IN DEFENSE OF THE REALM: Conan the Barbarian Movies.

  Let me just start by saying I REALLY LIKE the Arnold Conan movies. I really do, I think they were great even the second one despite being so campy, because even though it wasn't executed properly at least it was getting closer to the source materials. Now I say like then, not love them because I truly adore the works of the writer who created him, Robert E. Howard. The stories he wrote were amazing, this fierce warrior who had been a soldier, a slave, a pirate and a thief slaying his way to his ultimate destiny the throne of Aquilonia.  So when the new Conan the Barbarian movie was announced I was excited...then I saw this:

HOLY SHIT!!! THAT'S FUCKING CONAN!!!!
I was amazed at what I saw. Arnold was a big dude, but thats about as similar to the character from the books as he got. Jason Momoa looked EXACTLY like Conan, He was dark and brooding, He was big but also agile looking this was perfect. I mean compare the two..

Jason Kicks Arnie's ass all day long. Now lets get to the Actual movie. I thought it was incredible, the action was amazing the characters were great and the whole world just felt more like Hyborea then the Arnold movies ever did. Even the support characters felt more like they stepped out of the Robert E Howard books vs the Arnold movies.

The story was top notch,  Conan trying to take revenge on the evil warlord who murdered his father and their people and prevent him from raising a demonic witch queen bride to cover the earth in darkness. Fucking epic. We touch on his life too, as a thief and pirate we see a young Conan coming into his prime. Unfortunately the movie bombed. earning only around 48 million on a budget of 90 million. I guess people just arnt into fantasy movies...but wait a second the Lord of the Rings movies were huge...whats going on here? Well, its seems that the number one complaint around the general public was uniform...its not like the Arnold movies. Fuck me really? This move gets everything right except being like the movies that got most of it wrong. Now despite being set up for what was in my mind going to be one of the best trilogies in film history, the Conan franchise is scheduled to be rebooted again with Arnold once again taking the helm, this time as an aged King Conan. Don't get me wrong Im sure I'll be at King Conan opening night but I cant help but look at the Jason Momoa film and long for what might have been...

 I give the Jason Momoa Conan 3 Aquilonian Crowns. If you haven't seen it you should.