Review of Conan the Barbarian (1982) by Will H — 22 Sep 2011

One of many loud '80s fantasy flicks, such as Legend, Excalibur, and Clash of the Titans, John Milius' Conan the Barbarian manages to, if only a little, stand out from most of the pack. Milius' direction, as well as the way he rewrote Oliver Stone's script, makes one thing clear: Milius knew exactly what kind of film he was making, and decided to follow that path with great gusto, making a movie loaded with highly ham-fisted dialogue, many over-the-top action sequences, and mediocre and unremarkable performances from some of its supporting cast.

However, the film is not entirely without its merits. For one, Arnold Schwarzenegger (in one of his first film roles) is perfectly cast as Conan, as Milius' strong silent Conan is perfectly suited for the powerhouse Austrian.

Max von Sydow and Sandahl Bergman also turn in some memorable supporting roles, while Mako greatly entertains as both the narrator and the mysterious wizard Akiro. However, the greatest actor in this film is one seldom seen onscreen elsewhere, the deep, vibrant tones of Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones, as the charismatic and villainous Thulsa Doom (that's right, his name is DOOM).

Jones' presence is that of a truly great scene-stealer, and his few scenes are so enthralling that you wish that Doom's role in the story was greatly expanded. Some have hailed Conan the Barbarian as a classic of the genre, and while it's not quite there, especially due to far superior fantasy films arriving in recent years (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, even 300), it still manages to be big, dumb, somewhat dated summer fun.