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A vengeful barbarian warrior sets off to get his revenge on the evil warlord who attacked his village and murdered his father when he was a boy.
The 2011 remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1982 box office smash “Conan The Barbarian,” was unfairly criticized upon its initial release. Everything, from its leading star, Jason Momoa, to the special effects, was fodder for film critics everywhere but I think they were too harsh. Granted, Schwarzenegger’s version was written and directed by legendary filmmaker John Milius and also starred Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones, as well as Max von Sydow but the 2011 version, I felt, was closer in tone to the comics on which both movies were based. It was grittier, more dangerous, and I was able to relate easier to Momoa than Schwarzenegger as the titular character, and while Arnie has always been a favorite actor of mine, Momoa’s acting abilities are far stronger than Schwarzenegger’s was early in his career.
As the movie opens, Corin (Ron Perlman), the chief of a barbarian tribe, is on the battlefield with his men and pregnant wife and when she is fatally struck down, but she manages to give birth to a baby boy, right before she dies. She names the baby Conan, and as he matures, Corin teaches him the ways of the sword. As Conan grows older, he becomes a mighty warrior and after his father is taken hostage by Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang), a ruthless warlord, and eventually killed, he swears revenge.
Years later, Conan is a pirate but still seeks revenge against Khaler Zym but Zym has grown stronger over time as he continues to collect the missing pieces of the Mask of Acheron. The mask, which was created by a group of sorcerers and used to enslave the world, was broken down into many pieces and scattered among the barbarian tribes. However, once all the pieces have been retrieved, and the mask is made whole again, the bearer will become a God and have unlimited power.
While in Messantia, Conan encounters Lucius (Steven O’Donnell), one of Zym’s henchmen who was involved in the killing of his father, and when it appears that Lucius doesn’t remember him, he allows himself to be caught alongside a petty thief named Ela-Shan (Saïd Taghmaoui). Later, Conan manages to escape by killing several guards and confronts Lucius, reminding him of who he is. Pleading for his life, Lucius informs Conan that Zym is close to recovering all the missing pieces of the Mask of Acheron and once he does, he needs a girl, Tamara (Rachel Nichols), the pure-blood descendant of the sorcerers of Acheron. Once in his grasp, she will be killed and her blood will be used to unleash the mask’s power. He tells Conan that the girl lives at a monastery and Conan sets out on the long trek to save her.
When he finally reaches the monastery, Zym and his sorceress daughter Marique (Rose McGowan) are already there but before they have a chance to take Tamara, Conan grabs her and they escape. Finding refuge back on Conan’s boat, he informs Tamara of Zym’s plans with her and asks his friend Artus (Nonso Anozie) to take her away to a safe place. Conan then makes his way back to shore where he plans to go to Zym’s castle and kill him but before he reaches the castle, he finds refuge in a cave for the night. Unbeknownst to him, Tamara has followed him and they spend the night together. Early the next morning, Conan sends her back to the ship but she is captured by Zym’s men and kidnapped. Knowing what Zym plans to do to her, Conan rushes to the castle with the intent of rescuing her, and sending Zym and his daughter to the underworld.
Jason Momoa embodies all of the physical traits and characteristics of Conan perfectly. While Schwarzenegger, a hulking beast in his prime, was very intimidating in his portrayal of the barbarian, Momoa is less so, and more human, therefore, not as threatening in his physical persona, and more likely to be hurt. Ron Perlman is always a pleasure to watch but here, he is not onscreen long enough to enjoy but steals every scene he is in. Stephen Lang is the perfect bad guy, his sniveling, cowardly Ike Clanton in “Tombstone,” and pompous, hardass tough guy Colonel Miles Quaritch in “Avatar,” proves that he only has to sneer at the camera to get the audience riled up and as Zym, he exemplifies pure evil to the point that you physically want to reach into the TV screen and kill him yourself. Overall, I recommend checking out this incarnation of Conan, especially if you have 4K, this new release is absolutely stunning to watch.
Available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack Tuesday, September 19th
No it doesn’t, Arnold’s had a story written by Oliver Stone, that had major religious and Philosophical connotations. It started with a quote from Fredric Nietzsche that sets the tone for the whole movie; its entire premise is based on his philosophy, from Conan himself to Thulsa Doom; the movie seems to point you to an established philosophy. Not to mention the “Cult” of Thulsa Doom that was based on a real cult that was popular in the early years of the Roma Empire. If you listen to the soundtrack by Basil Poledouris, the new one pales in comparison. The… Read more »