Conan the Barbarian

Rating:
Summary: Collector's Edition is Director's Cut w/ alternate ending!
Review: I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this DVD is not only a fully packed collector's edition it is also a director's cut of the film with an alternate ending and a longer version of the film. There is a great scene were Subotai and Conan talk, that adds great camaraderie and depth to the characters. The "making of..." feature is very interesting, as are the deleted production scenes.

I really enjoy this film, and consider it one of the finest entries in the fantasy genre (A genre I enjoy, but admittedly has very few quality examples). The director did an admirable job bringing the spirit of Robert E. Howard's world to the screen. Personally, I don't feel that a film needs to be a direct translation of a story. There is too much that works written that does not translate to the film medium. As long as the director treats the source material with respect, they should be allowed to interpret it. I am a Robert E. Howard fan, and enjoy the film on that level.

Schwarzenegger is an excellent choice for Conan, and this film was made early enough in his career that he wasn't playing the same character or dropping one-liners. James Earl Jones is an excellent villain, and I really enjoyed the directors commentary regarding his looks (he is supposed to be one of the last survivors of a fading race, thus the dark skin, straight hair and blue eyes.)

Rating:
Summary: DVD Collectors version
Review: While the movie itself sets the standard for sword & sorccery movies and has one of the best scores put down, the dvd collectors version also shines. There's about 10 extra minutes added to the movie that really expands the Conan charecter. It makes you really wish that the other two movies in the planned trilogy had been made (no, I don't count 'Destroyer' as part of the Conan series). 'Barbarian is about strength. The next two were supposed to be about honor and loyalty. The director's commentary really fleshes out this movie, though Arnold's commentary is embarrassing. The transfer quality to DVD could have been better and some of the sound is muddy at times. Oh well. The extra material partially makes up for these faults.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Genre
Review: Don't let yourself be fooled with the number of stars I gave to this movie; it takes something truly exceptional to earn 5 stars with me, and it got 4 stars only because I can't imagine to give a movie with James Earl Jones less. But this IS a great movie, and is done wrong by some reviewers who give it "an excellent movie for all the Males and Women who love Men", and other not at all flattering titles.

This movie is actually a movie for everyone who can let themselves be swept into a world of fantasy, can picture the dark age of Conan and allow it to be what it is, for people who can dream and be a part of a dream. The story is rather simple, quite common - the Hero about to kill the Villain, with little subplots to develop the characters. The plot has it's depth which is not too deep but this nmovie wasn't suppose to be deep, and certanly IS deeper than some movies that WERE.

It also has many faults. Arnold Schwarznegger's performance embodies a foolish, stubborn and not very bright muscle-man, so distant from the original Conan.Characters, inspite of mentioned subplots, are poorly developed and there's waaay too little dialogue for a movie of such a length. There are also some unforgiveable faults such as not giving names (or not doing it straghtforward enough so the viewer could be sure who's who) to characters, specialy those "less important" such as Doom's sidekicks and the good Wizard.

James Earl Jones is a wonderul badguy, he does some great acting inspite of his role that doesn't give him much time on the screen (which is a shame). At many points when he apears on the screen I thought Thulsa Doom deserved a much better movie than he got, and I tend to imagine he tried to escape from it as he transformed into a big snake (a completly meaningless and useless scene).

All in all, a great S&S movie that everyone should see, but not expect too much from it - except the soundtrack. It's incredible. If upcoming LotR movies have half as fitting soundtrack, I'll be more than satisfied with it.

Rating:
Summary: Collector's Edition a must for Conan fans
Review: Believe it or not, I just spent over five hours with this disk even though I already own the original DVD release. It was worth it. First off, the video is a(much)cleaner and sharper transfer, a marked improvement over the old disk. And the extras are great too. After watching the film the first time I actually sat through whole thing again again while listening to the director's commentary, something I have not done with any other DVD. The extra footage, while only a few minutes, does add something to the ending. I liked it. And Milius' comments about it made me appreciate it even more later. My only complaint might be to wish that the commentary had been extended to the outtakes and deleted scenes. I would have liked to hear more about the deleted King Osric scene and how it was originally intended to fit in the movie. Finally, the documentary "Conan Unchained" was a pleasant surprise. I expected the usual 15 minute "making of" promo dating back to the original release but it is a beefy, informative(and amusing)featurette with many recently filmed interviews with cast and crew. A fan's wish come true. And speaking of wishes, that exchange between John Milius and Arnold about getting together sometime to make a third Conan....YES! Let's get Conan on that throne! Anyway, while we're waiting, we can all watch this one till the sun comes up like I did last night.

Rating:
Summary: Still an enthralling experience
Review: This is one of those movies you can see 20 years from now and still be mesmerized. The score itself is enough to bring you into Conan's realm and keep you under its spell. I didn't see any detractors in the film (I didn't think the snake was THAT bad). The only minor criticism is the opening monologue by Subotai. It was downright silly and had me laughing a bit. However, it succeeded in transitioning me into Conan's world and set up the story rather nicely.

One criticism with the DVD edition: I didn't understand what some of the deleted scenes were about. There needed to be an accompanying explanation/narrative to them. But, overall, this film is definitely worth owning on DVD. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: This Movie Is Not That Great
Review: After reading many of the reviews, I find it difficult to fathom why so many people love this movie. Even more perplexing is the fact that many of the reviewers are familiar with Robert E. Howard's character. The character in this movie is NOT Robert E. Howard's Conan. How can these so called 'Conan fans' honestly say they love this movie and, at the same time, admire REH's creation? It's truly a mystery. Robert E. Howard's writings have inspired me for a long time. When this movie first hit the screen, I was elated. My elation faded, however, once I viewed the film. Conan resorting to booby traps, as opposed to using his sword? Ridiculous! Conan lying wounded at the feet of his enemy crying, 'You killed my mother, my father, my people..' Where in the hell did that come from?! Conan standing before a king acting like a little kid who just did something bad? Now, that's funny. Oh, and we mustn't forget the dialogue - Girl: 'What do you see?' Conan: 'Uh, eternity.'

