View Full Version : HCR Rates The Movies #42: CONAN THE BARBARIAN
So, our next film, Classic or Crud, Hit or Miss, what say you ALL?
Our next film open for discussion, and ultimately an Overall RATING by you all:
CONAN THE BARBARIAN
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Let the discussions flow. Likes, dislikes, classic film or overhyped trash, and DONT FORGET to place an Overall Rating when youre done.
Its easy, just give a Rating from 1 (Jaws 4:The Revenge) to 10 (Jaws), and thats it. Course I'd love to have you all give reasons as to why you feel it deserves this Overall Rating, and more than encourage discussions with us all about them.
So, what say you all?
Next Film: ??????
Maniac_nmt
05/07/2006, 22:33
I love this film, when we finally bought a DVD player, this was one of my top wants for films. It's not quite Howard's Cimmerian, but it is a great film. While Arnold isn't quite as fast as Conan should be, he is definately the beefy giant Howard often refers to/describes. Plus, his grim, quiet nature fits well with the way he describes Cimmerians.
Adding Max von Sidow and James Earl Jones is just icing on the cake. It's not high cinema, but it is 'High Adventure', and what got me into reading the Conan of prose.
8.8/10
Gargantua
05/07/2006, 23:10
Wow. Conan the Barbarian. I'm going to have to pass on rating this one. It's been so long I can't even trust my impressions, let alone remember specifics.
I really enjoyed this film, and thought during a time when Sword and Sorcery pictures were quite common, that this really stood out among the crowd. The music, first off, is top notch (Basil Polderous (sp?) did an amazing job. The story, very well done, and really gave you the feeling that Conan was born to be strong, a survivor, a fighter both mentally and physically. Not just a hack and slash beast, he learned from martial arts trainers and did so with honor. Arnold played a great Conan, and James Earl Jones, Max Von Sydow, Sandal Bergman and Mako were all excellent in their roles as supporting cast. A great film, and one of my favorite films of the genre.
Conan The Barbarian - 8.50 / 10
EmperorNorton
05/08/2006, 05:16
4.5/10
IMO the movie would be better if it wasn't so long. Too slow-paced for my taste.
Not to mention that Schwarzenegger just cannot act, but at least he fills out the role physically.
Maniac_nmt
05/08/2006, 18:06
The music, first off, is top notch (Basil Polderous (sp?) did an amazing job. T
It's one of the finest film sound tracks out there imho.
The music is indeed fantastic. Good for Playing Mage Knight. Actually good for pretty much anything.
Arnold. What can i say. His acting was acceptable. the ensemble around him was better except for the Oakland Raiders Defensive End wearing the furpiece of the day.
I remember when this came out Gary Gygax had a nice essay in The dragon magazine about this movie nad The Sword and The Sorceror.
His complaints about the Conan movie were that Arnold was not nimble enough to be Conan. Arnold is too muscular, Conan is more a big wirey, tough guy with corded muscles. The kind of person you don't think is as strong as he is until he lops off your head or cuffs you into next week.
Also, he took particular notice of the machinery contraptions in the Battle of the Mounds; Conan wouldn't have resorted to crud like that. Give him a sword and a crowd to wade through swinging his sword. Conan was cunning but not like that, especially in his formative years.
5 because the music is magnificent.
+2 because the surrounding cast is very good.
+1 because they came fairly close to depicting the real REH world(unlike most sword and scandal flicks).
- .5 because of Arnolds acting. I think Arnolds best movie is still Terminator. his particular acting skill played perfectly into that role.
for a grand total of;
7.5
I have a DVD with both this one and the 2nd one on it. I won't watch the 2nd one.
How can this movie [and its soundtrack] not get a 10/10?!?
CURRENT HCR MEMBER RATING:
Conan The Barbarian - 7.85 / 10
(5 members rating)
Cheesy fun. I give it a 7.0. I actually thought The Beastmaster was the better movie.
CURRENT HCR MEMBER RATING:
Conan The Barbarian - 7.71 / 10
(6 members rating)
coyotejack
05/12/2006, 19:12
I have a DVD with both this one and the 2nd one on it. I won't watch the 2nd one.
Amen, brother and pass the ammo. Conan, Ghostbusters, and Highlander have no "second" movie. heh heh
There was a little one screen theatre back home (PA) that my Dad and I would go to because it showed every flippin' 'sword and sorcery' movie that came out. Conan was always the best. It had action, gore, snakes, fire, naked girls, James Earl Jones, humor, swords, magic, spirits, you name it... It was one of the VERY few movies of this genre that actually told a story and, while it would slow down, it was something that added to the film rather than took away from it. I still tell people at my work "Contemplate this...on the Tree of Woe!" just to get them guessing.
I won't even mention the music since it was perfectly covered by others already.
9.5/10
Maniac_nmt
05/12/2006, 20:39
Heh, I use the "Conan, what is best in life?" quote all the time.
