|
Post by Von K on Jun 30, 2023 16:49:24 GMT -5
I just recently re-watched Conan 2011 for the 4 or 5th time?, IMO the movie works a little better if you skip the back story and start the movie right where Conan is an adult/the action sequence where he free's the slaves. Problem is for me that”s the best part of the film. Yes, a couple of my friends had a similar view. I too think it was a strong sequence from the opening right up to the part where he spits out the egg.
The rest of the opening was perhaps a bit too conceptually derivative of Conan 82. At that point Kalar Zym echoed Thulsa's external role but had no thematic depth in the way that Thulsa did. Milius is really good at handling theme and the success of Conan 82 is in no small part because of that.
To follow on from lonewolf's suggestion, what if the film had been restructured or re edited, opening with the free the slaves scene, and the original opening was divided in two and slotted into the narrative at two later points in the movie?
|
|
|
Post by Von K on Jun 30, 2023 21:32:09 GMT -5
I mean - slotted into the narrative as flashbacks, ofc--
|
|
|
Post by bobbyderie on Jul 1, 2023 15:21:12 GMT -5
Doubt it would work. The main problems with the film aren't structural, it's that it's a very generic S&S plot (eeeevil fantasy sorcerer needs ancient artifact!) and a lot of really shitty CGI. Not too dissimilar from the Kull film. They needed to innovate with this film, which is why badass KidConan works so well, and it's kinda why everything else...doesn't.
|
|
|
Post by Von K on Jul 1, 2023 19:24:57 GMT -5
Doubt it would work. The main problems with the film aren't structural, it's that it's a very generic S&S plot (eeeevil fantasy sorcerer needs ancient artifact!) and a lot of really shitty CGI. Not too dissimilar from the Kull film. They needed to innovate with this film, which is why badass KidConan works so well, and it's kinda why everything else...doesn't. Don't think any of us were claiming it would make a great movie out of it, but a few tweaks might have neatened it up a little at the structural level. I agree with you about the need for innovation and the generic handling of the plot. Conan 2011 had great actors but the screenplay needed more character depth and stronger theme. Familiar plot devices however can still work in the right hands imho with an original twist and adept execution. After all 'evil nazi's need ancient artifact' worked great for Indy 1, but not so much the same device for the recent Indy 5.
|
|
|
Post by Von K on Jul 2, 2023 17:24:57 GMT -5
I should add that one innovation we have yet to see is REH's actual original Conan on the big screen. Without that as a basis other variations might seem moot perhaps.
|
|
|
Post by conanfan on Jul 8, 2023 14:18:46 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Von K on Jul 8, 2023 16:16:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Lonewolf on Jul 10, 2023 9:19:39 GMT -5
Another thought on Conan 2011, IMO Stephen Lang just wasn't intimidating (physically or personality) as the main "bad guy", and there was really no development of the scope/impact he supposedly had as a "ruthless empire-building warlord". Movie might have worked a little better without the underwhelming magical Mask/take over the world plot, and just focus on Conan taking revenge against the group who killed his family/village.
|
|