New Conan The Barbarian Footage Is Surprisingly Awesome

Lionsgate has bestowed upon us fresh footage for Marcus Nispel’s upcoming reboot of Conan The Barbarian. The original, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role, is an action epic that found its nest among the cult classic crowd.  The original is the kind of bad that is “oh-so good”, yet endearing in its attempt to tell an outlandish fantasy tale. It was downright difficult to take Arnold Schwarzenegger seriously in a lion-skin thong, but that didn’t diminish the originals appeal for even a moment.

The reboot, however, seems to take on a very different tone.  Maybe due to its tremendous budget (estimated at 90 million) or its modern director (a protege of Michael Bay), the film has an extremely polished and riveting look.  When I first heard of the reboot, I promised myself that I wouldn’t see it. There was just no way that they could render the original any better, most likely failing miserably in the process. The new footage though is pretty intense and changed my mind quickly!

Though Jason Mamoa (who is set to star as Conan) is nowhere to be found, a young Conan kicks some serious ass in the clip. The action is fluid, brutal, and delightfully bloody in the vein of Zack Snyder‘s 300. I would be lying if I didn’t admit now that I was wrong in my prior presumptions. I believe that Marcus Nispel and Lionsgate might actually have a hit on their hands. Take a look for yourself below.