What Do The Critics Say?

"It is about the he-man appeal of 6'5" Momoa, who flaunts the long, messy wet-hair look, the persistent evil of his scarred foe, Stephen Lang's Khalar Zym, his witch daughter with the Wolverine-like steel talons and Rocky Horror apparel, as well as the elusive pure beauty of Rachel Nichols. I felt exhausted and desensitised by the persistent violence, but the mostly male crowd at the Sydney preview seemed to be enthralled. It's about the heroic alpha male that lives and dies by the sword." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Jason Momoa has the bulging pecs required to give body to the vengeful barbarian as he devotes his life to hunting down his father's sniggering killer. Rose McGowan has a gleefully good time as a Freddie Krueger-fingered witch and some of the action setpieces: particularly some athletically vicious sandman; are carried off with aplomb. Arriving in a year saturated with superheroes, Conan struggles to make much of an impression but it's a perfectly enjoyable: if bloody; sword 'n' sandals set-to." Tim Evans SKY MOVIES "Momoa, who in early stills looked like a male model playing dress-up, is surprisingly good. He may be ridiculous as all get-out, but the fact that the exaggeration is so irony free is charming in its own way. What matters is that Conan fights guys made of sand, Conan fights a tentacle-monster, Conan cuts a guy's nose off. It should be noted that Conan is also stunningly sexist, consistently treating Tamara like a slave and an object, for which she instantly falls in love with him." Luke Y Thompson E! ONLINE "Hawaiian model-turned-actor Jason Momoa is certainly brave to try to fill the Austrian's boots. But, as with with John Milius's original, he doesn't have to go it alone. Avatar's Stephen Lang plays the evil overlord Zym. Ron Perlman is a welcome sight, as Conan's wronged father. And notably, Rose McGowan does a cracking job as Zym's psycho-witch daughter, Marique." Ed Gibbs SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) delivers a solid, charismatic performance as Conan, though he's almost overshadowed by Leo Howard as his younger self, thanks to a terrific early fight sequence in the forest that the film never quite tops. There's also strong support from Perlman (on top growly form) and Lang (suitably hissable), while Rose McGowan is clearly having a whale of a time. Watchable sword and sorcery saga, enlivened by superb special effects sequences and some solid performances. The special effects are extremely impressive." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Look, I enjoy Arnold's big 1982 coming out party as much as anyone, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking the original Conan was a classic of Western cinema. Conan the Barbarian is as pure an '80s movie as I've seen in 22 years. Momoa rampages for two hours through a cavalcade of blood-soaked encounters and bared breasts, even enjoying the mandatory '80s-style second act sex scene with Tamara. This isn't great cinema, but so what?" Pete Vonder Haar REVIEWS FOR THE EASILY DISTRACTED "Given that I had no expectations for this picture I thought it wasn’t bad: it’s elaborate, well-mounted, and never dull. Ron Perlman is well cast as Conan’s father. You don’t go to a movie like this expecting to hear Shakespearean dialogue, but the action, under Marcus Nispel’s direction, is consistently vigorous and exciting. So are the visual effects, from an epic battle with sand creatures to a struggle with an enormous sea serpent. But it’s the bad guys who give the movie weight and solidity." Leonard Maltin LEONARD MALTIN'S PICKS "In the 1982 adaptation of stories by Robert E. Howard, Arnie plays Conan, and it's a whole different movie. I say this to point out that it's not a remake. And Jason Momoa is not an Arnie 'clonan'. He's a likeable guy, and handles himself well in this physically demanding role. Arrows and spears and swords and bludgeons and knives and chains offer a variety of ways to decapitate or skewer the enemy. There is one moment, as cheesy as the rest of the film, when the music turns romantic. In case you are worried that it slows the film down, rest assured, the interlude only lasts a couple of minutes." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

The Inside Story The most legendary Barbarian of all time is back. Having thrived and evolved for eight consecutive decades in the public imagination: in prose and graphics, on the big screen and small, in games and properties of all kinds; Conan’s exploits in the Hyborian Age now come alive like never before in a colossal 3D action packed, adventure film. A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil. Deftly adapted from the original works of Robert E. Howard and faithful to the mythology and psychology of his iconic character, the story of "Conan The Barbarian" is re-birthed thanks to writters Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood. The release of the Film, continues the pop culture legacy that has spanned nearly eight decades and inspired