Conan the Barbarian

Initial and subsequent reviews have consistently panned the 2011 release of Conan the Barbarian. As such, I avoided the movie at all costs. In fact, every movie whose title character resembled the Conan portrayed by Jason Momoa was an instant turn-off (sorry John Carter). Finally, curiosity overcame my resolve and I watched the film for myself.

First thing to note: although it is clear that this film had a good budget, do not expect too much of it. No Oscars here. After you discard all notions of an epic film experience (hopefully before you begin watching the film) you will be prepared to enjoy the movie for what it is.

Momoa plays the title character. Before we meet him we get the story of the child who is "battle-born" and brought into the world in the midst of tribal warring. The young Conan is played with harrowing ferocity by Leo Howard. It is through the will and determination of the barbarian child in this story that I found sympathy for the film. A good backstory set the pace and the motivation for the rest of the film, as I think it does for Conan the Barbarian.

The adult Conan is far less charming than I would have hoped. He is clearly modeled after the 1982 Conan the Barbarian character. The physique and appearance are the same but the charisma of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his classic role. Once the charisma is overlooked Momoa is able to redeem the story with his sheer dedication to the role. This is a classic barbarian tale and Momoa ultimately plays the part well.

The story is typical for this type of film: the barbarian seeks revenge against an evil warlord who is empowered by a witch. In this case, the warlord is played by Stephen Lang, who is able to portray the evil character with a motivation and complexity that many villains are lacking. Lang's Khalar Zym is heartbroken by the death of his wife and consumed with the desire for power - a power he hopes will allow him to resurrect her.

Other noteworthy performances are Ron Pearlman as Conan's father and Rose McGowan as the witch daughter of Zym.

Fanboy verdict: **1/2 stars... If you remember fondly movies like The Beastmaster and the original Conan then you will like this. Fanboy approved for occasional viewing.