Review of Conan the Barbarian (1982) by Simon-Félix L — 14 Jul 2009

I don't think any other actor could have taken on this role, and Arnold plays it extremely well. James Earl Jones is also very good as the creepy snake-king. Conan has some light-hearted humor and sweetness, unflinching brutality, great action scenes, and a compelling revenge plot. The movie sometimes deviates from that plot, though, and can drag in a few places. That's pretty much all you could fault The Barbarian on as a truly great action movie.

The music is surprisingly good for this kind of movie, especially during the orgy scene about two-thirds of the way through the film. That melody seems repetitive at first but it really grows on you quickly, and provides a unique background to the coming gore.

There's a lot to like and only a little to dislike in The Barbarian, and is a must-see for Arnold fans. If he hadn't stolen the show in the Terminator movies as his quintessential performances, he would always be best known for Conan. It's also probably directly responsible for the best of late-night TBS viewings (this film, its sequel, and Red Sonja).