A new trailer of the upcoming fantasy movie Conan the Barbarian has been released. It is the first real trailer with actual footage of the the movie. It looks quite impressive with a lot of action, which of course is to be expected of a Conan movie, but it remains to be seen if the story is any good.
Conan the Barbarian will be released to theatres on August 19, 2011. Jason Momoa, Khal Drogo in the fantasy TV series Game of Thrones, will star as Conan.
See the trailer below!
The fantasy movie Labyrinth was released into movie theaters in 1986. Starring David Bowie, directed by Jim Henson and produced by George Lucas, the movie had a lot going for it. In was not received very well at the time but over time the movie has reached quite a cult status.
Story
The young girl Sarah wishes a brother to a magic land and in order to return him to the real world she has to find her way through a great maze, the labyrinth, and retrieve him from the goblet king Jareth who is none less than David Bowie. Before she is able to do so, she has to so solve several riddles and puzzles.
Style, People Involved and Reception
Directed by puppet master Jim Henson, who also made The Dark Crystal, and in collaboration with George Lucas, Labyrinth is masterpiece with a story somewhat alike Alice in Wonderland. However, when it came out in 1986, the reception was not well at all and the movie made a loss.
The movie was seen as childish and not that original but the perception of the movie changed over time and Labyrinth is now considered to be a cult fantasy movie but it is definitely not a favorite of mine.
I have something to set straight. In earlier posts I have been (somewhat) negative about the Harry Potter. I have always acknowledged the popularity of the novels and the fact that they definitely are a landmark in the fantasy genre but at the same time, I have criticized the hype surrounding the movies as I do not believe them to be as good as everybody keeps on telling me.
However, of course there is also good to be found in the Harry Potter movies and I had been told that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is the best one so far. And after having seen this latest Potter movie, I must admit that I am still not a fan but I did enjoy the movie. Not much more than the previous movies in the series but then again, looking back they too were not that bad.
Story
The story centers around Harry, Hermione and Ron fleeing from Voldemort’s forces and searching for the Horcruxes. Destroying these Horcruxes appears to be the only way to stop Voldemort, who by now is in control of the Ministry of Magic and has starting rounding up everyone who may oppose him. The late Dumbledore has left each of them an item to help on this quest.
Despite the death of several of their friends and serious arguments between the three of them, Harry, Hermione and Ron manage to escape from Voldemort’s henchmen, retrieve the Sword of Gryffindor and destroy a Horcrux. However, Voldemort finds the Elder Wand, increasing his abilities even further, making the outlook for the last movie very bleak…
Lots of action, not too much depth
As mentioned above, the movie is definitely entertaining to watch. The storytelling is quite fast paced and there is lots of action. The setting is quite dark with several tense moments but not to the extent that it should be classified in any way as a scary movie: the focus is still on entertaining teenagers so they shouldn’t be scared away.
The whole love story between Hermione and Ron not working for me. This element, together with the uncomfortable moments Harry has with his two friends due to the fact that he is the third wheel, should provide some extra depth to the story but it seems too artificial to me.
Another downside is that it is the first of two connected movies. A large part of the movie feels like a prelude to the finale and there is also no real ending to this first part. This is not surprising as the story is based on one single novel but I feel they could have done a better job. On the other hand, it did the trick in one way: I really do want to know how the series ends and, as I haven’t read the last couple of Potter books, I will have to watch the last movie!
One more to go…
To conclude: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is all right to watch and even one of the best fantasy movies of 2010. You will have a hard time not sitting on the edge of your seat and you will most likely want to see part 2 to find out how the whole saga ends. The final movie in the series may well become one of the highlights of 2011.
Having said that, I am sorry to say that I still haven’t lost all of my misgivings about the series…
After a year that has not been too special on the fantasy front, I really don’t know where to start off discussing the short term future of fantasy; there are simply too many great new things happening in the fantasy genre during 2011!
Novels that will surely be amazing, endings of series that have taken decades to create and have held millions in their grip. Blockbuster movies and a television series that can only blow our minds.
Here are my personal hightlights: the best and most anticipated fantasy titles of the year to come!
Books and Series
The novel I am looking most forward to is The Crippled God by Steven Erikson. It is the last installment of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and should be several hundreds of pages filled with the resolution of all mysteries that Erikson has created during the series. Allthough, knowing Erikson a bit, much will probably remain unsolved.
Close second on my list, mostly because we will have to wait till the end of September before it will be released, is A Dance with Dragons, the fifth novel in George R.R. Martin‘s already legendary A Song of Ice & Fire series. Together with the first season of Game of Thrones (see below), this novel will put a huge spotlight on the fantasy genre.
Soon available (in March) is the latest book of Patrick Rothfuss called The Wise Man’s Fear. After the succes of The Name of the Wind, the anticipation for this new novel is very high.
Last book I want to mention is A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, the last installment in The Wheel of Time series. I somewhat lost interest in the series over the years but for many fans this novel will be the most anticipated of the year and it is bound to be high in the New York Times bestsellers list for a long time. It is expected for November 2011.
