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Conan The Barbarian Reviews

1981 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 8613 members

Years after the brutal murder of his parents, Conan the Barbarian (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance on the evil Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). With his trusted companions, Conan has a series of marvelous adventures which culminate in a face-off against Thulsa Doom. The film, directed by John .. Read more

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cassandra Gaviola, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Sandahl Bergman
Director John Milius
Genres Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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  • Critics' reviews (3) of Conan The Barbarian

    View all
  • 3 stars out of 5

    Arnold Schwarzenegger may have ventured out in clothes since this movie, but here's how fans first remember him: bare and belted, a Nordic superman justified in his use of force to avenge his parents' deaths. Director John Milius quotes Nietzsche and ladles on the fantasy atmosphere with a Wagnerian flourish that's too heavyweight and humourless for its own good, and Big Arnie's, good. But the movie looks fabulous, rather like Arnie himself.

    • Radio Times
  • Intolerably doomladen, slow-moving and mainly unintelligible rubbish which failed to put a lift into the long-announced sword-and-sorcery cycle.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Big blokes, each seized by some grand costume fetish, hack divots out of each other with big broadswords. Deaths take... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Conan The Barbarian

    View all
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    The ultimate fantasy/hero film

    In my opinion this is the ultimate fantasy/hero film, it still looks great today and hasn't dated in the slightest. This was Arnie's first and still his best film (yes better than Terminator). He's just so perfect for the role of Conan and the script writers were right on the money by choosing to give him very little to say. Instead of the usual chatty - full of one-liners super hero, we have a dark brooding anti-hero who loves violence and has a lust for revenge.

    James Earl Jones puts in a stonking performance as the villain and the rest put in more than adequate perfomances considering almost none of them come from acting backgrounds but are made up for surfers, body builders and american football players.

    Ignore the terrible sequel to this film, the change in director and cast did Conan the Destoryer no favours at all. It's such a pity as there's so much left to the Conan story that we'll never get to see.

      • Alexander Howard from Nottingham
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Crush your enemies

    Conan the Barbarian is the definitive barbarian film. Starting with the death of his entire tribe poor ol’ Conan is taken to be a slave and is made to turn a wheel round for 20 years till he turns into Arnold. At this point he is deemed strong enough to fight to the death for several more years until even his “owner” becomes afraid of him and sets him free to seek his revenge.

    James Earl Jones is spectacular as the snake wizard and Arnie more than satisfies when it comes to repeatedly smashing villans heads with an over sized sword.

    A classic!!!

      • mugwort from lancashire
  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Years after the brutal murder of his parents, Conan the Barbarian sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance on the evil Thulsa Doom. With his trusted companions, he has a series of marvelous adventures which culminate in the fulfillment of his long hoped for goal. A vigorous and bloody sword-and-sorcery epic featuring Schwarzenegger's breakthrough role.

    The amazing electrifying choral music of Basil Poledouris goes a long way in trying to convey the adventures and excitement of battles and conquests of the prehistoric age.

    In playing Conan, Arnold was fresh off his first documentary movie, where he won the Mr. Olympic title, so he was particularly pumped. All the cast members were fairly new to film, and it also had a fairly seventies feel to it as well.

    Still, the combination of a classic hero and the great James Earl Jones as the evil Doom makes this film a very thrilling adventure to watch again and again. One particular scene to note is the raid on the mountain palace - the paradise hall. Another very bloody scene is near the ending, when two warriors stood again many on horseback. I love this film . . .

      • John#53 from TELFORD
  • Most recent members' reviews (2) of Conan The Barbarian

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Classic

    This film is a must see! Cinematography is excellent, settings well picked and acting excellent also - yes, even Arnie's wooden acting was not apparent on this occasion as he was made to play this role. This was the first of three films, but alas Conan the Destroyer butchered any chances of this trilogy ever happening, shame really. All the actors seemed to fit perfectly. Ask yourself who could make this fascinating story work on film in today's Hollywood listings?

    Go on and give it a look, and don't be too critical!

      • A customer from Carrickfergus
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    The ultimate fantasy/hero film

    In my opinion this is the ultimate fantasy/hero film, it still looks great today and hasn't dated in the slightest. This was Arnie's first and still his best film (yes better than Terminator). He's just so perfect for the role of Conan and the script writers were right on the money by choosing to give him very little to say. Instead of the usual chatty - full of one-liners super hero, we have a dark brooding anti-hero who loves violence and has a lust for revenge.

    James Earl Jones puts in a stonking performance as the villain and the rest put in more than adequate perfomances considering almost none of them come from acting backgrounds but are made up for surfers, body builders and american football players.

    Ignore the terrible sequel to this film, the change in director and cast did Conan the Destoryer no favours at all. It's such a pity as there's so much left to the Conan story that we'll never get to see.

