7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe. Through the history of mankind, the times that are most recorded in mythology are those of great deeds and fantastic adventures. Such a time was the Hyborean Age and the story of Conan the Barbarian. Cimmerian Conan is captured after his parents' savage murder by raiding Vanir led by Thulsa Doom, head of the malignant snake-cult of Set. Fifteen years' agony, first chained to the Wheel of Pain grinding grain and then enslaved as a Pit Fighter, forge a magnificent body and indomitable spirit. Freed one day by his owner, Conan, with his companions Subotai the Mongol and Valeria, Queen of Thieves, sets forth upon his quest to learn "the riddle of steel" which his father prophesied would confer ultimate power, and to kill his enemy Thulsa Doom.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben DavidsonAction | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Mobile features
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Feeling down? Have three minutes to spare? Click here. Finished? If you felt rage stirring in your gut; if the word "blasphemy" burned your tongue; if you shook your head and scowled at the screen, you may want to reevaluate your unfettered devotion to John Milius' 1982 fantasy classic, Conan the Barbarian. Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot for Conan. I could watch it three times a week and still walk away with a dopey grin on my face. But the key to enjoying Conan -- to truly enjoying Conan -- is to admit that, beneath all the savage swordplay and sorcery, between its geysers of blood and musclebound madness, beyond its disarming first act, it amounts to unabashed genre fun. And, yes, sometimes that fun is of the Big Dumb variety. Admitting as much doesn't make it a lesser film, and conceding that it hasn't aged as well as it could have isn't tantamount to cinematic treason. A quote-unquote classic doesn't need to withstand the test of time to endure the ages, and it doesn't need to be taken so seriously to be savored. So kick back, dear readers. Conan the Barbarian isn't a perfect classic, but it is a whole lotta fun.
"The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle..."
Like the film itself, there's a lot to love about Conan's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Unfortunately, there's a lot to loathe as well. First, the good. It's safe to say Conan the Barbarian has never looked better than it does here. Those who own previous releases of the film can start building DVD funeral pyres now. Shadows seem a tad oppressive and black levels are a bit more overpowering than I anticipated, but it seems in line with Milius' doom-tainted vision and Duke Callaghan's mud-n-blood cinematography. And while several key scenes are subsequently darker, color accuracy, fleshtone saturation, black depth, encode proficiency and fine detailing are also more remarkable. Primaries exhibit raw strength (despite some dullness when the sun peaks or sets), faces are warm and lifelike, the darkness is suitably foreboding (even though its hue is sometimes more akin to charcoal), anomalies like artifacting and banding aren't a factor, object definition is relatively sharp (more on that in a minute), and fine textures are naturally resolved... for the most part. Which brings us to the transfer's issues. Although many a closeup and midrange shot is quite impressive, others simply don't fare as well. Some of the shortcomings trace back to softness inherent to the original photography -- that much I can forgive -- but some trace back to digital manipulation via arguably judicious, thankfully intermittent noise reduction. Minor to mild edge halos are also a distraction; one that caught my eye here and there throughout the film (wherever heavier edge enhancement had been utilized). Other oddities surface too. Grain, though refined on the whole, sometimes grows thick and soupy; nicks and scratches, while minor, nevertheless creep into the image; and contrast isn't entirely consistent or stable. Even so, Conan the Barbarian survives the worst of it. In fact, I suspect some will award it a more favorable video score than I have. If it weren't for the obvious mishaps, I probably would have smiled, nodded and called it a higher scoring day.
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isn't hindered by anything other than the age of its elements. Dialogue is clean, clear and well-prioritized on the whole (despite the fact that some lines are a bit shrill and others are muffled) and sound effects exhibit welcome strength and presence (likewise, despite some prevailing tinniness). The rear speakers are certainly active, boisterous even at times, and help craft an unexpectedly immersive experience. Basil Poledouris' original score follows suit, filling the stage with deep, earthy music that extends back and across the soundfield with startling ease and power. Not all of the orchestration is as crisp or precise as modern filmfans are used to, but for an early '80s production, the bellowing horn flurries and beating war drums that invade the soundscape are mercilessly precise. The LFE channel is up to the task as well, imbuing splitting stones, rumbling earth, cracking thunder, surging storms and the roar of battle with enough ferocity to draw in anyone in earshot. Dynamics are dependent on the now-thirty-year old source and falter accordingly, and directionality isn't exactly awe-inspiring (or prevalent, really). But fans of Milius' Conan the Barbarian will be most pleased with the end result.
The Blu-ray edition of Conan the Barbarian only features a single cut of the film -- Milius' 129-minute version -- and very little in the way of new supplemental content. There are two exclusives to be had, but only the most devoted fans will be the least bit excited once they actually dig into each one. Seeing as Conan's extended cut and its oft-discussed but long-lost scenes are MIA, those hoping for a more exhaustive, more definitive high definition release will have to continue waiting.
With Marcus Nispel's reboot/reimagining/revamp of the same name storming theaters in August, there's no time like the present to reacquaint yourself with (or introduce yourself to) John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger's stab Robert E. Howard's iconic swordsman. No, Milius' Conan the Barbarian isn't a faithful adaptation and, no, it isn't impervious to the passage of time, it's still -- say it with me -- a whole lotta fun. If nothing else, it stands as one of the few swords-n-sorcery fantasy films of the '80s you can watch (and even enjoy) without issuing an apology to anyone who catches you in the act. So is Universal's Blu-ray release up to snuff? Not quite. While its DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds great, its video transfer has a few issues and its supplemental package leaves a lot to be desired. Be that as it may, Conan fans shouldn't hesitate to add it to their carts, especially at such a reasonable pricepoint. Its presentation may not be ideal, but it still beats its DVD counterpart to a pulp and stands, issues or no, as the best release of the film to date.
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