While a little too long and a little too simplistic in the storytelling, there is a lot that makes Conan the Barbarian entertaining. It looks fabulous, with beautiful scenery, sets, costumes and cinematography, while the score is brilliant particularly in the first fifteen minutes. The dialogue is pretty good as is the direction, while the action sequences are top notch and the special effects decent. The pacing is brisk enough, while the acting I had little problem with. Arnold Schawarznegger is great as Conan, while James Earl Jones has fun as Thulsa Doom and Max Von Sydow is good value as King Osric. All in all, while no masterpiece Conan the Barbarian is very entertaining and worth watching at least once. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is it - the big one. The film which spawned twenty or thirty imitations across the world in the following years. The film which gave the fantasy adventure - dormant since the Italians packed in doing their sword and sandal flicks in the mid sixties - new life and a brief resurgence in popularity. Of course, it disappeared as soon as it came, the craze died down and the majority of the films were forgotten, except for cult movie fans to uncover them every now and then and marvel at their "wonders". There were American imitations - CONAN THE DESTROYER (the sequel in which things degenerated into kiddie level),DRAGONSLAYER; British imitations - HAWK THE SLAYER - and most of all, Italian imitations - THOR THE CONQUEROR, HERCULES, ATOR THE FIGHTING EAGLE to name but a few. Few if any of these films capture the same epic beauty as CONAN THE BARBARIAN, which has the benefit of being an intelligent film (scripted by Oliver Stone with a philosophy behind it) instead of the usual dumb fun.

The first thing you notice about this film is the crisp, colourful and breathtaking scenes of deserts, plains, mountains, swamp lands and ancient cities. These were brought to life in the widescreen version I watched and really served to make the film feel real and the world in which it is set an existing place. The wonderful musical score from Basil Poledouris also helps greatly in setting the scene and giving this movie a majestic feel. However, there are a few serious flaws which one has to consider when reviewing this film. Firstly the plot - sometimes it's muddled, sometimes it makes no sense and sometimes it seems to go nowhere. Secondly, the dialogue - especially Arnold's minimal words - is somewhat overstated and ripe, and often unintentionally amusing.

The cast, though, is an interesting one. Leading is that man-mountain, Schwarzenegger, in what was his breakthrough role. Although his acting is limited, I do think he was in the right place at the right time when this was made, and the role, which requires him to look strong and fight hard, is tailor-made for his physique and physical skills. If you're not convinced, remember that he did all of his own stunts as they couldn't find a stunt double the same size as him. Schwarzenegger seems to get better as the running time goes on, his journey in the movie paralleling his on-screen transformation from bemused non-actor at the outset to iconic hero and future star at the end.

Schwarzenegger is supported by the fiery but unmemorable Sandahl Bergman, who would go on to take the leading role in SHE, another bizarre adventure from Italy. Again, Bergman's acting is limited but she's fine in the action scenes. Lopez is good as the Mongol friend, while Mako is suitably weird and makes a wonderful impression as the bald-headed wizard who aids our hero's quest. However, acting honours go to James Earl Jones, who is actually one of the most frightening screen villains in a long time. He achieves much of his screen power simply through his hypnotic eyes and impassive face, and of course that voice which made Darth Vader famous. Look hard and you'll see Max Von Sydow in a small cameo too, as a forlorn king.

From the impressive opening scene - which gives that of GLADIATOR a run for its money - you know that this film is going to be brutal, with the eating of Conan's dad by dogs and the decapitation of his mum. The high violence level is another thing I like about this film, as that and the frequent sex and nudity help to convey life in a cruder, less sophisticated world. Action scenes in which arterial blood sprays everywhere and people's heads are cut off are some of the most visually impressive I've ever seen and enjoyed. And occasionally, John Milius manages to transcend the film's pulp origins. The rescue scene is absolutely sublime thanks to the suspenseful music (thanks to Basil Poledouris for the great score) and the editing.

The special effects are primitive but effective, and in particular I like the massive snake which briefly attacks Arnie in an underground cavern. Another good scene is where animated demons appear to try and take a dying Arnie away and must be batted off by his friends. The transformation of James Earl Jones into a snake is also very creepy and well done. This is a film packed with memorable genre scenes; from the opening montage which charts Conan's progression from a slave to a gladiator to a free man, to the superb ending which seems him finally get his revenge, there are many good bits to watch. These include the robbery of the snake eye crystal from a temple, Conan's entry into an underground tomb of an ancient king and the battle among the standing stones on the desert plain. Highly enjoyable and only mildly flawed, CONAN THE BARBARIAN is a film everybody should see at least once.

As a boy, Conan is taught by his father to admire the power of steel. His village is destroyed by marauders led by Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). Thulsa kills his mother right in front of him. He and the other children are enslaved and sold. Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) grows up to be a gladiator. He is taught battle skills and the art of war. He escapes and finds a sword in a king's tomb. He saves thief Subotai (Gerry Lopez). In a city, they follow the snake symbol to a serpent tower where they join fellow thief Valeria (Sandahl Bergman). They kill the giant snake and steal the jewels. King Osric (Max Von Sydow) recruits the three thieves to rescue his daughter who had fallen under the spell of cult leader Thulsa. Conan goes off on his own and meets Wizard (Mako) on the way.

This is the perfect role for Arnold. He's not asked to do too much acting. His persona fits this character perfectly. The only drawback is the lack of better actors in some of the other roles. It also lacks humor to lighten the mood although it works quite well taking the material exceedingly seriously. It accepts the material on its face value.