Movies
Several interesting fantasy movies will be released in theatres in 2011 so there is a lot to look forward to but none of them are guaranteed to be very good. The most promising one is the last movie in the Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, set to premiere in July. I am not that much of a fan of the Potter movies but the first Deathly Hallows movie was quite good so I am expecting a lot from part II.
The comedy fantasy movie Your Highness can go either way. Or it will be a hilarious ridicule of fantasy movies or it will be a annoying succession of desperately-trying-to-be-funny fantasy scenes. Your Highness will be in theatres on April 8.
Another movie I am not so sure about is Thor, with a story based on the Marvel comics. There is a good chance of this being a movie solely revolving around action scenes with the story having no depth and the characters being flat. Thor will premiere late April/ early May.
Last in this category of doubtfull movies is the remake of Conan the Barbarian. They will have to make an extremely good movie to come near the “level” of the original movie and to shake of the criticism and cynicism that fans will surely have. We will have to wait a while for Conan as it will not be in theatres until August.
One movie I am personally definitely not looking forward to is the first of the two Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn movies that will be released in November 2011.
Game of Thrones
I simply cannot say it enough: Game of Thrones is starting in 2011! On April 17, the first episode will air on HBO in the US and on Sky in the UK and like almost everybody with a heart for fantasy, I love Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series and am highly anticipating this television series.
As mentioned before, 2010 was not the greatest of years for the fantasy genre but 2011 will surely make us forget all about it. In addition, we will have the anticipation of the movie The Hobbit that is scheduled for 2012…
The start of a new year is a good time to glance back at the past year and try to make some sense of everything that happened. I will do this in a small way by summing up some of the major ripples in the pond called fantasy during 2010. This means that I have made an overview of the best fantasy novels, series, movies, TV series and games of the past year.
Perhaps this short overview will point out a movie you have not seen or remind you of a novel you should have read during last year. If not, it will at least help you form an opinion of the level of the fantasy media in 2010.
Fantasy books and series
First, a quick look at the most popular fantasy books of the pas year. Several novels stand out but in particular Towers of Midnight, the 13th novel in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series. It has been written by Brandon Sanderson and the general opinion is that he has done this quite well. This is also reflected by the number one position of the book in the New York Times Best Seller list and the fact that it remained high in this list and was sold in high numbers for many weeks.
Another novel that is absolutely worth mentioning is Under Heaven, written by Guy Gavriel Kay. Kay is probably best know for Tigana but has shown that he can become a stable and important author in the genre.
Last book I want to mention is the recently released Stonewielder. Written by Ian Cameron Esslemont and set in the Malazan world he has created with Steven Erikson, it is a great read that I will review in the near future.
Fantasy movies, TV series and games
The major fantasy event on the screen in 2010 must have been the latest Harry Potter movie The Deathly Hallows: Part I. This penultimate movie in the Potter Series was of course very popular and successful and, I have to admit, quite good. I will review the movie sometime in the coming weeks.
Of course there were more new fantasy movies in 2010, like Twilight: Eclipse and Clash of the Titans. Both are entertaining films but not ones you will remember as a classic.
Looking at fantasy television series, there was the news of the cancellation of Legend of the Seeker which is a shame but not that big a loss as this TV series had dwindling viewer ratings and simply wasn’t that good. Hopefully, HBO can fill the gap and show how a fantasy TV series should be made when Game of Thrones airs on April 17, 2011!
On the game front there has not been much fantasy activity worth mentioning. The World of Warcraft expansion pack Cataclysm was very successful but that was hardly surprising.
Looking back, I would say it was a pretty decent year for the fantasy genre but not a great one. In one of the next posts I will look ahead and will explain what the year 2011 has to offer and boy, that will be something!
Written by the great George Lucas, directed by Ron Howard and starring the likes of Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer, the fantasy movie Willow is a definite must-see for all those who like fantasy.
The movie was not a big success when it was released in theaters in 1988 but appreciation for it has grown over the years.
Willow may look somewhat outdated and the story slow and childish but the visual effects were very good for the time and the story is interesting and funny enough to keep you entertained. This is also why Willow can be found in the ranking of teh best fantasy movies ever made.
Story
Afraid of a prophecy according to which she will be brought down by a baby, the evil queen Bavmorda imprisons all pregnant women in her kingdom. The child of the prophecy is born in her dungeons but before Bavmorda has a chance to kill the baby, the midwife manages to escape with it. She is caught but puts the baby on a raft in the river. It ends up in the hands of the dwarf Willow who is reluctant at first but then starts caring for the baby.
When the town is attacked by servants of Bavmorda looking for the baby, Willow is sent on a quest to bring back the baby (who’s name turns out to be Elora Danan) to the world of the large people. On his way he is helped by the warrior Madmartigan, the brownies Franjean and Rool, queen of the forest Cherlindrea, the goat-sorceress Fin Raziel and an army that also happens to want to fight queen Bavmorda. After a lot of magic, fighting and cunning tricks, Willow and his friends manage to stop Bavmorda from killing the baby Elora.
