Jason Momoa’s portrayal ofConan the Barbarianin the 2011 3D movie was a double-edged sword. While the experience itself was personally fulfilling, the final product left a sour taste in his mouth. Despite his dedication to the role and the character’s rich history,the film’s critical and commercial reception was largely negative.
There are several contributing factors to the 2011Conanreboot’s failure which thenew TitanConan the Barbarianseriescan learn from, such as commercial priorities, the challenging shadow of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic performance, and JasonMomoa’s subsequent efforts to break free from typecasting.
Momoa Described Conan As A Great Experience Turned Into Something Bad
Trying To Have The Widest Appeal Ruined The Movie’s Potential
The 2011Conan the Barbarianis a sword-and-sorcery adventure based on the iconic character created by Robert E. Howard. This reimagining of the Conan myth features Jason Momoa as the titular hero, battling against dark forces with the aid of a loyal companion. Directed by Marcus Nispel, the film also stars Rachel Nichols, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman, with a narration by Morgan Freeman. In Jason Momoa’s interview withGQ,he spoke very candidlyabout the critically slated movie,“It’s one of the best experiences I had and it [was] taken over and turned into a big pile of sh*t.”
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Momoa considers the remake one of several projects he has been a part of that“really sucked”. The critical consensus has the same sentiment – it isamong the lowest-rated interpretationsof the books by Robert E. Howard. His comments in his reflections on his movie career suggest that theConanreboot’s weakness was not the role ofConan whose tenure at Marvel is coming to an end, which he had a great experience embodying, but with the commercial positioning of the film.
What Went Wrong With 2011’s Conan The Barbarian Reboot
[Momoa] added charm to the dramatically limiting character.
The biggest factor in theConanreboot’s failure is its commercial priorities. For example, Robert Eggert ofDeep Focus Reviewcommented that it“plays to the lowest possible viewer demands.”While the violence in the movie is on par with the books by Robert E. Howard, it does not have much else in common with the original works. This might be forgivable with enough action, butScreen Rant’s very own Ben Kendrickcommented that the action was“below average”. This said, he also notes thatits failure does not lie with Momoa, who added charm to the dramatically limiting character.
Another aspect that got in the way of the movie’s success was the big boots it had to fill.Conanwas a career-defining role for Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982’sConan the Barbarianwhich is rated the best.His iconic role is hard to best. Although Jason Momoa was the perfect candidate to rival viewers’ first association with the character,the shallow writing of the movie held back his potential. Instead of honoring theConanlore and making a valuable addition, the movie seemed more focused on appealing to the widest audience.
Jason Momoa Didn’t Want To Be Typecast After Conan & Khal Drogo
Momoa Wants To Feel Moved By Characters Meaningful To Him
After his formidable performances as Khal Drogo inGame of Thronesand inConan the Barbarian,Jason Momoa has been intent on leaving these brutish stereotypes behind. Indeed, the most compelling aspect of Khal Drogo was his unexpectedly tender side, soit is a shame he has historically been so typecast for his appearance, whichGQdescribes as“built like a Land Cruiser”. In the same interview, Momoa commented on this common perception of him as an actor:
“…People always think I’m just this dude who plays [macho characters] […] But I want to be moved, I want something new. Things are changing, and even the villain roles I’m playing now are eccentric.”
Perhaps his most rewarding role has been Aquaman, who aligns with Momoa’s environmental values. In a cinematic landscape oversaturated with superhero movies, he feels thattheAquamanmovies are more vital to our current climate crisis, commenting,“It’s amazing to be able to bring awareness of what is happening to our planet […] [it’s a] movie about what’s happening right now but in a fantasy world,”(GQ). Indeed, Momoa has a lot of creative involvement with the franchise, havinghelped writeAquaman 2.
Conan the Barbarian
Cast
Conan the Barbarian follows the journey of a Cimmerian warrior, Conan, who initially seeks revenge but finds himself battling monstrous foes and impossible odds. As Conan progresses, he becomes the pivotal figure who must thwart the supernatural evil threatening Hyboria’s survival. Released in 2011, this fantasy epic stars Jason Momoa.
