Rating: 
Summary: zero for sound
Review: the color and picture quality were very good and true to the theatre however the sound seems to have been left on the remake floor. if a 1955 movie ie: Brigadoon can be remade into 5.1, universal pictures doesn't seem interested in producing an 1982 movie in 5.1 which would have givin this movie 5 stars, and been worth buying.
Rating: 
Summary: Collectors DVD is Tougher Than Conan!
Review: I liked this "collector's edition" DVD a lot. CONAN THE BARBARIAN was the first rated R movie I saw, so it was nice to revisit the film in this very special format.The cut scenes are interesting to watch. I think DVD's have done movie-goers a great service in showing us scenes that filmmakers deemed unnecessary or superfluous to a film, and thus cut out. I have learned so much about film this way. In CONAN, there were a couple of interesting cuts, most of them obvious. I found the death scene of Max Von Sydow's character to be one of the scenes that could have made a good film even better. The documentary also tells the barbarous story of how CONAN came to be made -- which is an adventure in and of itself! Oliver Stone's relationship with the film is properly explained. And it's fun to see that Arnold was not always the huge star we all know and love him as. CONAN really made his career. It was a good match of his personality and the role. As far as the film goes, it is still as fun as I remember (and as bloody!). The big snake in the temple is a bit fake -- ahh, the old days before CG! But the story-telling is good. The "myth" of Conan from boy to vengeful man is told in bold and bloody images. Of course, the sequel is another story ....
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best fantasy movies of all time
Review: The Soundtrack, Arnold's determination to become a star, the Setting(filmed in Spain), to the Stuntmen who worked so hard that they were injured during the film, props too all! To those that are wondering if the Collector's DVD is worth it, yes it is. Extra footage in the movie makes Conan seem more like he really was supposed to be in the comic, making the collectors' DVD better than the other versions. Extra scenes, The making of Conan, and Commentary by the director John Milius/w Schwarzenegger make this a DVD worth buying. If you thought the original was great, then you can't go wrong with adding this to your modern day DVD collection. I can't wait for the 3rd Conan. Yes, they talk about making another in the commentary. :-) Arnold needs to go back to making films like this. What happened to his last few films? Make some more Conan, Arnold! Please!
Rating:
Summary: Skip the rest, go for the DVD
Review: The movie is great in all formats, but the Collector's Edition has a lot of extra footage, most of which makes the movie even better. If you like your swords and sorcery bloody and action packed, then this is the movie for you. There are a few laughs, but for the most part this movie is pretty serious. It's not very faithful to any of the original stories (it combines elements of several, kind of like watching one of The Brady Bunch movies), but it does do a very good job of capturing the feeling of the books.
Rating:
Summary: The commentary is worth it alone
Review: I've been a Conan fan for most of my life, and I was quite excited to get my hands on the "collectors edition". The video quality, as one might expect of a collector's edition, is excellent. The 2-channel stereo sound is a bit of a let down, considering the amount of work that went into cleaning up the video, but the quality of sound is the best I've heard in any of Conan's previous formats. The "extras" on this DVD are a little bit of a let down too, with the exception of the commentary version of the movie, which is, for lack of better words, FREAKING HILARIOUS! Just as Milius begins to talk about some of the deeper aspects of the movie, Arnie butts in and says something absolutely retarded ("YAAAAH, I Remembah thees part now" or "Exaaactly" or "Look at the sawwword"). It's seriously funny, and worth watching. It's almost like MST3K, but much more impromptu (and unintentionally funny). I highly recommend this DVD to any Barbarian.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Sword and Sorcery Movie
Review: The film that made bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger (Pumping Iron) a star worldwide. John Milius's Conan the Barbarian is a starkly realized, meticulosly detailed, and extravagently staged action spectacle. It remains unequalled in it's melancholic narrative, charismatic bloodshed, mythological melodrama, and powerhouse ensemble performances. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (Conan), James Earl Jones (Thulsa Doom), Max Von Sydow (King Osrik), Gerry Lopez (Subotai), and Sandahl Bergman (Valeria), Conan the Barbarian chronicles the life of Conan the Cimmerian as he quests for revenge against the mystical snake cult leader Thulsa Doom who executed Conan's mother and father whan Conan was only a child. Based on the novels of Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian preserves the epic grandeur of William Wyler's Ben Hur or Cecil B. DeMille's the Ten Commandments. Yet it inserts adult knowledge of sexuality, carnage, amorality, and primitive humanity that utterly contrasts the civility of those previous films. Conan's abundant senusality and savagary blended with the film's superb Spainish locations gives Conan the Barbarian a raw primeval luster that complements the film's supposed prehistoric timeline. Now 18 years after it's theatrical release, Conan the Barbarian retains a somber and compelling sincerity that dignifies the story's crude plot and intentions into much more than the sum of it's initial parts. The film's gripping set-pieces, Basil Poledouris's pulsating musical juggernaut, John Milius's impeccable attention to specifics, and the commanding physical presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger all combine to create the indistinguishable primal mystique that has made Conan the Barbarian the pinnacle of film action. Despite some deficenies in campy acting, dialogue, and character motivations, Conan remains as close to perfection as a sword fighting saga can get. Fabulous DVD presentation filled with a stunning widescreen format, a John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger commentary track, a Making-Of-Conan Documentary, theatrical trailers, and fascinating storyboards load this DVD with many must-have options. MUST-BUY.
