Conan

[afan]

I dunno if I'd agree about Momoa looking like Tarzan. A barbarian from a fictional land in a forgotten age based loosely on the Celts, ok. The offsPring of British nobles...eh. Still, I love all nitpicking over their haircuts

The difference between the characters Tarzan and Conan, is that Tarzan is able to exist quite well in the civilzed world, he can subvert the savage. He can play the game.

Conan however remains the barbarian, even as he rises to the thrown of Aquilonia.

An actor chosen to play the role of Tarzan must be able to carry off the duality, he must be able to adopt a refined appearance, while Conan's portrayal is of a singular savage nature.

 

[Nivek]

I dunno if I'd agree about Momoa looking like Tarzan. A barbarian from a fictional land in a forgotten age based loosely on the Celts, ok. The offsPring of British nobles...eh. Still, I love all nitpicking over their haircuts

When I read stuff like that all I can think is that they are really young so the only Tarzan they know is the Disney or 80's versions (where he had long hair). Or maybe it's the loincloth. I just see it as someone talking out of their *** trying to knock something, and looking like a bigger fool.

 

[Doc Ock]

I cant wait to see Momoa as Conan, his character Ronan Dex on Stargate Atlantis seemed to be somewhat similar....somewhat.

 

[Shon]

When I read stuff like that all I can think is that they are really young so the only Tarzan they know is the Disney or 80's versions (where he had long hair). Or maybe it's the loincloth. I just see it as someone talking out of their *** trying to knock something, and looking like a bigger fool.

You are painful to read however I actually get a chuckle out of how you always resort to name calling and put downs for anyone who voices an opinion that is different than yours.

What a way to have a discussion and sway peoples opinion to your side! You were born to be a politician.

 

[Nivek]

*edit* You know what, I don't have to justify debating anything here to a guy who was putting up Rick Rolling links in this thread a while ago when opinion started to become positive after seeing actual pictures from the production.

 

[david icke]

I don't know if they have started doing this in the US senate, but over here in the UK politicians have started bringing ghettoblasters into the houses of parliament and have been playing Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' whenever another politician has brought up a point they did not want to hear, so maybe he was onto something there.

edit: I have been tempted to check out Mamoa's character on stargate atlantis, but then again i have been wanting to have the effect of seeing him first time onscreen as Conan, so that much like the unknown Jackman with Wolverine, I have a much more full illusion of feeling I am actually seeing the real Conan onscreen.
Because, I have the feeling, no matter what deviations in script from REH's Conan background has happened, Mamoa will successfully channel the spirit and attitude of Conan, he has been reading the original stories and seems genuinely into the whole thing.

If the movie is as good as the 1st Arnie one, and is closer in character to Conan, I will be happy, then they can start being a bit more faithful to the stories in the sequels.

 

[Nivek]

I agree David, I have not checked out Momoa on Stargate either (outside of a few action clips on Youtube), but I have friends who are big fans that say he would be perfect for years.

As far as the movie goes, there are numerous stories to go into from Howard, and other writers who have tackled the character. I don't think there is one Conan story that you can use as a starting point or definitive tale, so I don't have any hang ups on the storyline from what I've heard. Personally, 99.8% of the public never read a Conan novel, and that is who the movie is being made for anyway. And some of the complaints I have heard sound pretty damn fanboyish/ fanbaggerish to the point I don't want the producers even giving them any credit. Conan is about the character, no different than Batman, Spider-man, Sherlock Holmes, you can tell when it's off the mark, and simple photos cannot tell you it's wrong.

 

[Ratcrawler]

The difference between the characters Tarzan and Conan, is that Tarzan is able to exist quite well in the civilzed world, he can subvert the savage. He can play the game.

Conan however remains the barbarian, even as he rises to the thrown of Aquilonia.

An actor chosen to play the role of Tarzan must be able to carry off the duality, he must be able to adopt a refined appearance, while Conan's portrayal is of a singular savage nature.

You know what I'd love in a Tarzan movie? If his accent varied by whomever he was sPeaking with. He grew up without a human accent of his own and honed his mimicry skills to genius levels.

When I read stuff like that all I can think is that they are really young so the only Tarzan they know is the Disney or 80's versions (where he had long hair). Or maybe it's the loincloth. I just see it as someone talking out of their *** trying to knock something, and looking like a bigger fool.

Dude, I just want a Tarzan with long, black hair (or a shock of black hair as Burroughs described) and not another dirty blond.

 

[LongDong]

*edit* You know what, I don't have to justify debating anything here to a guy who was putting up Rick Rolling links in this thread a while ago when opinion started to become positive after seeing actual pictures from the production.

