Conan the Barbarian: 2-Disc Standard Special Edition - 4K Ultra HD [4K UHD]

This release is how movies should be release. Various packaging, but the same disc content across all package variants. For a movie this old, this movie has no business looking this good. The movie looked as if it was shot on film yesterday. This is a new restoration from the original 35mm camera negative, presented in native 4K. Picture is obviously awesome, it comes in Dolby Vision, HDR, Dolby Atmos, 7.1 and also includes a restored original mono track (DTS-HD MA 1.0). On my 5.1 the audio is good. Where this release stands out, is the amount of special features. Sure, many of them was on the Blu-Ray Disc and possible even the DVD, however there is enough decent and pretty in depth. Arrow Video really did an amazing job of this title. Plus there’s three versions of this movie on the 4K disc.

Conan the Barbarian is one of those films that you enjoy the first time, relish the second time and then, by the third viewing and beyond, you have come to simply adore. This is a film that delights in its own storytelling, and displays surprising gravitas in exploring Conan's development as a character. The film was (well) financed by the company that typically pumped out those entertaining but vaguely embarrassing Greek legends films or Sinbad seafaring yarns, and is of astonishing quality particularly considering the company it keeps. You have high quality actors (including Arnold, whose mangling of the English language seems a perfect fit for the stoic titular hero/anti-hero), lavish sets, humor, and mayhem. The bodycount is high but never simply for show..even the primary henchmen put up a real fight instead of just slowing down the hero a little before he catches up with the villian. And what a villian! James Earl Jones in, and I'm being completely serious here, one of his finest roles as Thulsa Doom, charismatic archpriest of the snake god Set, whose disdain for physical combat aside from a brief bit at the intro actually adds to his presence and menace rather than detracting from it. A great musical score keeps the action hopping along, and the swordfights and battles are brawls rather than mincing fencing matches. I'm not writing simply to give my personal take on the film itself, however. I've owned the Collector's Edition for some time now, but it wasn't until I viewed it with the Commentary running that I felt the need to write a review. The commentary, placed over a muted showing of the film, is a discussion between Arnold and the director as the film takes place. It is a gem to listen to. Both (Arnold too!) are insightful and witty, and while it is clear Arnold hasn't watched the film in some time, his surprised reaction to parts of it is hilarious ("Boy, I sure get laid a lot in this movie!"). It's like an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with Arnold and the director sitting beside you with a tub of popcorn chatting about the film. Everything from casting to the film's location in Spain right where Hemingway visited and based For Whom the Bell Tolls to Arnold nearly cracking his skull when the camel he's on lumbers up against one of the raised beach platforms to the wonderful marble concubine chamber actually being placed in a freezing trucking garage is discussed. This commentary, coupled with film outtakes, makes this a DVD you simply must have unless you truly hated the film. One outtake is the director's cameo as the vendor selling the infamous iguanas-on-a-stick, and another is that of Arnold being chased by the wolves/dogs just as he escapes his bondage for the first time. In the outtake, Arnold doesn't manage to make it up onto the rocks in time, and is savaged off-camera by the dogs: *lots of barking and snarling* [thick austrian accent]: "Ow, God dahmn it!" And, of course, in the film the next scene is Conan wearing a suit made of wolfskins. No stuntmen on that one, folks. We're also treated to the long and gruesome murder of the king by his own troops at the behest of Thulsa Doom (a side plot that occurred in the original Conan short stories). These DVD extras alone are worth the price of the whole DVD and I highly recommend checking them out. Tantalizingly, right at the end of the commentary, we hear the following teaser: Arnold: That was great. Now that we'ved watched it, now you know we have to make a third one. The director agrees, and so do I.

When I was a kid I saw this movie for the first time after begging my parents to let me watch it. They were horrified, and I was ecstatic. This has been my favorite movie for as far back as I can remember and it still holds up against all of today's advancements in movie making. After watching this special edition with the additional scenes, I like it even more. After watching all the extra's on the disc, and watching the movie with the commentary, I think I understand now why this movie does not age like so many others of it's time. Almost everything in this movie, was filmed for real. There were almost no special effects (aside from a short scene where the demons try to take Conan, which does look dated) and virtually everything that was filmed was filmed for real. By this I mean they were using steel swords and actually swordfighting (Sandhal got her finger cut off in one of the fights, and she accidentally slit a guys throat in another - they both recovered) they were also actually in the middle east filming. It took them five years to make this movie, because they actually took the time and effort to do everything in such a way that it appeared real. It wasn't filmed in hollywood in some cheesy 80's set like most other movies of the time. There was also a lot of focus on the human element of the story, and the majority of the movie was just character development, the plot seemed to be based around the development of the characters, instead of the other way around. In the end, this movie turned out to be one of the greatest movies ever filmed in my opinion, and because of how real they kept the filming, I don't think it will ever loose it's luster. I hope when they finally transfer this to Blu-Ray, they don't do anything stupid like take away anything that was included in this version of the film. Update: The blu-ray version took away stuff that was included in the extended release. The ending was pretty much exactly the same as the extended version, which I hear a lot of people complaining about even though it actually fills out the story and explains not only what happened to the princess, but also how Conan managed to infiltrate the citadel. Unfortunately it is excluding the scene with Conan and Subotai having dialogue before the big finale battle, and the few small scenes that were extended in the earlier parts of the movie. So it's basically the theatrical release, with the extended ending. The blu-ray transfer itself is pretty good looking, with only a few dark scenes still grainy which seems pretty normal for older movies being remastered to HD. Being that this is my all time favorite movie, I don't mind owning two versions of it.