Themes & Reception
Developed an produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, Willow was much anticipated. This was even more increased by the breakthrough use of CGI resulting in great visual effects. But when Willow was released in May 1988, it became a box office disappointment, receiving negative reviews from critics. They found the “good versus bad” and “reluctant hero” themes of the movie (the story is typical high/ heroic fantasy) too cliché for adults and deemed it too dark for children.
I do agree with this criticism but on the other hand, Willow did receive two Academy Award nominations and the film gave a boost to the careers of Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer. Over the years, the movie also became more and more appreciated by fans of the genre.
Marvel has released a trailer for their next superhero movie: Thor. The movie will be in theaters in May 2011.
The movie Thor is based on the Marvel Comics series that was created in the sixties by Stan Lee and friends. The original characters of course originate from Norse mythology but the stories of old have been twisted a tiny bit. This has resulted in a bold mix between fantasy and science-fiction with storylines that are set in the modern day United States.
This is also why I have got mixed feelings about Thor: the trailer looks great and slick but at the same time it is not difficult to imagine that the movie can become a cheesy, heavy on the one-liners, action flick.
There is still several months to go till the movie will be in theaters so let’s stay tuned for more information to help decide if Thor is something for the best fantasy movies list or not.
The Trailer
Universal Pictures has released a so-called restricted trailer for an upcoming fantasy comedy movie called Your Highness. The theater release of the movie is scheduled for April 8, 2011.
It may not get up to the list of best fantasy movies but by judging by the trailer, Your Highness will be a very funny movie. And that is quite something, because humorous fantasy is a very rare phenomenon on the screen.
The movie tells the story the arrogant prince Thadeous (played by Danny McBride) and his brother, the heroic Fabious (played by James Franco) who, against their will, depart on an epic quest in order to save their father’s kingdom while falling in love wil a warrior princess (played by Natalie Portman).
HD trailer:
20th Century Fox has released a new trailer for the latest movie in the The Chronicles of Narnia series, called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
With Peter studying and Susan travelling, the youngest Pevensie children Edmund and Lucy, together their cousin Eustace, enter Narnia through a painting and end up helping King Caspian find the seven banished lords of Narnia.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be in theaters on December 10, 2010.
The new trailer:
The first trailer:
The New Zealand government has made a deal with the producers of the fantasy movie The Hobbit to have the movie shot in their country. But not everyone agrees with the way this has been achieved.
New Zealand, mainly known for its incredible number of sheep, was also the setting for the Lord of the Rings movies. Besides the publicity and the resulting influence on tourism, the country also expects an impulse in the economy resulting from everything involved in filming and producing the movie. A total amount of 670 million Dollar is reportedly at stake.
However, Warner Bros wanted tax benefits and modifications of the labor law before agreeing to filming in New Zealand. The government agreed to this, resulting in a tax benefit of 7.5 million Dollar and several law changes.
Understandably, not all New Zealanders are happy about this, which resulted in a lot of criticism in the press and some serious discussions in the New Zealand parliament.
Nonetheless, Prime Minister John Key agreed to the changes and benefits, so The Hobbit will be made in the settings we have come to identify with Middle-earth!
When will The Hobbit be made?
There have been many doubts in the past but it is starting to look like the filming of The Hobbit will really start in the near future and the movie will be in theatres late 2012. I will provide more details on this somewhere in the coming weeks.
Conan the Barbarian is the classic sword & sorcery movie, based on the stories of Robert E. Howard, that provided Arnold Schwarzenegger with his first major film role.
The movie tells the story of a young boy living in a mythical age whose family is murdered by an evial warlord. Conan becomes a slave, grows up to be a strong warrior on and goes looking for vengeance.
Over the years, Conan the Barbarian has become one of the best known and most influential fantasy movies.
The movie
The movie has quite a reasonable story and contains lots of fighting, magic and even some nudity. The acting of the main characters is not exactly topnotch but Conan was the breakthrough of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
During the Hyborian Age in the land of Cimmeria, the entire village of the young Conan, including his mother and father, is slaughtered in a raid led by the evil Thulsa Doom. Conan grows up a slave but once a free man he picks up the trail of Thulsa Doom. With the help of two thieves (one will become his lover) he is eventually able to defeat Doom, who by then has become the ruler of a large cult. After killing Doom, Conan is crowned king.
Themes & Style
Conan is the definition of the sword & sorcery genre. It is the classical fight between good and evil in which Conan has to go on a long journey and has to kill scores of enemies until he can finally defeat this archnemesis. With wizards and witches who control magic and can morph into animals, the influence of fantasy is strong but not strong enough to deny Conan his revenge.
The author, his books and other related works
Robert E. Howard is one of the great fantasy authors of all time. Conan is his most famous creation who centered in quite a few of his stories but Howard created several more characters including Solomon Kane on which also a movie was based.
The movie Conan the Destroyer and the television series Conan the Adventurer were created after the succes of Conan the Barbarian but both failed to live up to the first movie.
Recently, the MMORPG Age of Conan was launched, which is based on Howard’s Conan and is doing quite well so far.