I actually thought the rickroll was funny. It broke up the monotony of reading you calling people chumps and having a fit when they voiced an opinion that was different than yours.

I see you on other boards doing the same thing, name calling to anyone who has a different thought than you.

Nivek,
Have a good night my friend.

 

[Nivek]

LOL! Yeah, different thoughts, more like no B.S. tolerance for fanbaggers and just not looking to dump on it every opportunity.

Welcome to the ignore list, Donger...

 

[afan]

Conan is about the character, no different than Batman, Spider-man, Sherlock Holmes, you can tell when it's off the mark, and simple photos cannot tell you it's wrong.

Absolutely.........but .....wasn't there a story leak back a few months ago that pointed towards a Conan in the film being driven by revenge for the death of his parents and his people.
Arguably that is not the Conan character.

 

[david icke]

Absolutely.........but .....wasn't there a story leak back a few months ago that pointed towards a Conan in the film being driven by revenge for the death of his parents and his people.
Arguably that is not the Conan character.

Well, it depends, if it's just got Conan driven by revenge for that reason for one movie, fine, but if they make him into a Batman type because of it, that's wrong.
Didn't REH describe Conan as being possessed by 'a great melancholy as well as a gigantic mirth.'? I'm sure i read that somewhere.
So, if that is the case, surely the character can be possessed of both of those qualities in this movie, and the sequels, and he won't seem so out of character from the source. His melancholy has a reason now.
and as for the Cimmerians being wiped out...from what I've been told on this thread, they never leave their home village, and Conan never encounters any others in the stories, so it will have no impact of any future adaptations of Conan stories, if they decide to go that way.
This is the way I'm thinking about it all anyway.
REH did not write an origin story, they like to have the origin stories for the movies, so they came up with one.
Yeah, they could have done it Indiana Jones style and just dropped him into an adventure, but they didn't , it doesn't mean the character you recognise from the tales cannot inhabit this story, he can still react the way Conan would react to such events.

 

[afan]

Well, it depends, if it's just got Conan driven by revenge for that reason for one movie, fine, but if they make him into a Batman type because of it, that's wrong.

Exactly ...it's arguable.....which makes it good fodder for dicussion.

To me revenge driven characters are a dime a dozen. An ambitious Conan driven by his own wander lust for adventure, a trait that makes him unique amongst his people, and actually alienates him from them, is much more interesting than a ...dog eared "you killed my__________!" fill in the blank.......character, even for one film.

In addition I can't recall any Conan story where revenge was the dramatic vehicle. If he did anything similar it was the result of him swearing to protect an individual, and upon failing to do so, his actions sprang more from his barbaric code of honor than a rage driven revenge.
As an example if his parents and his tribe were killed in battle, he would accept it as the nature of things. If he swore to protect a defenseless female, and she was harmed, he would act to rectify his honor. I could be mistaken, but this point may have been made in "Lair of the Ice Worm."
In that I would say that Milius' Conan was way off the mark characterwise, and if (big IF...... as we know nothing concrete) this new Conan film follows suit, it will be just as far off target characterwise.

In re. to Batman....not to go off topic but it's not a slam dunk that Batman is a revenge driven character either. His oath to his parents is to do everything in his power to protect innocents from criminals, and prevent the tragedy that befell him from occurring to others. He decides his best answer to fulfill that oath is The Batman. If you subtract senseless murder as his parent's tragic fate from the equation and replace it with a disease he may become a doctor. Is that course revenge driven?

 

[LongDong]

LOL! Yeah, different thoughts, more like no B.S. tolerance for fanbaggers and just not looking to dump on it every opportunity.

Welcome to the ignore list, Donger...

Sweet! Frankly you make this forum difficult to navigate, I think I am done with it anyway as there are Conan discussions out there that are less fanboysish and less problematic - people respecting others opinions and not going on the attack over stupid differences (especially when yours are so off the mark dude) also the word chump was so 1987 really, nobody else uses it but you. Your attempt to bring it back is an epic fail.

Good day.

 

[rogue trooper]

Sweet! Frankly you make this forum difficult to navigate, I think I am done with it anyway as there are Conan discussions out there that are less fanboysish and less problematic - people respecting others opinions and not going on the attack over stupid differences (especially when yours are so off the mark dude) also the word chump was so 1987 really, nobody else uses it but you. Your attempt to bring it back is an epic fail.

Good day.

Well, in that case, whatever you do, don't go to the forums of conan.com. If you think this forum is too "fanboyish", I can't even begin to describe the level fanboyism there.