Rating:
Summary: DVD Comments
Review: Since I've been a fan of this film since childhood, it's nice to see the murky, grainy images from previous television and videotape viewings replaced by a beautifully transferred DVD. Many have probably heard that the old DVD was terrible, but now's the time to trade up -- the colors are vivid and the widescreen framing is often a revelation to someone like me who never got to see this on the big screen. The extras are pretty good, especially the long documentary, where you get to see cast and crew members today looking back on the film and offering a lot of interesting insights. The only disappointment is the commentary by John Milius and Schwarzeneggar, which is a real lost opportunity. Basically, almost every comment can be summarized as follows: Milius: Ooh, look! I love this shot! It looks so great! Arnold: Yah. Exactly. Too bad their memories rarely get more insightful than this. Still, for the price and the great transfer, this is quibbling. If you're a Conan fan, this is tough to pass up.
Rating:
Summary: May 2000 DVD Special Edition is a Treasure!
Review: One word for the new DVD special edition featuring John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the alternative audio track: AWESOME! Visually this version is a vast improvement over previous video, laserdisc and DVD editions with a much clearer and brighter picture, less image grain and better color. It's still in mono, unfortunately, but it includes an additional scene before the final battle and Milius's original ending! These both enhance the film greatly (and the original ending shows why the ending in theaters in 1982 and in previous home video versions looked so confused and rushed). The new ending adds even greater poetry to this classic film! There is also a great MAKING OF featurette with deleted scenes, behind the scenes stuff and interviews with most of the original cast members along with Oliver Stone, production designer Ron Cobb and others! The audio commentary by Milius really lets the viewer in on what he was thinking about and what he was inspired by while making the film (such as the visual he borrowed from Masaki Kobayashi's "Hoichi, The Earless" portion of "Kwaidan"). Arnold has several interesting observations, however before he sat down with Milius he evidently hadn't seen the film for many years and appears often surprised by events on the screen (including, for example, forgetting Mako's name--oops!). THANK YOU UNIVERSAL for finally putting out a terrific Conan DVD. If you are a Conan movie fan, YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS GREAT DVD! Even if you are an REH purist, this is a terrific videodisc giving a unique perspective on how Conan was first brought to the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: Conan Special Edition
Review: I will not bore you with a synopsis of the Conan story. This review refers to the new "special edition" DVD. The film appears to have been remastered as many scenes that were "washed out" in previous versions are robust in vibrant color and display. The main features of this DVD are the amusing commentary track from director John Milius and Arnold Swartzenegger. They provide a scene by scene discussion of the film that is both humorous and informative, the only drawback being that it has obviously been a long time since either has seen the film. Other attractions are an extended ending sequence as well as additional scenes throughout the rest of the film. These scenes are often very short, alternate cuts or truly content altering sequences as in the entire ending on Thulsa Doom's mountain. The DVD also has an extensive pre-production storyboard illustration section that documents the costume and staging presentations. For those of us who have enjoyed and possibly worshipped this film, this is the definitive version. It even comes with an amusing outtake of Arnold being dragged off of the rocks by wolves.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Fantasy Movie!
Review: While most fantasy based movies are cheesy at best and inspire little emotion, Conan is a sweeping example of perfection. The locations seem primitive, the fight scenes are realistic and they use real metal swords! I have seen movies where they use what seems to be wooden swords. Valeria and Subati are great caracters who don't take away from the mood, unlike the unfortunate sequel. The two warrior thugs Thorgrim and Rexor ...perfect. Men of few words, but large on killing. Two worthy foes for Conan. Arnold plays a good Conan, though having read the books by Robert E. Howard, He seems a little too gloomy. And the music? One word, Awesome! It turns a good movie into a perfect one. If your looking for some fantasy escapism, this is THE movie.
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