Super-Film. Sound gut, Bild sehr gut. Zu dem Film braucht man ja nichts zu sagen: solche Filme werden heutzutage nicht mehr gedreht, leider. Ein Lob auf John Milius! Übrigens hatte ich vorher schon eine US-DVD... aber hier sind Szenen drauf die nicht auf der US-DVD waren... also uncut. Diese Rezension bezieht sich auf die UK-Bluray-Version. Die beiden nächsten Teile von Conan vergesse ich mal, das war für Kids (Conan 2, Red Sonja).

Excellent film

すべてのヒーロー好きの方やファンタジー好きの方にお奨めの一本。若き日のシユワが美しくかっこいい。格闘家の船木誠勝氏がこの映画の大フアンであるのは有名である。

The french release blu ray. Doubled up with the Destroyer. Don't bother, no really, with the cut and tampered variations, there are so many irritations one might give up the Will to Power. The uk releases thus far have cuts that are far from seamless, with editing that reduces impact and breaks rhythm of the film tempo. Even on the european releases, the bbfc preferred version or whatever mindless drivel, is seen as standard and even that is apparent for the french release... Add to this the dimming down to virtual mute in the mix of the choral elements in various sequences of great import by some hand at the studio wheel for blu ray release. So we have a lessened witch bonk, weaker chorus, horses treated so kindly they ruin the movie, camels left unharmed and so forth. Put the french blu ray in a region 2 player you see the watered down cut, or, Crom forbid, tell your region 2 player you are less than european, and lo with even the uk release they say, you may access the international cut in it's uncut form. If there was a flaw here, it might be the lack of having access to the usa version which has differing narrator weight and a slightly different end text amongst many other swifter less mythic movements. Interesting variances which might one day sit in a grand double Thulsa Doom twin serpent edition that puts every conan related aspect together for the fans. Though im sure the god of copyright has no wish to see come to pass so easily. As it is, seeing the international variant with very good picture and choice of 5.1HD or mono original sound, makes this worthy. Add to that the extras are not simply repeats of the dvd that house that same cut. Some of the interviews really put the monster in context. And yes that includes the austrian Frazetta rendering of Schwarz. Seek out the unharmed version, do not be satisfied with a moderately ok or weak kneed print. The french one is not perfect, but it has grain and it feels hefty. And importantly that wagnerian score, one of the finest of the genre, really has a whack like a barbarian surprised by a camel.

Of the many genres of film that have come (and in some cases gone) over the years, few (with the possible exception of the Western) force you to sift through quite so many awful films to reach the few treasures as the 'Sword and Sorcery' genre. Up until the Lord of the Rings trilogy, many a far-fetched, un-thought-out plot was strung together with bad acting and poor effects and thrust upon fans of such films. Conan the Barbarian is almost certainly the best of the Sword and Sorcery genre, and whilst that is akin to being the best bobsledder in Jamaica, it is nonetheless an excellent - if flawed in some ways - film. It plots the early rise of Conan; orphaned at a young age when a tribe of warriors slaughter all the adults of his peaceful village and take the children into slavery, Conan, against all odds grows up to be immensely strong. Little more than an animal, he fights in the pits for his master and soon develops into a formidable combatant. Once finally free, he becomes a thief but always is determined to seek revenge for the murder of his parents. There are many blazing battles, spectacular visuals and a few excellent lines of dialogue. The true success of the film lies in the fact that it understands its weaknesses. For example, the plot can almost slow to a crawl in places as the plot is lacking in details at points. To combat this, the narration deliberately gives the film an air of mythology, as though an old legend, passed from father to son has lost much detail through the ages resulting in the film still being captivating. Likewise, another fault is Arnold Schwarzenegger who, at that point, was not long an immigrant to the USA and still spoke English with a heavy accent. His dialogue is less frequent but punctuated with thundering one liners such as: 'You killed my mother, you killed my father...YOU TOOK MY FATHER'S SWORD'. And Conan's prayer to Grom on the hilltop makes up for its simplicity with a forceful delivery that ranks it up with any monologue you are likely to see. There are other highlights such as a typically menacing performance from James Earl Jones and a thundering soundtrack that all make for a very enjoyable film and a cult classic. I say cult classic not because it is not a good film but because it is such heavy viewing that you will have to appreciate (not necessarily love) the genre to love this film. Conan the Barbarian is among Arnie's best films, bettered only by the two Terminator movies and maybe one or two others. A short note about the release of the film: It differs from the UK VHS release of the 1980s in some small details that are barely noticeable...until the end. The old UK VHS version, Thulsa Doom delivers one of the most frightening sermons in film history to full effect before being interrupted and then murdered by Conan. In this release, Conan is seen sneaking in with the daughter of King Osric and the sermon can only be heard in the background to considerably lessened effect. The final sequences also change the emphasis placed by the music with the VHS release again proving superior. Nonetheless, it is a classic, a great film that works around its faults very well and is definitely worth a look.