Review for Conan The Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian is one of the best fantasy action movies ever made. Set in a prehistoric age, As a boy Conan has his village destroyed by Scythian warriors led by Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). He is forced into slavery and then the adult Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sold to become an arena fighter. Here he learns all about fighting and the use of weapons, particularly the sword.

Upon being freed, Conan is set out to fend for himself, he encounters an archer and woman who then go on a journey to destroy an evil cult led by Doom. This leads to many mishaps, adventures and lots and lots of fighting. It is surprising when you hear Producer Dino Delaurentis say that the original script was too violent and I have to wonder how much more violent could you get? Though it is all skilfully choreographed and thanks to the designs of Ron Cobb and the direction of John Milius looks fantastic.

Other than The Terminator, this is the role that defines Schwarzenegger's career. This was his first major role and for many the first time that anyone had ever seen the muscular mountain that was Arnie. When you look at the production artwork of Conan or the previous work in comic books it is hard to imagine them finding anyone better to play this role than him. It is true, his acting isn't Oscar-winning or anything and he has very little dialogue, but then would you expect that? The supporting cast, particularly James Earl Jones are also great.


The look of the film is amazing. You become immersed in this fantasy world and you can almost believe that this is what happened in the past. The design of everything from costume, to sets, to the swords is fabulous and you believe it when they say that everything on screen would work in reality. When Arnie in one of the interviews explains of the danger of making the film because of the close contact with the swords you believe that this is true and that no fake swords were used, although I'm sure they were.

Blu-ray contains a number of extra features. Commentary with Director John Milius and Arnold Schwarzengger is a great example of how they should always be done. Someone from the creative side (Director/Writer) along with one of the key stars to give you two sides of how they created the movie.


Conan Unchained is a great documentary looking at the creation of the film with lots of input from all the key people including Oliver Stone who I had no idea had co-written the script. Two featurettes focus on the sword makers of the film and the rise of the Conan legacy which are both fascinating. Special Effects Splitscreen is an interesting look at a scene with and without the effects. Deleted scenes are nothing too exciting and most you can understand why they were deleted.

Conan From the Vault is a collection of interviews taken with cast and crew in 1982 which are nice. Conan Archives is a slideshow of production designs, costumes, sets, behind the scenes and promotional stills. This is all rounded up with a number of trailers. These extras all help in making this set a must have for fans of the film.


Conan the Barbarian is a perfect example of perfect casting, perfect writing and directing and a perfect all round experience. If you are after a thought compelling drama or one with a message then you are in the wrong place, but if you are after adventure and a whole heap of action then this is the film to go with.