Conan kicking some Pict butt! (clip)

[Omar B]

Just came across this new red band clip for the upcoming Conan The Barbarian. It's a clip of young Conan laying down epic amounts of punishment on some Picts. NSFW because of violence.

So far I am so excited about this movie I could burst. I read the novelization earlier this week (Sunday) and it seems to use a REH base but includes elements from Carter, DeCamp, Jordan (mostly in the writing style) and the comics. Story-wise, it doesn't seem bad, though it suffers the same pitfall the last Conan movies did. The Cimmerians were never defeated but they seem to use it as a reason for Conan to step out into the wider world. Just the thought of the Cimmerians being beaten by anyone is silly, they stopped the entire Aquilonian (Roman) army at Venarium when Conan was 15 where his legend started. Conan leaves his village because of the stories from his Southern Grandfather who tells him tales of the outside world and fills the boy with wanderlust.

 

[MaxiMe]

nice kick to the head. I think I'll watch this one w/o the kiddo.

Remember Pillage first..then burn

 

[billc]

It would be nice if they followed your advice on the beginning of the story Omar B. I am not sure there needs to be a lot of back story to Conan to make him interesting. The siege of venarium would be a great line for him to speak without having to actually show it, if you know what I mean. the whole, his village was enslaved thing is weak. I felt the same way about the latest Star Trek movie. Why couldn't Captain Kirk have just wanted to be a star fleet officer, why did he have to be the bad boy living down his dad's reputation. I like the fight in this clip, the only thing that was a bit odd was the squish sound when guys were hit. It sounded a little odd.

 

[Omar B]

It would be nice if they followed your advice on the beginning of the story Omar B. I am not sure there needs to be a lot of back story to Conan to make him interesting. The siege of venarium would be a great line for him to speak without having to actually show it, if you know what I mean. the whole, his village was enslaved thing is weak. I felt the same way about the latest Star Trek movie. Why couldn't Captain Kirk have just wanted to be a star fleet officer, why did he have to be the bad boy living down his dad's reputation. I like the fight in this clip, the only thing that was a bit odd was the squish sound when guys were hit. It sounded a little odd.

REH stated many times that the Cimmerians were never defeated nor did they ever bend the knee to any king. Aquilonians tried to get a foothold in the north but then Venarium happened. The guys who made the first movie Milius and Stone said they wanted to make a Viking movie and we got it. They assumed that because REH never had Conan interact with the people of his home village after he left that they must all be dead ... or assumes the audience would take that as reason why they are not seen again. Yet when Conan is king of Aquilonia Cimmerians visit him ail the time, even people from his village.

But that's neither here nor there. Aside from the clunky start it seems to pick up in the middle of Conan's career at the height of his powers. I assume the sequel will fare much better not having the burden of an "origin."

By the way, can I tell you guys how much I hate origin stories? We should learn about a character from his actions, there is no better way to learn who he is than that. We never got an origin for Indiana Jones (till much later), James Bond (don't say CR, in the book he was already a 00, the first story doesn't make it an origin), Han Solo (though the later trilogy of books by AC Crispin was spectacular), every Bruce Lee character, one could go on about heroes that show up, kick butt and then the book or movie ends.

I'm a fan of just dumping you right into the story. Why not start with Conan on a ship about to raid some village, or being sent on some Merc mission?