SYNOPSIS:

THIEF. WARRIOR. GLADIATOR. KING.

Ripped from the pages of Robert E. Howard's beloved pulp stories, and brought to the screen by maverick director John Milius, Conan the Barbarian is one of the most beloved fantasy-action adventures in Hollywood history, which not only popularized a new subgenre - the sword-and-sorcery film - but also made a cinematic icon of its star, former bodybuilding sensation Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In an ancient land, young Conan witnesses his family being slaughtered by an evil snake cult ransacking his village. Raised as a slave, the adult Conan (Schwarzenegger) rises up through the fighting pits, becoming an unparalleled and fearsome warrior. Unexpectedly freed, Conan and his companions - two fighters, Subotai (Gerry Lopez) and Valeria (Sandahl Bergman), as well as a Wizard (Mako) - are enlisted by King Osric (Max von Sydow) to free his daughter from the hypnotic clutches of the same cult that murdered Conan's family long ago, led by the shape-shifting sorcerer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones).

Crom has commanded it: at long last, Milius' glorious ode to the days of high adventure (co-written by Oliver Stone) has been restored in glorious 4K with hours of bonus features and a heart-racing Atmos remix that immerses you in the action, accompanied throughout by an electrifying, career-best score by the late Basil Poledouris (RoboCop). If you do not listen... then to hell with you!

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THE RT SCORES:

Conan the Barbarian has the following scores: 

• Audience Score: 74%

• Critical Score: 67%

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REASONS TO WATCH: 

"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." - Deep Focus Reviews

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"A classic tale is told through fascinating visuals, cheesy characters and good old fashioned muscle-bound strength." - IGN DVD

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"Balls-to-the-wall swordplay flicks don't get much better than this" - New Times

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THE BONUS FEATURES:​​

• Double-sided fold-out poster

• Six double-sided collectors' postcards

• Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Walter Chaw and John Walsh, and an archive set report by Paul M. Sammon

• Archive feature commentary by director John Milius and star Arnold Schwarzenegger (Extended Cut only)

• Brand new feature commentary by genre historian Paul M. Sammon, author of Conan: The Phenomenon (Extended Cut only)

• Newly assembled isolated score track in lossless stereo (Extended Cut only)

• Conan Unchained: The Making of Conan, an archive documentary from 2000 featuring interviews with Schwarzenegger, Milius, Stone, Jones, Lopez, Bergman, Poledouris and several others

• Designing Conan, a newly filmed interview with production artist William Stout

• Costuming Conan, a newly filmed interview with costume designer John Bloomfield

• Barbaric Effects, a newly filmed interview with special effects crew members Colin Arthur and Ron Hone

• Young Conan, a newly filmed interview with actor Jorge Sanz

• Conan & The Priest, a newly filmed interview with actor Jack Taylor

• Cutting the Barbarian, a newly filmed interview with assistant editor Peck Prior

• Crafting Conan's Magic, a newly filmed interview with visual effects crew members Peter Kuran and Katherine Kean

• Barbarians and Northmen, a newly filmed interview with filmmaker Robert Eggers on the film’s influence on The Northman

• Behind the Barbarian, a newly filmed interview with John Walsh, author of Conan the Barbarian: The Official History of the Film

• A Line in the Sand, a newly filmed interview with Alfio Leotta, author of The Cinema of John Milius

• Conan: The Rise of a Fantasy Legend, an archive featurette on the film's literary and comic book roots

• Art of Steel: Sword Makers & Masters, an archive interview with sword master Kiyoshi Yamasaki

• Conan: From the Vault, an archive compilation of on-set cast and crew interviews

• A Tribute to Basil Poledouris, a series of videos produced by the Úbeda Film Music Festival, including video of Poledouris conducting a concert of music from the film in 2006 (remixed in 5.1 surround) and interviews with collaborators

• Rarely-seen electronic press kit from 1982, featuring over half an hour of on-set footage and cast and crew interviews (from a watermarked tape source)

• Outtakes, including a deleted cameo by Milius

• Split-screen "Valeria Battles Spirits" visual effects comparison

• Conan: The Archives, a gallery of photos and production images from 2000

• Conan the Barbarian: The Musical, an affectionate comic tribute to the film by Jon & Al Kaplan

• US and International teaser and theatrical trailers

• Image gallery