Simply put, one of the greatest fantasy epics ever put to
screen
Classic fantasy at it's very best. Arnold Schwarzenegger owns the
role that made him a superstar- Conan, warrior of Cimmeria and king of
Aquilonia comes to life in the best adaptation of Robert E Howard's pulp
fantasy hero ever done. This is brutal, epic fantasy how it should be and what
I grew up with- old-skool good vs evil with muscle-bound warriors on the
battle-field, sexy scantily clad women with long hair flowing and evil monsters
and villains scrambling for domination in an orgy of violence and bloodshed.
The music is pulse-poundingly powerful and awe-inspiring by the late, great Basil Poledouris, with possibly his most memorable and best score to date- it literally drives the show and is the strongest aspect of the film. The visuals and imagery are dark and brooding and the atmosphere is terrific, the world of Hyboria is realistically grounded with meticulous detail making it all look believable, and although there is quite little action here (but what action there is is pure gutsy hardcore swordplay), it makes up for it with grand storytelling as it introduces us to a dark and savage world of swords and sorcery. Oliver Stone helps write a decent script with deep dialogue and interesting, lovable characters. James Earl Jones is the villain of the piece in what i believe his greatest role as a villain ever (yes, even better than Darth Vader), here he is captivatingly seductive yet frighteningly terrifying as he plays Thulsa Doom, the leader of a demonic snake cult that is taking over the land. And of course we have the legendary Arnie who is brilliant as the hero who we follow from childhood through to his rise from slave, to thief, to warrior and finally king. Never has a role been so better casted, his presence rules all and he truly shines.
Alongside Arnie we have brilliant co-stars such as Sandahl Bergman as Valeria, equally powerful and beautiful as a warrior thief and love interest; a true "Valkyrie" if cinema ever saw one, Max Von Sydow as a withered King who is in desperate need of help, Gerry Lopez as Conan's partner in adventure and Mako as Akiro, who acts as both the narrator to the piece and wizard in the story.
All in all this is epic fantasy filmmaking at it's best and amongst the very best you will find in the genre- one of the greatest sword/sandals and sorcery adventures you will ever see, if not ever made. A sheer classic that i really can't fault in any way whatsoever- this does everything you expect it and is surprisingly more well done that you expect it to- it's more than just dumb macho fun- it's also quite deep and philosophical where it counts. Stands proud alongside the other great masterpieces of the genre.
10/10
The music is pulse-poundingly powerful and awe-inspiring by the late, great Basil Poledouris, with possibly his most memorable and best score to date- it literally drives the show and is the strongest aspect of the film. The visuals and imagery are dark and brooding and the atmosphere is terrific, the world of Hyboria is realistically grounded with meticulous detail making it all look believable, and although there is quite little action here (but what action there is is pure gutsy hardcore swordplay), it makes up for it with grand storytelling as it introduces us to a dark and savage world of swords and sorcery. Oliver Stone helps write a decent script with deep dialogue and interesting, lovable characters. James Earl Jones is the villain of the piece in what i believe his greatest role as a villain ever (yes, even better than Darth Vader), here he is captivatingly seductive yet frighteningly terrifying as he plays Thulsa Doom, the leader of a demonic snake cult that is taking over the land. And of course we have the legendary Arnie who is brilliant as the hero who we follow from childhood through to his rise from slave, to thief, to warrior and finally king. Never has a role been so better casted, his presence rules all and he truly shines.
Alongside Arnie we have brilliant co-stars such as Sandahl Bergman as Valeria, equally powerful and beautiful as a warrior thief and love interest; a true "Valkyrie" if cinema ever saw one, Max Von Sydow as a withered King who is in desperate need of help, Gerry Lopez as Conan's partner in adventure and Mako as Akiro, who acts as both the narrator to the piece and wizard in the story.
All in all this is epic fantasy filmmaking at it's best and amongst the very best you will find in the genre- one of the greatest sword/sandals and sorcery adventures you will ever see, if not ever made. A sheer classic that i really can't fault in any way whatsoever- this does everything you expect it and is surprisingly more well done that you expect it to- it's more than just dumb macho fun- it's also quite deep and philosophical where it counts. Stands proud alongside the other great masterpieces of the genre.
10/10
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