited better, with a stronger ending. But, overall, I was pretty impressed. I will watch it again and probably more frequently than the 1982 version. Let's hope they make a sequel and let's hope it is a million times better than the dreadful "Conan the Destroyer"!.

Conan the Barbarian provides a simple but effective movie of violence, gore, and scenery-chewing acting that will amuse you if you like that sort of thing, but annoy you if you prefer films with a bit of ambition.

The storyline is unashamedly straight-forward: we meet a young boy with a talent for violence living in a simple village, before an evil bad guy turns up looking for a magical item, and has his henchmen slaughter everyone. The rest of the movie sees the grown-up Conan finding his enemy again, meeting a girl, slaughtering his way through the henchmen, ending with the climatic showdown with the bad guy.
There's nothing wrong with a simple plot, provided the movie plays it well, and overall it works. Jason Momoa looks the part as Conan and chews out his gruff lines reasonably well, and the rest of the cast are fine. Ron Perlman is the standout cast member as the father of young Conan.

It's hard to discuss this movie without referencing either the original books of Robert E. Howard, or the 1982 movie starring Arnold Swartzenegger. This version claims to be closer to the books, and I think they've succeeded. However, many watchers won't have read the books, and I think the opening narration of the history of Cimmeria will leave some scratched heads, while Conan leading a band of pirates will get some bemused looks. The movie does a good job of distancing itself from the Arnie version, but I don't think Momoa can go down as the definitive Conan, not least because the script doesn't give him any really standout lines.

The bad guy and his henchmen deserve a special mention. There's a thin line between being distinctive and menacing, and being downright silly, or even camp. Here, Kalar Zym is seeking the power of an ancient group of necromancers, aided by his daughter and a bizarre bunch of henchmen who he subdued during his long search. The henchmen are very distinctive, and Conan faces each one in turn during his hunt, providing some good fight scenes. Kalar Zym is a generic bad guy, played as a typical scenery-chewing madman, but surprisingly gets some actual character development when we learn what set him off on this quest. However, his daughter Marique doesn't just cross the line, but hurdles it and keeps going. Her costumes are bizarre, including metal talons on one hand, and she hisses, sulks and camps her way through the movie. Luckily, the movie can carry one utterly mad character, and she certainly isn't boring to watch.

This movie is a 15 certificate, possibly because of a surprising number of topless women, but probably because of the absolute bucketloads of gore and blood. People don't just get stabbed, they are slashed, chopped, and hacked, with a twist of the sword in their guts for good measure. The fight scenes are very well done, and I'm glad they avoided taking the stylised 300 route, because there have been too many weak imitations of that movie. However, the editing seems too choppy in many places, no doubt aiming for a frantic style.

I particularly appreciated the design of the movie. For one thing, they've clearly avoiding using CGi for the sake of it, and have actually bothered to make some real sets. There is some CGi, the best use of which is in a fight scene with Conan vs. a horde of men summoned from the sands beneath his feet. The locations and cities are well designed, and help give a feel of a well-imagined fantasy world. The oddest item in the movie is that the bad guy had a ship being carried around by a herd of CGi elephants. I have no idea why, and every time I saw it I just had to chuckle. The movie generally looked good, though.

I'm giving this movie four stars because, for me, this was a fun movie with an iconic main character, and I enjoyed watching it. However, it has no ambition to be anything other than a simple swords-and-sorcery tale, and if you prefer your movies to have any sort of intelligence, plotting, or more than basic acting, I'd chop a few stars off that rating.