 

[david icke]

Exactly ...it's arguable.....which makes it good fodder for dicussion.

To me revenge driven characters are a dime a dozen. An ambitious Conan driven by his own wander lust for adventure, a trait that makes him unique amongst his people, and actually alienates him from them, is much more interesting than a ...dog eared "you killed my__________!" fill in the blank.......character, even for one film.

In addition I can't recall any Conan story where revenge was the dramatic vehicle. If he did anything similar it was the result of him swearing to protect an individual, and upon failing to do so, his actions sprang more from his barbaric code of honor than a rage driven revenge.
As an example if his parents and his tribe were killed in battle, he would accept it as the nature of things. If he swore to protect a defenseless female, and she was harmed, he would act to rectify his honor. I could be mistaken, but this point may have been made in "Lair of the Ice Worm."
In that I would say that Milius' Conan was way off the mark characterwise, and if (big IF...... as we know nothing concrete) this new Conan film follows suit, it will be just as far off target characterwise.

In re. to Batman....not to go off topic but it's not a slam dunk that Batman is a revenge driven character either. His oath to his parents is to do everything in his power to protect innocents from criminals, and prevent the tragedy that befell him from occurring to others. He decides his best answer to fulfill that oath is The Batman. If you subtract senseless murder as his parent's tragic fate from the equation and replace it with a disease he may become a doctor. Is that course revenge driven?

I don't think Conan would be so matter of fact to think that 'it was the way of things' for his family and tribe to be wiped out.
I don't recall the name of the story right now, but he gets pretty pissed off and swears revenge/payback on the guys who killed his wee priest pal(who was on his way to meet Conan with a map). So i imagine he would be quite inclined for the revenge/payback mission in this movie's case.

and as for the Batman thing....I was only thinking along the lines that they do not make Conan a miserable, morose sort like Batman, carrying the weight of grief on his brow all the time, he still needs to be the guy who is full of gusto and will finish off a story with a joyful exlamation of some sort. Batman does not make jokes or laugh.

 

[Nivek]

i always seen the slaughter of Conan's tribe in the Milnus film, along with the whole revenge thing, was just a way to explain why Conan left Cimmeria and wandered the world. It was always vague why Conan wandered in the books, I like how Dark Horse tied it to his Grandfather, but I guess within two hours to tell the story, revenge is a better wanderlust motivator than just doing it "just because".

I don't know what they are doing as far as his family goes (and neither does anyone else for that matter) so I will worry about that when we get some story points confirmed.

 

[rogue trooper]

Here's the horseback picture in it's fullness:

 

[Doc Ock]

Here's the horseback picture in it's fullness:

Spoiler

[

Very awesome!

 

[ChickenScratch]

That picture rules. I'm more and more happy with this every day.

 

[Nivek]

Great pic!

 

[david icke]

That is the best pic yet I think, and Nivek you now have the proof that the hair was cropped for that Empire page, and in no way looks dreadlocked. Looks like Conan has just had his breakfast, got dressed, and instead of taking the dog out for a walk in the morning, has decided someone is due a severe ass-kicking.

 

[Doc Ock]

I'm still not used to seeing Jason without dreadlocks, I was so used to him wearing them on Stargate Atlantis....I was very dedicated to that show!

 

[Bill]

i always seen the slaughter of Conan's tribe in the Milnus film, along with the whole revenge thing, was just a way to explain why Conan left Cimmeria and wandered the world. It was always vague why Conan wandered in the books, I like how Dark Horse tied it to his Grandfather, but I guess within two hours to tell the story, revenge is a better wanderlust motivator than just doing it "just because".

I don't know what they are doing as far as his family goes (and neither does anyone else for that matter) so I will worry about that when we get some story points confirmed.

Revenge is very cliche. And Howard did theorize reasons as to why Conan wandered; tales of softer cities to the south from his childhood, his experiences with civilization from the sack of Venarium, and his joining of the Aesir to raid the Vanir which led him to being captured by the Hyperboreans and subsequent escape to the south. This inlet would have given him cause to go south and begin his wanderings and career as a thief.

Also, Cimmerians are supposedly tough to deal with and not easy to just wantonly slaughter, but it seems the movies want to make them easy fodder to die under the heels of whatever hard ass they feel the need to pull out as a future main antagonist. We'll have to wait for the details, but there is a better story that can be told that doesn't involve parents dying to get the hero off his ass and into the world. We've seen that before many times.

 

[Nivek]

Clean visual of the Empire pic.

And David, I didn't need proof, it's just that those guys on the Conan page are just looking for stuff to dump on, even if it doesn't make a damn bit of sense.