Oh, and what about this extravagant wordplay:

'Your not a guard.'

'Neither are you.'

'Do you know what horrors lie behind these walls?'

'No.'

'Then you go first.'

Compare this tripe to the explosive vitality in REH's dialogue and you will fully understand why this movie makes a mockery of Conan and his creator. Yes, the music is good. Yes, the weapons, armor and scenery are cool. Too, the fight scenes are bloodly and violent, but to truly see the light, a true Conan fan looks beyond the surface. Besides depicting a sorry excuse for REH's Conan, I have many problems with this movie. Who in the hell was that wizard? I think he was placed in the cast for comic relief only. What was that thing Conan pushed around and around until he got huge? I mean, what the hell was it? Did it have a purpose? How come the director didn't show our heroes landing in the water when they leaped out of the tower? As viewers, we are just left in mid-air. How does a fortress made entirely of stone become a raging inferno caused by a bowl full of coals? Say, didn't we see a similiar ending in 'Apocalypse Now?' This movie, in my opinion, is overrated. Obviously, it has something - otherwise it wouldn't receive such rave reviews. I like it; I think it entertaining, but, if given a choice, I'll spend two hours reading a Robert E. Howard yarn. Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Collectors Edition would please the Gods (maybe not Crom)
Review: Perhaps the most entertaining addition for this revised release is the optional running audio commentary by John Milius and Arnold himself. Including the revelation at the end (by both) that they desire to revisit Conan in a 3rd movie. That would be grand adventure for sure! The making of featurette is also quite interesting with updated interviews with all the major co-stars. On the critical side, while the video quality of this release is somewhat improved over the extremely grainy original DVD release, the audio is not improved at all. It's truly a crime that Basil Poledouris' amazing score is limited to dual-channel mono not to mention the lack of thunderous and bone crunching sounds to support the live action battle scenes. The revised ending and voice over adds an additional level of warmth that the original release lacks. Also notable is a newly added scene where Conan reflects on his last memories of happiness, some 20 years past during his youth. before it was blown away like the autumn wind. It also seems to offer proof that Jerry Lopez's own voice was replaced in the movie since his voice is quite different (his own) in that scene. Conan will have to be visually restored and digitally remastered in AC-3 encoding (5.1 Surround) the earn the 5th star in my opinion, but this is well worth the price, especially if you own the original DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Bogus Collector's Edition not worth buying
Review: I love the move and couldn't wait for my copy of the collector's edition to arrive.

What a fizzer!

The sound is dreadful and the copy was almost totally unplayable in my best player.

Quality is what collectors are after not just the words "Collector's Edition" and a few cutting room scraps. If it can't be delivered then it shouldn't be foisted on an unsuspecting public.

Don't be fooled and don't buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Conan gets the treatment!
Review: Because DVDs are so expensive I don't buy too many of them. But for war movies and Sci-Fi... it's the only way to go. CONAN the BARBARIAN (collector's ed) is a perfect example of why: Widescreen- You would be surprised just how much happens on the sides. The special effects- yes they are dated, but who doesn't love that cheesy snake? Deleted scenes- Excellent stuff. I don't think I picked up on all of it though. commentary and The making of Conan- Very entertaining and insightful. What really weirded me out was the fact that nearly everyone in cast & crew had NEVER HEARD of CONAN until they made the movie!

In my opinion, CtB is one of the top fantasy flicks of all time. Those who love this movie- REALLY love this movie... and this collector's DVD loves them right back! Despite the snake, the movie as a whole isn't really that dated, so I would still recommend it quite highly to any new fan of Sword & Sorcery (particularly the guys). And even if you've seen the movie a dozen times, there are more than enough special features in this collector's dvd to warrant your investigation.

Rating:
Summary: Very, very nice, except for the 2.0 mono
Review: First, this review's about the DVD COLLECTOR'S EDITION of Conan the Barbarian. I'll start with the cons. First: what complete idiot decided that this movie could do with 2.0 mono?!?!?!? One of the greatest movie scores ever (by Basil Pouledouris) should have gotten the dolby 5.1 treatment that it deserves. The only reason I can imagine: the original tapes are lost; why else put out a mono collector's edition? The only remedy: turn the volume way up there and get a glimpse of what it should have been like. Don't let the 2.0 mono scare you off too easily, it's still a great experience (still frustrating as well, though.....). Second: only a couple of errors in the picture, hardly noticeable and only irritant for perfectionists. Third: the other extras are nice, but it's a pity that you have to fast-forward from one deleted scene to the other. Not too big a minus; the scenes aren't that special anyway.

Then the reasons why this DVD edition still is a MUST HAVE for the fans:

First: the new, 52 minute making of documentary. A+ for this one, this is what makes a great DVD. Second: the feature commentary with director John Milius and Arnie. Hear Milius checking out every actress in the movie and Arnie shyly and abruptly trying to change the subject when it comes to the love scenes. Hilarious!!

So, in conclusion: if you're a fan of the movie, the comic book, Arnie and to a lesser extend the books you HAVE TO get this one. Also recommended to every fan of sword and sorcery, fantasy, action and medieval movies - this is one of the best! Five stars for the movie, 4 for the DVD.