Conan the Barbarian 3D – Review

Blood and steel. Blood and sweat. Blood and boobs. If that doesn’t pique your interest then the well-deserved R-rated Conan the Barbarian may not be your cup of mead. Did I mention it has blood? This is hardly a remake of the original 1982 version of the barbarian story and much more of a re-imagining. The central anti-hero is the same as well as the sword and sorcery, but a new tale is told with a distinctly brutal attitude that feels contextually appropriate. For instance, what better welcoming into the world can a barbarian get then being born during battle?

How about being cut out of your mother’s dying body by your father? Now that’s a Conan I can cheer for. Young Conan (Leo Howard), being battle-born and battle-hungry, sets a new tone for the character – a wild and untamed savage who doesn’t shy away from a fight. In fact, there’s hardly a moments rest from the fighting which adult Conan, filled out by Jason Momoa of recent Game of Thrones fame, actively seeks out. This is by far the most satisfying side of the new character and film in general. He doesn’t sit around and wait, or get mysteriously sick, or waste his time with romance. Sure he drinks and enjoys life along with his pirate shipmates, which is a much more palatable storyline than mill-turning and pit-fighting, but he does not hesitate to let himself get arrested just to inflict some pain and get some information. The movie is about Conan and the enjoyment of which rests rightly on the capable shoulders of that character from start to finish. So much so, that even though the supporting characters come off rather bland, the film is still fun.

It’s got the requisite warlord bent on world domination, the witch who abuses magic, the side-kick tagging along and the love interest that can’t tame him. All of whom provide a good backdrop for Conan to shine and keep up the action at a steady pace. Marcus Nispel directs and rebuilds a believably more brutal, and satisfyingly more savage Conan the Barbarian.

Rating: