For me this was Arnie's finest film (although it is difficult to choose). It's a simple film of revenge, but the story is well told. Conan is a strong character with some great lines (the mark of any good Arnie film), it takes itself seriously which shows in the quality of the presentation.
As well as Conan there are some interesting supporting characters, James Earl Jones plays the Snake Cult Leader to perfection. True that the performances are a little over dramatic, but that suits the film's style, it makes everything feel bombastic and larger than life. The little wizard adds a little comedy, but not too much. The only weak link for me is Valeria, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment.
Special mention needs to be made of the music, the score is perfect for the film adding drama and menace when needed. The intro with the voice over and the music sets the scene from the very first moment.
It's also a very quotable film, Conan's prayer to Crom being a good example. Overall I love this film, I've watched it many times before and no doubt I'll watch it many times again. Perfect entertainment.
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the legendary warrior and hero, Conan the Barbarian. When his parents are killed by a band of brutal marauders and the gang's cold-blooded cult leader (James Earl Jones), the orphaned Conan endures a childhood of merciless slavery only to become a gladiator for the amusement of his captors. Eventually set free, Conan begins a dangerous, full-blooded quest to avenge his parents' massacre. Now, the sword-wielding warrior must vanquish his bloodthirsty enemies in this death-defying action-adventure about courage, strength, character and the triumph of good over evil.
Agreed - excellent film. The book was fun too.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, unfortunately The Destroyer wasn't as good and the new remake just wasn't right.
DeleteFrancis, which book do you refer to? Howard wrote many stories and none of them have much of anything to do with the movie, except for the name of the main character...
DeleteThe movie was great and its only downside was that it changed Conan the Cimmerian's character too much (from a proactive man wading through the bodies of his enemies into a reactive, slightly slow man who's after revenge).