Conan the Barbarian
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DVD details
Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl JonesBrand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 129 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-05-30
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Anamorphic; Closed-captioned; Collector's Edition; Color; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC
DVD Reviews of Conan the Barbarian
DVD Review: Conan is the King!
Summary: 5 Stars
Conan the Barbarian is designed to entertain both fans of the Howard stories and those who are unfamiliar with the character. The movie takes place some 12,000 years ago, during a legendary era when magic was real, monsters wandered the land, and the gods occasionally walked the Earth. Borrowing liberally from the official Conan canon, the film chronicles the barbarian's early years, beginning with the sacking of his village and the murder of his parents, and ending with his vengeance upon his first great enemy. Elements of several Howard stories have made their way into the screenplay (penned by director John Milius and Oliver Stone - yes, that Oliver Stone). Fans will particularly notice similarities to "The Thing in the Crypt", "The Elephant Tower", "Queen of the Black Coast", and "A Witch Shall Be Born."
Milius' greatest success with Conan the Barbarian was creating an entirely new and believable world. The settings are spectacular, the special effects are low key but effective, and the costumes and accoutrements have the proper feel for the era. In short, Conan's land, a lavishly detailed, long-ago place, feels as real as modern-day New York City. It's the kind of world where high adventure, magical intrigue, and heroic battles can take place without ever threatening our suspension of disbelief. Milius may have made some mistakes in his approach to Conan, but this is not one of them.
Another wise choice was hiring Basil Poledouris to compose the music. Dino De Laurentiis, the man ultimately responsible for bringing Conan to the screen, wanted a pop music soundtrack, but Milius argued for something more traditional. In the end, the director won, and the result was one of the best scores of the '80s. Poledouris' music, which includes both choral and instrumental compositions, is powerful and perfectly wedded to the material. It's hard to imagine the film being as entertaining without this element of its production.
The plot is broad and adventurous, with plenty of the elements that have made Conan popular: voluptuous women, brawny men, a vile wizard, grotesque monsters, faithful sidekicks, and plenty of violent, bloody battle action. Those who have an inherent distaste for this sort of entertainment will appreciate Conan the Barbarian's impeccable production values without enjoying the story; most everyone else will be swept away by the film's spectacle. Conan is not designed to have broad appeal. It is a well-made motion picture, but it is constricted by the constraints of the genre.
As the movie opens, Conan (Jorge Sanz), is a boy learning the "Riddle of Steel" from his father. Shortly thereafter, the young barbarian is in chains, a prisoner of the wizard Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) and his henchman, Rexor (Ben Davidson), who have burned down his village and killed his parents. Conan grows up as a slave, and, once he is an adult (now played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), he becomes a gladiator champion and is used to breed prime slave stock. Eventually, his owner, fearing Conan's physical prowess, sets him free. After stealing a sword from a crypt and picking up a thief sidekick named Subotai (Gerry Lopez), he heads for the riches of civilization. In the city of Zamora, he meets Valeria, Queen of the Thieves (Sandahl Bergman), and, with her help, robs the Tower of the Eye of the Serpent. He and Valeria become lovers, but Conan is only temporarily sated by gold, drink, and sex. The flame of revenge burns within him, and he is given valuable information to find Thulsa Doom when King Osrik (Max von Sydow), the ruler of Zamora, summons him to the palace with a proposition.
The level of acting is definitely not one of Conan the Barbarian's strong suits (although it is significantly better here than in the sequel, Conan the Destroyer). Despite having extremely limited range, Arnold Schwarzenegger is actually an excellent choice for the lead. The only things required of Schwarzenegger are that he flexes his muscles, looks good in a fight, and grunts an occasional line of dialogue - all of which he does capably. There's no great emotional depth to the part, and Milius does not demand that Schwarzenegger reach beyond the bounds of his talent. The role was a breakthrough for the bodybuilder-turned-actor. Previously relegated to muscle-bound parts in cheesy movies, Conan put him on the fast track. Only two years later, he would star in James Cameron's The Terminator.
Schwarzenegger wasn't the only non-actor to appear in Conan the Barbarian. Dancer Sandahl Bergman matches him for woodenness. Mako and Gerry Lopez, playing Conan's sidekicks, are on hand primarily for comic relief. Two performers of some stature appear in the credits. The first, James Earl Jones, makes an adequate villain, although there are too few scenes in which he radiates true evil. Instead of going over-the-top, Jones' interpretation of Doom is subdued, which limits his effectiveness. Meanwhile, Max von Sydow has an entertaining turn as grizzled King Osrik. Von Sydow, the Ingmar Bergman regular, seems oddly at home in a part that some would regard as beneath him.
To date, Conan the Barbarian has been one of the few successful Swords and Sorcery movies to reach theaters. Other contenders (like Willow, Dragonheart, and Kull the Conqueror) have failed to follow in Conan's broad footsteps. The reasons for this film's effectiveness are not difficult to understand. It treats its characters and subject matter seriously without becoming lugubrious. There is some humor, but it is mostly underplayed, and Milius avoids any overt suggestions of camp. Conan the Barbarian is also adult in nature - the battles are bloody and the women take their clothes off. Most movies of the genre (including the Conan sequel) veer off into comic book territory, failing to treat their protagonists with dignity and cleaning things up to obtain the coveted PG-13 rating. Instead of the slightly overblown epic aura of Conan, most other films adopt a jokey tone. Even 17 years after its release, Conan the Barbarian still weaves a spell capable of ensorcelling fans of fantasy adventure.
Description of Conan the Barbarian
WHEN HIS PARENTS ARE SAVAGELY MURDERED, CONAN IS CAPTURED AS ACHILD AND AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGONY, FORGES A MAGNIFICENTBODY AND INDOMITABLE SPIRIT. ONCE FREE, HE EMBARKS UPON A QUEST FOR ULTIMATE POWER TO SLAY THE EVIL ARCH-VILLAIN THAT ENSLAVED HIM. FEATURES: SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MUCH MORE.Conan the Barbarian, the movie that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a global superstar, is a prime example of a match made in heaven. It's the movie that macho maverick writer-director John Milius was born to make, and Arnold was genetically engineered for his role as the muscle-bound, angst-ridden hero created in Robert E. Howard's pulp novels. Oliver Stone contributed to Milius's screenplay, and the production design by comic artist Ron Cobb represents a perfect cinematic realization of Howard's fantasy world. To avenge the murder of his parents, Conan tracks down the evil Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) with the help of Queen Valeria (played by buff B-movie vixen Sandahl Bergman) and Subotai the Mongol (Gerry Lopez). Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "the perfect fantasy for the alienated pre-adolescent," this blockbuster is just as enjoyable for adults who haven't lost their youthful imagination. --Jeff Shannon
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