Conan The Barbarian: Sword, Sorcery, and very old-fashioned fantasy … !

Quiet nights in, eh … ?

Where WOULD we be without them … ?

Actually, more to the point, where would we be, without something to watch on a quiet night in … ?

Personally … ?

Well, faced with a quiet night in and nothing on TV … ?

I’m just glad I had a copy the 2011 version of Conan The Barbarian.

And — and this is where I know Kevin D will disagree, as I’ve already quietly asked him about it — I’m personally thinking that Jason Momoa, cast as the eponymous barbarian for this version of the R. E. Howard*’s hero, was and is absolutely spot on … !

««†»»

Conan The Barbarian sees Jason Momoa as Conan: and following the character from his birth — during a raid on his village — and as he grows.

However, during a later raid — lead by Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang), who is hunting the pieces of an ancient magical object called the Mask of Acheron: something that will allow he and his daughter to revive his dead wife, AND give him absolute power — Conan is left as the only survivor.

Conan is — understandably — upset, and swears revenge on the man who killed the remains of his family.

And many years later … ?

Happens to come across one of the raiders …

««†»»

Now, I’ve GOT to admit, I definitely enjoyed this take of R. E. Howard’s hero.

For me, it managed to capture the look and feel of the man in a far more satisfying way than the somewhat humourless 1982 version, with Arnold Schwarzenegger: a film I know I’ve never been quite able to sit through, completely.

Given that, and the feel of this cut … ?

Well …

Conan The Barbarian

★★★☆

* There’s an old gag about a time when ‘… men were real men, women were real women, and hideous things from BEYOND humanity’s darkest imaginings were REAL hideous things from BEYOND humanity’s darkest imaginings.’ R. E. Howard took it seriously …