generations of artists from the worlds of fiction, comic books, video games, animation, and film and television. First introduced in 1932 in a series of short stories by pulp fiction writer Robert E Howard, "Conan the Barbarian" helped establish the burgeoning genre known as sword and sorcery, pre-dating the work of fantasy master J.R.R. Tolkien by twenty years. Since then, he has become a bona fide cultural icon, capturing the public imagination as an idealized vision of unbridled masculinity, a tough, imperturbable hero with no allegiances and the ability to overcome impossible odds with brute strength and a seasoned warrior’s skill. "I think the appeal of Conan is that he doesn’t conform to anybody," director Marcus Nispel offered. "He’s not politically correct. He’s not living by anyone else’s moral standards. He’s a barbarian who depends on no one but himself." While no Conan feature can ignore John Milius's 1982 original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman and Cassandra Gaviola, Nispel and producers Danny Lerner ("The Mechanic") and Les Weldon ("The Expendables") of Millennium Films see that film as only a small part of a much larger Conan universe that has continued to develop since Conan's inception. "We’re not approaching this as a movie based on a previous incarnation of the character. We’re approaching it as a film based on an entire culture," Lerner stated. For Nispel, who already has ample experience re-telling the classics with his new takes on "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Friday The 13th", portraying Conan in a new film is all about maintaining a respectful balance between homage and reinvention. "We’re going back to the mythological Conan as he’s described in the Robert E. Howard stories. But at the same time, we can’t deny that the popular consciousness has changed and things have shifted. People’s demands of who Conan should be have changed, and yet there’s a certain amount they wouldn’t want us to change." To do so, the filmmakers adopted the mantra: 'give people what they want but don’t give them what they expect.' The obvious first step was finding Conan himself: no small task considering Conan's towering physicality and stoic charisma. In December 2009, after they'd been reading actors for over a month, casting director Kerry Barden suggested Jason Momoa, fresh off of shooting HBO’s TV series, "Game of Thrones", in which he plays Khal Drogo. "When we first met Jason, we saw everything that we hoped Conan would be," Weldon recalls. "He has the imposing physicality. The confidence. And there's a sense of unbridled energy to him that’s essential for the character." "I can’t imagine a single actor that I have worked with or seen on screen that could fit into those shoes as perfectly as Jason does. He is a natural athlete. He has the aggression, the power, the energy needed. And when you actually read Robert E Howard’s descriptions of Conan, they describe Jason exactly," Lerner ("The Contract", starring Morgan Freeman & John Cusack) notes. The half-Hawaiian, half-Irish actor who made his name in the globally popular "Baywatch" series as Jason Ioane, and garnered extended runs on "North Shore" and "Stargate: Atlantis", was only six years old when the original Milius film was released. He remembers encountering the images of Conan created by visionary comic book artist Frank Frazetta, whose darkly sensual, lush style helped define not only the Conan comic book universe (and the film’s poster) but the entire 'sword and sorcery' genre. "When you see those drawings, they just they speak to you," Momoa says. "Our goal has been to capture the hero featured in Frazetta’s pictures. That was our aim." Frazetta’s images also considerably impacted on the vision Nispels and production designer Chris August ("Rogue Assassin") had for the film. "You can’t shoot Conan in a vérité style," says Nispel ("Pathfinder"). "You have to paint it, choose new angles, light it graphically, and then you’re able to tell the story in such a way as to suspend the disbelief of an audience." That said, both Nispel and August agreed that the film should feel like a lost piece of history, an epic about real people in a real ancient time. "We decided the environment should become a huge part of the film and that it should have a very dirty, gritty feel. Magical, but in a more brutal way," August explained. Weldon recalls: "Marcus had this vision to try to do as much of Conan as possible in camera, meaning we actually saw what was being filmed without adding a whole lot of CGI." The reality-based approach Nispel proposed married well with Lerner and Weldon’s plan to shoot the film at Nu Boyana Studios and locations throughout Bulgaria. "In terms of production value, it was far easier in Bulgaria to create the set pieces and props and dressing to bring Hyboria to life and create a visceral experience," Lerner says. Nispel and August found what they were looking for during an extensive location scout across the country. August states: "Bulgaria has an amazing landscape and a long cultural