24
FILM
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Jason Momoa as Conan
Issue 29 /
Issue 30 / August 2011
Rose McGowan as Marique and Stephen Lang as Khalar Zym
REVIEW CONAN THE BARBARIAN AUGUST 19TH
Arnie stayed at home but the most legendary barbarian of all time is back this summer; the new 3-D interpretation of the Conan mythology gets ready to smash the box office
When rumours of a Conan update began back in 2007, the project seemed exception- ally random. While hardly an obscure character, Robert E. Howard’s creation has yet to ingrain itself into modern pop culture in the same way as several of this summer’s other movie heroes have, with the 1982 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger being its most potent reference point for view- ers. Adding to the confusion was the announcement and eventual cancellation of the Red Sonja reboot, with its star Rose McGowan taking a role in Marcus Nispel’s film instead.
And with all of the ‘80s nostal- gia floating around at the mo- ment it would be fair to expect an affectionate, slightly camp throwback to a cult classic but Nispel’s approach is noticeably different: dark, intense and decidedly bloody.
Set in the mythical continent of Hyboria, a brilliantly realised world of demons, witches and the odd Kraken, the film follows the eponymous warrior (played by Game Of Thrones star Jason Momoa) as he sets out to avenge the death of his father (Ron Perlman) and the destruction of his village, both
at the hands of Khylar Zym (Stephen Lang), a bloodthirsty warlord. However Conan soon discovers that Khylar has his own treacherous plans for Hyboria and that it’s up to him to stop them. Cue epic battles, sheets of blood and surpris- ingly intense acting. Momoa is perfect as everyone’s favourite barbarian, being more svelte and agile than a certain Mr. Schwarzenegger and delivering his lines with testosterone- fueled relish. Lang once again laps up being the bad guy, while McGowan is excellent and strangely beautiful as his daughter Marique, a powerful
witch with some pretty amazing powers. You’ll never look at sand the same way again...
2007’s Pathfinder was critically ravaged but it did showcase Ni- spels’ knack for creating brood- ing battle sequences; in Conan The Barbarian he has found a decent script, formidable actors and a fantastic story to fit them around. From the devastating fight for Conan’s village to the brilliant final showdown, the film truly comes alive as the body count rises. If you like your blockbusters dark and dangerous then you could do much worse.
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