Conan The Barbarian (1982)

As the film really responsible for bringing Arnold Schwarzenegger to the attention of the cinema going public, John Milius’s fantasy epic is occasionally overlooked as Arnie’s pre-Terminator leading man gig. However it has more to recommend it than that. Certainly in these post-Lord of the Rings days, it suffers from some cripplingly hackneyed storytelling, while the characters are now stock dungeons and dragons archetypes, but what still sets Milius’s film apart is the fact is was perhaps the first epic sword ’n’ sorcery film which boasted literary pretensions.

Based on the books by Robert E. Howard and adapted by Milius and Oliver Stone, the film boasts an admirably serious screenplay, reeking with portentous dialogue and wordy speeches. It may at times seem a bit much, but in this day and age where fantasy heroes talk in Valley-speak and drop one-liners after putting down each enemy, it is actually immensely refreshing.

In addition to this, the production design is of a suitably epic scale and the special effects are pretty good for its time. Schwarzenegger is fine as he is required to little other than look big and brooding while James Earl Jones is terrific as the serpentine baddie Thulsa Doom (great name). The film is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination – it is too long and perhaps a little too gloomy for its own good. However what remains is a surprisingly solid fantasy epic, which – in managing to steer clear of camp histrionics – remains an enjoyable example of high-class pulp. (VH)