      • Alexander Howard from Nottingham
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    The ultimate fantasy/hero film

    In my opinion this is the ultimate fantasy/hero film, it still looks great today and hasn't dated in the slightest. This was Arnie's first and still his best film (yes better than Terminator). He's just so perfect for the role of Conan and the script writers were right on the money by choosing to give him very little to say. Instead of the usual chatty - full of one-liners super hero, we have a dark brooding anti-hero who loves violence and has a lust for revenge.

    James Earl Jones puts in a stonking performance as the villain and the rest put in more than adequate perfomances considering almost none of them come from acting backgrounds but are made up for surfers, body builders and american football players.

    Ignore the terrible sequel to this film, the change in director and cast did Conan the Destoryer no favours at all. It's such a pity as there's so much left to the Conan story that we'll never get to see.

      • Alexander Howard from Nottingham
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Crush your enemies

    Conan the Barbarian is the definitive barbarian film. Starting with the death of his entire tribe poor ol’ Conan is taken to be a slave and is made to turn a wheel round for 20 years till he turns into Arnold. At this point he is deemed strong enough to fight to the death for several more years until even his “owner” becomes afraid of him and sets him free to seek his revenge.

    James Earl Jones is spectacular as the snake wizard and Arnie more than satisfies when it comes to repeatedly smashing villans heads with an over sized sword.

    A classic!!!

      • mugwort from lancashire
  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Years after the brutal murder of his parents, Conan the Barbarian sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance on the evil Thulsa Doom. With his trusted companions, he has a series of marvelous adventures which culminate in the fulfillment of his long hoped for goal. A vigorous and bloody sword-and-sorcery epic featuring Schwarzenegger's breakthrough role.

    The amazing electrifying choral music of Basil Poledouris goes a long way in trying to convey the adventures and excitement of battles and conquests of the prehistoric age.

    In playing Conan, Arnold was fresh off his first documentary movie, where he won the Mr. Olympic title, so he was particularly pumped. All the cast members were fairly new to film, and it also had a fairly seventies feel to it as well.

    Still, the combination of a classic hero and the great James Earl Jones as the evil Doom makes this film a very thrilling adventure to watch again and again. One particular scene to note is the raid on the mountain palace - the paradise hall. Another very bloody scene is near the ending, when two warriors stood again many on horseback. I love this film . . .

      • John#53 from TELFORD
  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Classic

    This film is a must see! Cinematography is excellent, settings well picked and acting excellent also - yes, even Arnie's wooden acting was not apparent on this occasion as he was made to play this role. This was the first of three films, but alas Conan the Destroyer butchered any chances of this trilogy ever happening, shame really. All the actors seemed to fit perfectly. Ask yourself who could make this fascinating story work on film in today's Hollywood listings?

    Go on and give it a look, and don't be too critical!

      • A customer from Carrickfergus
  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Sword and Sorcery at its best

    beutiful women in provocotive poses, damsels in ditress that dont know they are, Hints of S&M, violence, dark heros, gods,magic, great movie

      • A customer from Hillingdon
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Crom!!!

    First of 2 Conan films. This stcks fairly close to Howards stories of our hero.

    Conan sees his family & tribe slaughtered by a gang of marauders and is taken into slavery from which he is eventually released. He embarks on a crusade of vengence. Story is simple. The characters are simple. The action is Bloody & violent. Just the way Roberet E. Howard wrote it in the 1930s. Loved every minute of it. Swords & Sorcery @ its best..

      • A customer from Essex, England
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    a bit pointless

    although the extras are good, they are the same as the ones on disc one bar 1 extra. a bit of a waste of time, if you have had the movie out i wouldnt bother with this disc.

  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Conan the (brilliant!) barbarian

    Brilliant film, anyone who likes a nice swordfighting type film with a good bit of blood and gore check out, all others pick nose carry on looking through films (although i still advise you to watch it!).

      • Adam henderson from England
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Classic

    This film is a must see quite entertaining

  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Not Very Good

    Not the best acting in the world and very magical parts in the film e.g sorcery. worth a watch but notating special.

      • greyfox from Whitstable
  • Critics' reviews (3)

  • 3 stars out of 5

    Arnold Schwarzenegger may have ventured out in clothes since this movie, but here's how fans first remember him: bare and belted, a Nordic superman justified in his use of force to avenge his parents' deaths. Director John Milius quotes Nietzsche and ladles on the fantasy atmosphere with a Wagnerian flourish that's too heavyweight and humourless for its own good, and Big Arnie's, good. But the movie looks fabulous, rather like Arnie himself.

    • Radio Times
  • Intolerably doomladen, slow-moving and mainly unintelligible rubbish which failed to put a lift into the long-announced sword-and-sorcery cycle.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Big blokes, each seized by some grand costume fetish, hack divots out of each other with big broadswords. Deaths take... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out

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    • Conan The Barbarian
      Years after the brutal murder of his parents, Conan the Barbarian (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance on the evil Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). With his trusted companions, Conan has a series of marvelous adventures which culminate in a face-off against Thulsa Doom. ...

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