It's obvious from this postmortem article, Autopsy Report: LG's 'Conan The Barbarian', that Avi Lerner and his boys just didn't get it. One of their biggest errors was targeting the wrong people when making their assumptions about creating and marketing the film. All they had to do was come here to understand what Conan was all about. Better yet, they should have hired Rusty Burke, Mark Finn, or any other number of REH scholars to provide guidance. Heaven knows, they had de Camp as an advisor on the original CtB film and it's ill-begotten spawn. It would be nice to believe they actually listened to Malmberg and the folks at CPI when it came to the important decisions, but after reading the article I just don't know. Actually, I do know, and it reinforces my contempt for Hollywood suits.
As far as I'm concerned the least of the movie's problems was Momoa. However, I thought I'd throw up a poll to see what everyone else thinks.
As usual, keep it clean, and stay clear of belligerent responses just because you don't happen to agree with something someone said. Everyone here is entitled to an opinion.
EDIT: This is actually a simple question comparing the two actors who have portrayed Conan in the two films. No nit-picking caveats required. I could have added Leo Howard, but then I would have to add Jorge Sanz from the 82 film. Maybe that can form the subject of another poll. I could have added Rolf Moeller, but again I was focusing on the movies. Again, food for a possible future poll. At that time you may as well add Cartoon Conan.
Finally, this is a poll. If you wish to discuss the merits of the movie, there is an existing thread designed for that purpose.
Which Actor Best Portrayed Conan?
Started by Crom, Aug 24 2011 07:35 PM
294 replies to this topic
#1
Crom
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#2
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:45 PM
I vote for Momoa.
Yet, I don't understand why they couldn't give him black hair and blue eyes.
Yet, I don't understand why they couldn't give him black hair and blue eyes.
Mitra! The ways of the Aesir were more to my liking.
#3
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 08:37 PM
Momoa was far closer to REH's description of Conan than Arnold was. Visually his hair could have been a little darker, and his eyes bluer. Other than that I think moved like Howard describes, and he spoke closer to what I'd picture Conan sounding like (when he wasn't trying to hard growl). It's a damn shame Nispel and the other goons behind the scenes didn't carry their weight. Many others were concerned this movie would be a waste of a good Conan. Sad to say they were vindicated.
#4
guilalah
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:33 PM
This is a tough one for me to answer.
Well, OK, if I were willing to take "Portrayed Conan" as meaning 'portrayed REH Conan', well, certainly Momoa's Conan was much closer.
But I'm not much willing to take the phrase that way; I'm more inclined to take it as 'Did Schwartzenegger do as good a job of portraying Milius's and companies 'Conan' as Momoa did of portraying Nispel's and companies's 'Conan'?'. And I feel like I know Arnie's Conan a bit better, maybe not so much because of any superiority in Schwartzenegger's acting, as because he was in a far more focused film and -- as the great clarinetist Robert Marcellus liked to say (I've read; didn't study with him) -- it's a lot easier to play well ina good orchestra than in a bad orchestra. So I think I'll have to say that (largely due to fortunate circumstances, rather than personal artistic virtue) Schwartzenegger gave a better portrayal of his films 'Conan'.
Well, OK, if I were willing to take "Portrayed Conan" as meaning 'portrayed REH Conan', well, certainly Momoa's Conan was much closer.
But I'm not much willing to take the phrase that way; I'm more inclined to take it as 'Did Schwartzenegger do as good a job of portraying Milius's and companies 'Conan' as Momoa did of portraying Nispel's and companies's 'Conan'?'. And I feel like I know Arnie's Conan a bit better, maybe not so much because of any superiority in Schwartzenegger's acting, as because he was in a far more focused film and -- as the great clarinetist Robert Marcellus liked to say (I've read; didn't study with him) -- it's a lot easier to play well ina good orchestra than in a bad orchestra. So I think I'll have to say that (largely due to fortunate circumstances, rather than personal artistic virtue) Schwartzenegger gave a better portrayal of his films 'Conan'.
#5
Croms Bones
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:46 PM
Momoa > Arnold in every aspect when it comes to portraying Conan.
Edited by Crom, 25 August 2011 - 02:29 AM.
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#6
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:47 PM
Momoa is the only reason i want to see CTB so my choice is already made.
Arnold Conan is so cheesy looking that i dont like even to look at him for a second.....
Arnold Conan is so cheesy looking that i dont like even to look at him for a second.....
#7
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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:56 PM
No contest.....Momoa was way better. I think you could build a Conan franchise around him and hope they do. Ron Perlman and Leo Howard were great as well. The screenplay sucked.
#8
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 02:39 AM
Momoa.
I don't even care so much about his eyes or hair color. At least, so long as they gave him the right material and watched out for the angles that make him look too Samoan- no squatting in horse stance for example.
Leo Howard, although not in the poll, I didn't care for. I thought his scenes were farcical, but then again maybe it was the lousy material. But I didn't buy his Conan for one second, he could have been face planted any number of times and I didn't like the karate. Not to mention the whole Corin hot metal milkshake scene.
I don't even care so much about his eyes or hair color. At least, so long as they gave him the right material and watched out for the angles that make him look too Samoan- no squatting in horse stance for example.
Leo Howard, although not in the poll, I didn't care for. I thought his scenes were farcical, but then again maybe it was the lousy material. But I didn't buy his Conan for one second, he could have been face planted any number of times and I didn't like the karate. Not to mention the whole Corin hot metal milkshake scene.
"I live, I BURN WITH LIFE, I love, I slay, and am content."
"Here's to brother Painbrush, we drink to his Shade..."
