Conan the Barbarian

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Conan the Barbarian

R

Released May 14, 1982

2h 9m

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

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42 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), and is compelled to push "The Wheel of Pain" for many years. Once he reaches adulthood, Conan sets off across the prehistoric landscape of the Hyborian Age in search of the man who killed his family and stole his father's sword. With beautiful warrior Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) and archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez), he faces a supernatural evil.

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Critics Consensus

Though Conan may take itself too seriously for some, this adventure film about a former slave seeking vengeance is full of quotable Schwarzenegger lines and gritty action.

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Scott Cain

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A dynamite movie for comic book fans... The moment Thulsa Doom turns into a snake will either thrill you or make you squirm, but you will watch in fascination.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 9, 2021

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Variety Staff

Variety

There is a real anticipation as Schwarzenegger is unveiled as the barbarian and sets off on the road to independence. But for whatever reasons, the actor has a minimum of dialog and fails to convey much about the character through his actions.

Mar 26, 2009

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Chris Petit

Time Out

Match verdict: no goals, slow build-up, but much absorbing action off the ball.

Jun 24, 2006

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

In many ways silly and strident, it’s still marvelous barbarian pulp, a beefcake fantasy of myth and magic built from grandiose sets, a magnificent score (one of the best from composer Basil Poledouris) and endless he-man matches of blood and brawn.

Aug 19, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Instead of placating his audience with a safe, PG-rated adventure, Milius does the opposite and narrows his viewership with an R-rated epic driven by some heady ideas and a concentration on narrative over adventurous derring-do.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 9, 2023

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Phil Edwards

Starburst

Conan is terrible, a truly disappointing movie from beginning to end.

Jul 28, 2022

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thiago s

Filme legalzinho, o roteiro é bacaninha, gostei do arnold como bárbaro e gostei da cena dela ter matado um cobra gigante, e também da cena que o conan e seus amigos invadindo o local do vilão e matou todos os guardas, e outras cenas de ação boas, a história do filme não é interessante, mas as cenas de ação são muito boas e melhoram muito o filme, com tudo isso, eu recomendo esse filme.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/26/25

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Dave C

What's wrong with it? The hairdos; runtime (an hour too long); the repetitive and often superfluous 'fight' scenes. It is a homoerotic epic that survives in spite of its atrocious script, and having been built around AS who, let's be honest, cannot act. The premise is actually pretty good, and the settings and costumes work well. I think it is its cult appeal that gave it air

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/10/25

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Brent A

10% rating ... Awful film. The storyline felt bland. Character development lacked. Acting was awful. Dialogue was worse.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

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Ann L

Gory, campy, and a great soundtrack which set the template for 80s R rated fantasy. Makes me nostalgic for when movies used to be fun.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

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Steve F

Best Father / Son moment in the history of cinema at the very beginning of the film!!! A movie with a simple premise, revenge and redemption! I honestly think this is one of the BEST movies of the 1980's. A CLASSIC!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/21/24

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Cathy B

Good, deep film with action , watching Conan seeing him his mother beheaded, then seeking revenge as he grows into a strong man, then falls in love with a warrior Woman just like him, The Next Film is more tame than this one Conan The Destroyer.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

Full Review

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John Milius

Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Conan

James Earl Jones

Thulsa Doom

Sandahl Bergman

Valeria

Gerry Lopez

Subotai

Mako

The Wizard

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Synopsis

Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), and is compelled to push "The Wheel of Pain" for many years. Once he reaches adulthood, Conan sets off across the prehistoric landscape of the Hyborian Age in search of the man who killed his family and stole his father's sword. With beautiful warrior Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) and archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez), he faces a supernatural evil.

Director: John Milius
Producer: Raffaella De Laurentiis, Buzz Feitshans, Edward R. Pressman
Screenwriter: Robert E. Howard, John Milius, Oliver Stone, Edward Summer
Distributor: MCA, Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 14, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2015
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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