Conan the Barbarian. One of the icons for tough as nails heroes in pop culture today. Conan ruled the 80’s in film, with two successful runs at the box office. Now, it’s a different year, and a very different Conan.

Created in 1932 by Robert E. Howard, Conan has been a staple in pop culture: from the comic books through Dark Horse Comics, to the video games on consoles and PC, it was only a matter of time before the warrior ventured to the big screen once more. Yet, I guess “big” might not be the word that comes to mind when you see 2011’s Conan.

The new Conan is a smaller actor than the Governator classic portal, now played by Jason Momoa ,who was in shows like Game of Thrones and Baywatch. Yeah, Baywatch.  There has been a lot of heat about this, but honestly, Momoa pulls off the role nicely. You can see this guy having been raised his whole life around bloodshed and death. Sure, he’s no Arnold, but try not to compare, and you will see this guy fitting as a young barbarian.

The film starts from the beginning…literally. You see baby Conan go from newborn, to pre-teen, to young adult, becoming someone who is all too familiar with war and loss. The villain of our young barbarian’s tale is the jerk Marine from Avatar (Stephen Lang), this time playing the part of a man obsessed with becoming a God, which he does to a T. Even Mr. Hellboy himself, Ron Pearlman, is in the film, being the father to Conan, which he convincingly portrays.  Of course, there are the females, with Rose McGowan being the leading lady villain. Oh, and yes, there’s PLENTY of eye candy in this film, both from the ladies and from the gore-laden violence.

The action is over the top gruesome, with some moments that would make Final Destination cringe. But that’s what I expected from this R rated fantasy adventure: swords, monsters, blood, hot women, and more blood. If you are looking for a good action flick, I recommend checking it out, just check your Arnold comparisons at the door and you’ll be good.