"All Art Is Martial"- RZA
"Our basic purist premise:
ROBERT E. HOWARD, ENTIRELY ALONE, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OTHER PERSON, CREATED THE CHARACTER CONAN OF CIMMERIA. NO OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SHOULD BE INTRUDING THEIR WORK INTO THE VOLUMES OF HOWARD'S CONAN STORIES.
In essence, we believe that the work of any creative artist -- writer, painter, illustrator, musician, what-have-you -- is a unique expression of an artistic point of view. It should not be appropriated or altered by others without the artist's consent. No other writer has Robert E. Howard's unique point of view, and no other writer knows what Howard would have done with his character had he lived. Upon his death, his canon, the expression of his artistic vision, became fixed. Tampering with it now is desecration."
"Here's to brother Painbrush, we drink to his Shade..."
"All Art Is Martial"- RZA
"Our basic purist premise:
ROBERT E. HOWARD, ENTIRELY ALONE, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OTHER PERSON, CREATED THE CHARACTER CONAN OF CIMMERIA. NO OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SHOULD BE INTRUDING THEIR WORK INTO THE VOLUMES OF HOWARD'S CONAN STORIES.
In essence, we believe that the work of any creative artist -- writer, painter, illustrator, musician, what-have-you -- is a unique expression of an artistic point of view. It should not be appropriated or altered by others without the artist's consent. No other writer has Robert E. Howard's unique point of view, and no other writer knows what Howard would have done with his character had he lived. Upon his death, his canon, the expression of his artistic vision, became fixed. Tampering with it now is desecration."
#9
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 05:45 AM
Maybe we should've put Leo Howard in the poll. 
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#10
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 05:55 AM
Maybe we should've put Leo Howard in the poll.
Yeah well then we'd have to break it up into age brackets. Leo beats out the kid in the 82 film also.
#11
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 06:08 AM
Leo would break that kid in two with nothing more than a hard stare.
Maybe we should've put Leo Howard in the poll.
Yeah well then we'd have to break it up into age brackets. Leo beats out the kid in the 82 film also.
"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
#12
deuce
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 07:01 AM
This is a tough one for me to answer.
Well, OK, if I were willing to take "Portrayed Conan" as meaning 'portrayed REH Conan', well, certainly Momoa's Conan was much closer.
But I'm not much willing to take the phrase that way; I'm more inclined to take it as 'Did Schwartzenegger do as good a job of portraying Milius's and companies 'Conan' as Momoa did of portraying Nispel's and companies's 'Conan'?'. And I feel like I know Arnie's Conan a bit better, maybe not so much because of any superiority in Schwartzenegger's acting, as because he was in a far more focused film and -- as the great clarinetist Robert Marcellus liked to say (I've read; didn't study with him) -- it's a lot easier to play well ina good orchestra than in a bad orchestra. So I think I'll have to say that (largely due to fortunate circumstances, rather than personal artistic virtue) Schwartzenegger gave a better portrayal of his films 'Conan'.
I don't think the Original Poster meant the question in that way. I may be wrong.
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#13
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 09:15 AM
You should add Will McMichael to your poll. We have yet to see The Frost Giant's Daugher fan film.
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#14
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 09:58 AM
Jason Mamoa proved that he had read and understood the character. Arnold didn’t even show the slightest essence of Howards Conan. It’s like comparing Daniel Craig to Roger Moore!
#15
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 10:03 AM
I prefer Momoa to Arnold, no contest there.
However, I voted "neither" as Momoa didn't really convince me either.
If he had had blue eyes, maybe, but as it is...he was Conan-esque.
But I not buy him as Conan.
However, I voted "neither" as Momoa didn't really convince me either.
If he had had blue eyes, maybe, but as it is...he was Conan-esque.
But I not buy him as Conan.
#16
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 11:48 AM
Though I loved and grew up with Arnold's Conan, Jason on screen really brought him to life for me, there was never any doubt in my mind I was watching Conan in action.
#17
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 04:12 PM
It was a simple question. Really.
This is a tough one for me to answer.
Well, OK, if I were willing to take "Portrayed Conan" as meaning 'portrayed REH Conan', well, certainly Momoa's Conan was much closer.
But I'm not much willing to take the phrase that way; I'm more inclined to take it as 'Did Schwartzenegger do as good a job of portraying Milius's and companies 'Conan' as Momoa did of portraying Nispel's and companies's 'Conan'?'. And I feel like I know Arnie's Conan a bit better, maybe not so much because of any superiority in Schwartzenegger's acting, as because he was in a far more focused film and -- as the great clarinetist Robert Marcellus liked to say (I've read; didn't study with him) -- it's a lot easier to play well ina good orchestra than in a bad orchestra. So I think I'll have to say that (largely due to fortunate circumstances, rather than personal artistic virtue) Schwartzenegger gave a better portrayal of his films 'Conan'.
I don't think the Original Poster meant the question in that way. I may be wrong.
I've elaborated a bit on the first post so people don't have to over think it. 
#18
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 05:09 PM
My view as well! Definitely Momoa! I truly hope the franchise continues with him as Conan.Though I loved and grew up with Arnold's Conan, Jason on screen really brought him to life for me, there was never any doubt in my mind I was watching Conan in action.
#19
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 07:14 PM
Ralph Moeller 
"today the blood of battle upon my weapons will never dry
many i'll send into the ground, laughing as they die"
many i'll send into the ground, laughing as they die"
#20
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Posted 25 August 2011 - 07:37 PM
You shall drown in a lake of blood...Ralph Moeller