I also totally love his prayer to Crom at the Battle of the Mounds..."...and if you do not listen...then to hell with you!"
monkeyshines
05/14/2006, 05:31
The soundtrack is exceptional and I like how James Earl Jone's character corrupts the answer to the riddle of steel. It has some flaws but anybody scoring this lower than a 7 should contemplate their actions on the Tree of Woe.
monkeyshines
05/14/2006, 05:47
I still tell people at my work "Contemplate this...on the Tree of Woe!" just to get them guessing.9.5/10
You copied what I said and did it before me, and that is what grieves me the most!
A classic in my eyes, as I still enjoy this with every repeat viewing. Arnold does a convincing job both in physical appearance and swordplay. The story seems standard fantasy fare but I think it's well done. Not many other swords & sorcery movies have been as entertaining for me.
9/10
Heh, I use the "Conan, what is best in life?" quote all the time.
I also totally love his prayer to Crom at the Battle of the Mounds..."...and if you do not listen...then to hell with you!"
Gaaah!...Hack mode initiated.
My favourite quotes too.
He actually delivered that second one quite well, and thinking about it gives me
a surge of bloodlust.
I can overlook Arnie being too slow, as Conan's combination of Strength and
Speed is not a realistically attainable in an actor.
The thing that annoyed me was Conan seeming pretty happy to accept slavery.
They may have felt it necessary in order to show him learning to fight, but I
felt it really goes against the grain of the character.
Mind you at least it is a better way to learn how to use a sword than that shown
in Beastmaster. According to that film if you stand on a cliff and repeatedly swing
a hefty log, you become an unstoppable master of the sword.
Anyway...that niggle aside, it is one of my favourite films, and is indeed one of
the best of the period in it's genre.
9 thumbs up out of 10.
monkeyshines
05/31/2006, 16:46
To hell with Arnold, James Earl Jones owned that movie.
He actually delivered that second one quite well, and thinking about it gives me
a surge of bloodlust.
Yeah! I used to have this as my Windows start music....... but it takes so long it gets old after a while waiting for it to end so I changed it. But i still gots the .wav file. :)
Aaah Conan. Never read the Robert E. Howard books, but I have some comics by John Buscema and Barry Windsor-Smith (2 artists that I love) and when you see these, and then you watch the movie, you think that Schwarzie was the only one who could fit in the role. Great music. Great James Earl jones!
"Conan, what is best in life?" "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!"
8.5/10
The thing that annoyed me was Conan seeming pretty happy to accept slavery.
They may have felt it necessary in order to show him learning to fight, but I felt it really goes against the grain of the character.
I have an idea.... how about a Conan movie that focuses on him growing up? with the sack of Venarium the climax? :)
the itsy bit
08/10/2006, 07:01
a great classic !!
definately worthy of 10/10 with a great story,actors and awesome music score.
as for all great movies is still awesome after repeated watchings over the years !!
jimthegray
03/19/2007, 17:34
I like this movie a lot its fun.
a solid 9 for me
Chief Pokishi
05/21/2007, 01:22
Damn I love this movie. Now not having read the books I can't say whether or not this is accurate interpretation. Arnolds' second best role (Terminator #1), he was awesome. Supporting acting was top notch (with great contribution from Jones himself), fantastic story and one of the best soundtracks in all of moviedom. Favorite scene by the way was the praying to Crom at the battle of mounds. Kudos to all who also spoke of it. Great, great monologue.
9.25/10. Really fantastic.
charlesx
05/21/2007, 01:58
8.5/10, almost worthy of a 9 just for the soundtrack alone. Buy the collector's edition DVD if you can. So many great things about it that it's hard to go into detail. "He is Conan. Cimmerian. He does not cry, so I cry for him." Need I say more?
iameleveneight
10/01/2007, 17:34
9/10 This movie is just bad assery incarnate
AlienFlanders
11/03/2007, 08:55
Arnold does quite a good job as Conan, it is a lot of fun.
8.5/10
monkeyshines
11/04/2007, 07:55
Judging from the review results of such movies as the Princess Bride. I would officially like to change my rating of Conan to a 10, as there is no way that fantasy movie was better than this one was.
So youre changing your rating on this movie (from a 7 to a 10, a very sizable jump) for the sole purpose of raising its overall score to beat an entirely different movie? Why not just stick to rating it as you believe it deserves, and let the overall rating chips fall where they may.
monkeyshines
11/05/2007, 10:08
Actually I do think I rated it too low at a 7.
This at least deserves an 8.5 as I think it is a great, not just good, movie.
UndeadEnigma
01/07/2008, 21:33
Conan is a great flick. I find myself watching the commentary with Arnold and John Milius quite often. It's great cause Arnold hasn't seen his work in years and reacts to many of the scenes, with "YYYAAGGH!S" and "AGGHH!S"
Aside from that the director talks about what it takes to make scenes work and the amount of work put in each sword fight. They did some crazy stuff that you could never get away with in today's Hollywood. All of it just mounts my appreciation for the epic.
James Earl Jones rules in this move, hands down. Perfect casting, great method acting, awesome quotes, and tons of bloody slashing action.
I give this one a solid shiny Valkyrie blinding...10/10!
I find it to be a very good movie
easy 9/10
This one of my all time favorite films. Everything about this film outstanding.
10/10
10/10 in my top ten movies. J E JONES stole the picture though ,ARNOLD S,was just right for the part at that time.cant wait to see how new movie holds up against this classic.
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