Conan The Barbarian Review

Conan (Jason Momoa), a Cimmerian, who has lost his father in battle, seeks revenge by killing his father’s murderer. Read the review of Conan The Barbarian for more.

Business rating: 1/5 star

Star cast: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang , Rose McGowan, Ron Perlman, master Leo Howard.

What’s Good: The action sequences; the 3D effects.

What’s Bad: The usual story; the average screenplay which has no twists and turns to offer; the farcical drama; the average performances; the excessive bloodshed; the loud and headache-inducing background score.

Verdict: Conan The Barbarian will attract and entertain only a select few. It will flop at the Indian box-office.

Loo break: Several in the second half.

Watch or Not?: Watch only if you are a fan of heavy-dose action films with a lot of gore and blood.

User rating:

Nu Image Films, Millennium Films and Paradox Entertainment’s Conan The Barbarian is an action film about the revenge of a boy belonging to the Cimmerian tribe in ancient Europe.

Little Conan (master Leo Howard) is a fierce warrior and single-handedly kills and beheads many people of the enemy tribe despite his age. Conan’s father (Ron Perlman) starts training him in swordsmanship.

However, their tribe is soon attacked by the evil Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang), who wants to acquire the last piece of a powerful mask, which is hidden with Conan’s father. When Conan’s father declines to give him the piece of the mask, Khalar tortures him and his son, Conan. He ultimately finds the piece of the mask due to the powers of his sorcerer-daughter, Marique (Rose McGowan). Khalar and his attackers then depart, leaving Conan and his father to die. Although young Conan survives somehow, he is unable to save his father from dying.

Conan now vows to avenge his father’s murder. For the next several years, Conan roams the far and wide lands in search of Khalar. On the other hand, Khalar and his daughter are looking for a ‘pure blood’ descendant of an ancient race, which will enable them to activate the mask.

Almost 15 years later, the grown-up Conan (Jason Momoa) and Khalar’s paths cross when Conan happens to rescue Tamara (Rachel Nichols), the pure-blood girl whom Khalar’s minions are after. Conan then uses Tamara as a bait to reach Khalar. But Khalar and his daughter’s magic proves too much for Conan to handle. He and Tamara have to flee. However, Tamara is soon captured by Khalar’s men. Conan now seeks the help of an old friend to help him enter Khalar’s fortress so that he can save Tamara, whom he has fallen in love with. What happens next? Is Conan  able to avert Khalar’s evil plans of sacrificing Tamara? Is he able to save Tamara? Is he able to fulfil his vow to kill Khalar? The rest of the film and the climax reveal the answers.

Conan The Barbarian Review – Script Analysis

Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood’s screenplay, based on characters by Robert E. Howard, is average fare. After the initial few reels, the story becomes very predictable and the viewer loses interest. The writers have penned a screenplay which gives scope for plenty of bloody action sequences. These action sequences, though well-executed for the most part, also begin to bore the audience after a point of time, as the intermittent non-action sequences are not dramatic enough to match the impact and seriousness of the action sequences. Moreover, since the protagonist (Conan) is a barbarian, and he himself butchers people mercilessly, the viewer has no sympathy for his quest to avenge his father’s death. The chemistry between Conan and Tamara is as good as missing. The climax is also disappointing. No amount of visual effects, 3D effects and bombastic music are able to make the narrative any better. Even the implied incestuous relationship between Khalar and his daughter does not do the trick in generating audience interest.

Conan The Barbarian Review – Star Performances

Jason Momoa looks like a barbarian but his acting is not convincing enough. He is good in the action scenes, though. Rachel Nichols is beautiful and acts well in the brief role she has. Stephen Lang is appropriately villainous. Rose McGowan looks ill at ease in the strange costumes she is made to wear. Ron Perlman is effective. Master Leo Howard does a fair job.

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