Review of Conan the Barbarian (2011) by Alex R — 16 Jun 2014

Marcus Nispel seems to be the go to guy when it comes to remaking films. He already has the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th under his belt, along with the Viking action film Pathfinder under his belt.

With this remake of Conan the Barbarian, we get one of his better films, this isn't an awful remake, in fact it's quite good and entertaining, but it won't stand out either. The film is far better than what critics have said about, it and it's an exhilarating, brutal and pulse pounding action picture that is purely designed to thrill and nothing more.

Don't look for a great story here, you won't find it, but what you can expect is bloody action that is really what stands out about the film. Jason Momoa who would later portray the menacing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones portrays the lead character and he does a fairly good job in his role as well.

Sure, it's not as memorable as the Schwarzenegger classic, but it's still a fun, action packed mindless popcorn film that is worth seeing if you enjoy these types of action films. Although the original Conan film is the better version, this remake is quite good for what it tries to accomplish.

In terms of reboots, this one was better than expected and is worth seeing if you enjoy mindless action. However if you're a diehard fan of the original, I would recommend that you skip this one, as it's quite different, and they've changed quite a bit from the original movie.

No matter what your feelings are, the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic will always be the best film, but for what is delivered here is a fun, entertaining film that's quite exciting considering the fact that it's a remake.

In terms of remakes, this film isn't great by any means, but is far better than what critics have said about it.