history that was perfect for the project. While scouting along a river, someone would point up and there would be caves that monks had carved out of the hills. It really felt like Conan’s world, very tough and harsh but at the same time stunningly beautiful." "Nowhere are the middle ages more prevalent than they are in Bulgaria," Nispel declares. "Why create fake digital sets when there’s a gigantic cave (Prohodna Cave in Lukovit) or a prehistoric forest (Pobiti in Kamani, Varna, near the Black Sea) right there in front of you?" With a production schedule taking shape, Momoa headed straight into an intensive training regime, spending six hours a day for a month and a half with the Los Angeles based action design team 87eleven before heading to Bulgaria. "That process really helped me understand the character," says Momoa, who revealed he did most of his own stunts. "Conan speaks through his sword. He's got to because he’s not one for words. So the sword training with Master sensei Chad Stahelski really helped me find Conan’s core." Weight training with Eric Laciste rounded out the day’s work and helped the six foot five (196cm) actor bulk up before the cameras rolled. With everything running to schedule, the filmmakers set about casting those who would play the films many characters. The role of Conan’s accomplice and eventual love interest Tamara, went to action-veteran Rachel Nichols (Gaila in "Star Trek"). A novitiate of a Greek-influenced monastery and a master of martial arts, Tamara is a 'pureblood', a direct descendant of the Sorcerers of Acheron whose blood will awaken the power of the Mask of Acheron. After meeting with Nispel, Nichols ("G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra") jumped at the chance to play a smart, capable woman who breaks the mold of typical fantasy heroines. "This is not a case of Conan doing all of the action and Tamara sitting by passively as the damsel in distress. Tamara is smart and strong and if given the choice of fight or flight she chooses to fight. She’s Conan’s female counterpart and she goes toe to toe with him." Actor and father of four, Stephen Lang, describes his bad guy character Khalar Zym, Conan’s enemy and his father’s murderer, as "the baddest warlord in all of Hyboria, whose life's work is recovering the Mask of Acheron, which will help him reclaim his dead wife and even achieve immortality. He's introduced very early in the film when Conan, still a boy, gets a real dose of what pillage is all about." Most of Khalar’s scenes with Conan involve some form of combat, so Lang spent most of his spare time in Bulgaria working out, stretching and rehearsing choreography with the stunt team. 2010 Saturn Award winner Lang ("Avatar") admits the role was quite a challenge. "Jason Momoa’s a big dude and that presented its own challenge for me. Khalar is supposed to be not only a master of swords, but also master of a double scimitar, which is a ninja's nightmare. Everything I did had to be confident and on point." A partner in Khalar Zym’s quest for absolute power is his daughter Marique. Rose McGowan who played Paige Matthews in the popular TV series "Charmed", says her character, "is half-witch, half-human. Jealous of her long dead witch-mother’s hold on her father, Marique is unnaturally obsessed with proving herself to him. She’s evil, but it’s only to gain her father’s love. Their relationship just fascinates me. It’s full of pathos, and I love what a strange twist it gives to the Conan world." Even though they had no scenes together, Momoa worked closely with thirteen year old Leo Howard, who portrays Young Conan in the film’s introductory sequence, in order to create the character together. "We’d look at each other, just get down the walk, how Conan’s kind of like the lion, the wolf, the panther. It's the way he stalks people. The eyes and the eye brows, and Leo totally got it," Momoa explained. Howard, who has a first degree black belt and is a member of the SideSwipe Performance Team, an extreme martial arts performing group, had an easier time with the fight choreography than many of the adult actors. "My scenes explain how Conan became so hard-hearted and hardcore. He goes through all of this trauma when he’s little and it transforms him into how he is when he’s older." 1989 Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (TV'S "Beauty and the Beast"), probably best known for his charismatic performances in Guillermo del Toro’s "Hellboy" films, lends a fierce and soulful gravity to Corin, Conan’s father and the leader of their Cimmerian tribe, who Perlman describes as "a warring clan. They live in a hostile environment, one of many clans constantly vying for territorial domination. The forge, where their swords are made, is almost their church and is treated like one would treat anything that is sacred and essential for their very existence." In addition to leading his people, Corin is charged with raising his son alone after Conan’s mother, played by British actress Laila Rouass (Maya Lahan in TV'S "Spooks"). What's It All About?

