Directed by:
John MiliusCinematography:
Duke CallaghanComposer:
Basil PoledourisCast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Mako, Valérie Quennessen, William Smith, Franco Columbu, Jorge Sanz (more)Plots(1)
Young Conan's parents are murdered by a horde of vicious warriors who then enslave the young child for years. He is eventually released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness seeking vengeance on the man responsible for his family's murder. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
Another overrated movie, in which only the music and lavish production are interesting, and it depends on each individual how willing they are to appreciate these two factors. The plot is shallow and the acting performances are poor even in the case of otherwise quality actors. The direction is also not worth mentioning. Conan the Barbarian looks up to the peaks of the genre, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the older Excalibur, from a great distance. If nothing else, it is a positive thing that the role of Conan did not require any acting skills from Schwarzenegger, so in retrospect it is one of his best roles tailor-made for him. Overall impression: 40%.
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I’ve noticed that this is my 900th review, and let me tell you what, I could have chosen better. I expected more from a film with such a reputation. Perhaps the only one who fulfilled his role here was the young Arnold, who runs around the set for two hours half naked, displaying his body in detail, which is fine with me, though I would have rather appreciated close-ups of his companion. The film itself is pretty much about nothing, everything takes a long time, the action is scarce and real entertainment even less. Only the music deserves praise, though it didn’t sit me well with me during some passages. What sticks in my mind the most is probably the intent and devilish look of James Earl Jones, who was perfectly cast as the bad guy. 60%
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Weapons clanging and blood splattering in a monumental-looking, fantasy film. Arnold’s acting may be as stiff as a month-old load of bread, but I can't imagine anyone else as Conan. The film has a wonderful atmosphere of ancient times and Robert Howard can rest in his grave. What elevates it to almost a work of art is the – amazing, wonderful, fantastic, brilliant, monumental (take your pick) – soundtrack by Basil Poledouris. I haven't heard, and probably won't hear, anything better in the field of film soundtracks, and it's not just my opinion. If you haven't heard it, or don't have the CD, definitely get it and just enjoy it.
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Arnie in a strong silent type role that he was born for, supported by the unforgettable, atmosphere creating music by Basil Poledouris (one of the best cases of linking music and picture that I have ever heard/seen). And in fact, almost all the characters are silent. And in the end, isn’t this better than the empty prattling that we know from most movies nowadays? And that isn’t just my nostalgic blindness speaking, from the days when I watched Conan’s movie adventures for the first time. To this day I remember hassling my father for a whole week to record it on VHS. Not to speak of the delight I felt when at last I got my hands on a DVD version, so I could watch it in the original format and with the original English language soundtrack. One of the movies that was murdered by the 4/3 format. P.S.: I’m pleased that I’m not the only one to notice that some scenes seem like they came straight out of Alexander Nevsky. ♫ OST score: 5/5
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A solidly shot, grand-looking fantasy film, with a stunning production design and one of the best musical scores. Basil Poledouris created a captivating epic music that ranks among the highest peaks of his work. The legendary Arnie is fairly bearable as Conan, he looks better in the fight scenes than in the dialogues, but that is nothing new.
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Gallery (158)
Photo © Universal Pictures
![Conan the Barbarian - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/158/424/158424036_65f219.jpg)
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