Who's Sword is it? Conan or Conan? PART I

By Annabella Iacono

It’s finally here! The post you’ve all been waiting to read! (Okay, well maybe just Sharon…) But now it’s ready for you’re reading pleasures.

Here we have two movies based on the very popular book series in the 1930’s by Robert E. Howard, set in the fictional Hyborian Age filled with witches, sorcerers and sword fighting bandits. The protagonist, Conan, was raised and trained to be tough and brutal since birth; and as a result grew to be a man with strength, as well as a nice muscular frame!

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

If it wasn't for Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger would not be as famous as he is now – this film shot him into stardom! It starts off with Conan’s village being raided by the antagonist, Thulsa Doom; during the attack, his father is murdered and hid mother is beheaded, as Conan is stands next to her.

After the attack is done, they take Conan as a slave and make him work at pulling “The Wheel of Pain”. As he grows up, he is eventually sold and is forced to become a gladiator to amuse the local crowds.

Eventually his popularity diminishes as he wins every battle and it freed. As he wanders the lands, Conan becomes friends with a Sandahl Bergman’s Amazonian named Valeria and an archer named Subotai.

The three friends break into the temple of a local snake-worshipping cult and as this occurs, Conan recognises the insignia used by the cultist. It’s the same as the necklace worn by Thulsa Doom – the man who killed his mother and raided his village. Thus, he seeks revenge.

Conan, Subotai and Valeria set off and travel to the Mountain of Power, situated at Doom’s Stronghold. They each battle a variety of monsters and other enemies, until finally Conan is face to face with the man responsible for parent’s death, Thulsa Doom and beheads him.

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Now, this remake begins with a similar childhood, with the exception of some details; Conan was literally born on a battlefield as his mother lays dying. As he grows up he insists on being a part of the ranks of the Cimmerian military, despite the fact that he’s too young. He’s forced to act against a warlord’s raid, Conan and his father Corin, are taken as prisoners; Corn is tortured in front of his son.

It’s revealed that the reason as to why the warlord, Khalar Zym, raided the Cimmerians is because they possessed the last shard of an ancient mask; this magical mask allows the user to render great power. It is because of this, that the ancient kings broke it into pieces and hide it somewhere in their own kingdom.

Conan is unable to rescue his father from death; he escapes and as he grows up to be a marauding barbarian, he swears revenge against Zym for what he had done.

As he is on his journey to avenge his father, his gains some allies, most notably a young and beautiful monk named Tamara; she has royal blood which means that royal blood is required to restore the power of the ancient mask and is therefore hunted down by Zym. Conan is faced with monsters (on land and sea) as well as other worldly sprites that sprout from Zym’s daughter Marique - who necromancer (in other words, a witch).

Tamara is captured and through a series of epic sword fighting and well-choreographed action sequences, Marique is beheaded and killed and Zym is burned to death by falling into lava. Thus avenging his father’s death, Conan returns Tamara her home and sets off to return to his village.

Don’t forget to tune in and check out our blog for the PART II of my review.

- A Xx

~Photo credit: http://comicscomicsmag.com/2010/05/geoff-pevere-on-loving-frazetta.html
http://karlails.wordpress.com/2012/09/
http://www.thecimmerian.com/rumour-mill-of-pain-the-revenge/
http://derricklferguson.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/conan-the-barbarian-1982/
http://www.overthinkingit.com/2011/08/10/conan-the-liberal/
http://www.fromthefrontrow.net/2011_07_01_archive.html
http://geektyrant.com/news/2011/6/6/conan-the-barbarian-character-posters-of-jason-momoa-as-cona.html
http://criticaltable.com/2011/11/friday-night-movies-conan-barbarian-2011/
http://www.conanmovieblog.com/2011/06/06/new-conan-posters-conan-zym-tamara-marique-and-a-first-look-at-corin/
http://hollywoodmoviecostumesandprops.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/khalar-zym-and-marique-costumes-from.html~