Conan the Barbarian | Rotten Tomatoes

Conan the Barbarian

R

Released May 14, 1982

2 hr. 9 min.

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

List

67%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), and is compelled to push "The Wheel of Pain" for many years. Once he reaches adulthood, Conan sets off across the prehistoric landscape of the Hyborian Age in search of the man who killed his family and stole his father's sword. With beautiful warrior Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) and archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez), he faces a supernatural evil.

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Critics Consensus

Though Conan may take itself too seriously for some, this adventure film about a former slave seeking vengeance is full of quotable Schwarzenegger lines and gritty action.

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Joe S

This is bloody and brutal. I'm glad it was released before all the CGI madness. This movie is dark and brooding.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/06/24

Full Review

Howard H

Brutal and beautiful...Scott, Jackson and the Game of Thrones lads learnt from this. Story as from a book, layerd out for viewing pleasure...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

Full Review

Barnabas C

Probably the best fantasy movie before Lord of the Rings

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/23

Full Review

Daniel M

Having never seen it before I chose to finally watch it. It didn't grab me as I expected, this genre just isn't for me too much. Arnold was a beast in it though and cool to watch.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

Full Review

Nathan R

One of my favorite movies from childhood... I'm actually watching it again right now. A classic 80s sword and sorcery flick, it follows the basic gist of the character from the novels and comics pretty well. Arnold's acting is gloriously cheesy. As much as I love the movie, reading the other reviews is almost as fun... I would guess that all of the negative reviews are coming from folks born around 2000, who don't understand the genre (with at least one reviewing the wrong film). Good stuff, good stuff.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the greatest films ever made. A constant staple in my 80’s childhood that continues through today. Though limited in acting ability, Schwarzenegger shines in this sword & sorcery revenge tale. All actors play their positions well and the story, while slow at times, remains interesting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/10/23

Full Review

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John Milius

Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Conan

James Earl Jones

Thulsa Doom

Sandahl Bergman

Valeria

Gerry Lopez

Subotai

Mako

The Wizard

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Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Conan the Gladiator

2:53

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Knocking Out a Camel

3:00

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Beheading Thulsa Doom

2:57

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - To Hell With You!

2:06

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Battle On the Ruins

2:40

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Crucifixion

3:00

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Resurrection

2:51

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - Crazy Witch Sex

3:00

Conan the Barbarian: Official Clip - A Village Massacre

2:57

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Conan the Barbarian

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49%

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Scott Cain

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A dynamite movie for comic book fans... The moment Thulsa Doom turns into a snake will either thrill you or make you squirm, but you will watch in fascination.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 9, 2021

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

There is a real anticipation as Schwarzenegger is unveiled as the barbarian and sets off on the road to independence. But for whatever reasons, the actor has a minimum of dialog and fails to convey much about the character through his actions.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Chris Petit

Time Out

Match verdict: no goals, slow build-up, but much absorbing action off the ball.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

In many ways silly and strident, it’s still marvelous barbarian pulp, a beefcake fantasy of myth and magic built from grandiose sets, a magnificent score (one of the best from composer Basil Poledouris) and endless he-man matches of blood and brawn.

Aug 19, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Instead of placating his audience with a safe, PG-rated adventure, Milius does the opposite and narrows his viewership with an R-rated epic driven by some heady ideas and a concentration on narrative over adventurous derring-do.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 9, 2023

Full Review

Phil Edwards

Starburst

Conan is terrible, a truly disappointing movie from beginning to end.

Jul 28, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), and is compelled to push "The Wheel of Pain" for many years. Once he reaches adulthood, Conan sets off across the prehistoric landscape of the Hyborian Age in search of the man who killed his family and stole his father's sword. With beautiful warrior Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) and archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez), he faces a supernatural evil.

Director: John Milius
Executive Producer: D. Constantine Conte, Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter: Robert E. Howard, John Milius, Oliver Stone, Edward Summer
Distributor: MCA, Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 14, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2015
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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