To avenge the murder of his father Corin and the slaughter of everyone in their Cimmerian village, a young Conan embarks on a quest to find and kill the sadistic warlord responsible. A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the young warrior will turn into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds. In time, a grown-up Conan, will come to realize, he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria, from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil. However, the fierce warlord Khalar Zym, is on his own quest. He is searching for the key to unlock untold power. To find an elusive young woman, Tamara, a pure blood, who is the key to an enigmatic ritual of resurrection that will make him all-poweful. When Conan abducts Tamara and uses her as bait, he is pursued by armies, besieged by monsters and led to a site of primeval magic and cruel human sacrifice.

The Verdict "In it's day, the 1982 John Milius film "Conan The Barbarian", (despite the fact that he had prior to this he'd picked up a Golden Globe for the 1976 film "Stay Hungry") which is credited with kick-starting the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, was, besides being a worldwide smash hit, not a bad watch. But that was nearly three decades ago and filmmaking, SFX, CGI and 3D have made monumental leaps and bounds since then. To be fair, while I throughly enjoyed the original, it was pretty raw. Fast forward to December 2009. That's when director Marcus Nispel and producers Danny Lerner and Les Weldon teamed up to create a new version of the 1932 series of short stories by pulp fiction writer Robert E Howard. Schwarzenegger made a great Conan in 1982. Jason Momoa makes a great Conan for viewers in 2011. Lionsgate Films rebirthing of "Conan The Barbarian", is everything you'd expect it to be: a bloody, action-packed adventure in true pulp fiction style, with the added bonus of 3D. A film containing everything you'd hope for from a barbarian film. Bloodied bodies piling up, a lack of cultured 'dinner table' conversation, a gorgeous virgin in peril, an evil witch, the obligatory bad guy on a quest for untold power and, a 'good guy' who gets in his way. "Conan The Barbarian" is very watchable, especially if you are a fan of the pulp fiction genre and, you can erase any memories of 'Arnie' in the original. Well worth having a look at! 3 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Jason Momoa Leo Howard Ron Perlman Rose McGowan Yoana Petrova Ivana Staneva Stephen Lang Rachel Nichols Bob Sapp Steven O'Donnell Nonso Anozie Raad Rawi Laila Rouass Saïd Taghmaoui Milton Welsh Borislav Iliev Nathan Jones Diana Lubenova Ioan Karamfilov Nikolai Stanoev

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Conan Young Conan Corin Marique Young Marique Young Marique Khalar Zym Tamara Ukafa Lucius Artus Fassir Fialla Ela-Shan Remo Wild Man Akhun Cheren Donal Lieutenant

The Production Team Directed by Marcus Nispel Written by Thomas Dean Donnelly/Joshua Oppenheimer/Sean Hood Conan character created by Robert E. Howard Produced by John Baldecchi/Boaz Davidson/Randall Emmett/Les Weldon/Avi Lerner/Danny Lerner/Joe Gatta/Fredrik Malmberg executive Producers Danny Dimbort/George Furla/Trevor Short/Henry Winterstern Original Music by Tyler Bates Cinematography by Thomas Kloss Film Editing by Ken Blackwell Casting by Kerry Barden/Kate Dowd/Paul Schnee Production Design by Chris August Art Direction by James Steuart Set Decoration by Judy Farr key Set Decorator Dimiter Petkov Costume Design by Wendy Partridge Run Time 114 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Warner Bros Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.