It took the better part of 30 years, but in 2011, we finally got a new Conan movie! Conan the Barbarina from 2011 is not a sequel, but a reimagining of the classic Conan series. At the time, I was thrilled about this! To me the two 80s Conan movies are classics and there was no need for a sequel without Arnold Schwarzenegger so going this reboot/reimagining route was the right decision.
How to Download Conan the Barbarian (2011)
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you want to watch the two first movies, read out reviews of Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer.
The Movie Review
Now if we heard that there was a Conan the Barbarian movie coming and that Jason Momoa was going to be Conan it would seem like such a natural fit. However, in 2010 when this movie was being made, Jason Momoa was not the household name action star that he is now. Still, he had the look and I thought he was a good fit for the character.
Mixed Reception and 3D Effects
Look, Conan the Barbarian 2011 is fine, it is not great, but it is not bad either, I do prefer it to the Clash of the Titans reboot we got in 2010 so it has that going for it. Yet, like Clash of the Titans from 2010, Conan the Barbarian has unnecessary 3D! This was released at a time when 3D was completely forced into many movies and I think even now scenes that were made with 3D in mind can stick out like a sore thumb or look terrible when 3D was added as an afterthought.
The Revenge Plot
At its core, this is an action fantasy movie. Conan had his family and tribe killed by the warlord Khalar Zym who is played by the rather intense Stephen Lang. Conan’s village, family, and all the others are slaughtered by Zym and his troops. I actually think the intro is really well done and does a good job paying homage to the 1982 Conan the Barbarian movie.
Zym’s Quest for Immortality
This slaughter was not just a mindless act. Zym has been hunting for the pieces of The Mask of Acheron which when put back together will bring his dead witch wife back to life. Zym has an army at his disposal, but he also has a daughter, a witch called Marique who is played by Rose McGowan. It is such a shame that Rose McGowan did not get to do more action movies like this and Planet Terror.
Conan’s Quest for Vengeance
Anyway, once Conan is all grown, he is now some kind of pirate and he is out for revenge on Zym to get vengeance for his family and tribe. Conan like in the past movies, picks up some help along his journey, most notably, Tamara who is part of a bloodline that has extreme significance to the plot.
Conclusion: A Decent Reboot
There is nothing wrong with this Conan the Barbarian reboot, but at the same time, there is nothing all that great about it either. I like the movie, but I do not love it. As a mindless action movie, it is great as it has some epic action scenes that are fun to watch. However, some of the special effects have aged quite poorly and the overall plot feels a bit basic fantasy. At the end of the day, this had a lot to live up to and it is not as bad as some would have you believe.
