Manny The Movie Guy /

I used to love the sword and sorcery genre as a kid. I entered the magical realm by way of the 1982 "Conan the Barbarian" movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I even enjoyed the sequel, "Conan the Destroyer," and the spin-off called “Red Sonja” starring Brigitte Nielsen.

So when I first heard that Lionsgate was planning to reboot "Conan the Barbarian," I welcomed the news with utter disbelief. But I can tell you now that watching the latest incarnation of the world’s most famous barbarian brought back the same feelings I had when I saw Schwarzenegger’s heroic fantasy for the first time.

Credit goes to Jason Momoa, the actor chosen to play the Cimmerian warrior. He has big shoes to fill but he inhabits the Conan character really well. From the cultural icon’s physicality to his unbridled energy, Momoa channels the character as imagined by creator Robert E. Howard.

The filmmakers were respectful of the world that Howard created and paid homage to the character’s mythology. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, Conan is born on a battlefield and is the son of a village blacksmith named Corin (Ron Perlman).

The dynamic between the young Conan (Leo Howard) and his father is palpable. At a young age, Conan shows he has the skills to be the champion warrior of the mythical Hyboria.

Revenge is at the heart of the movie. The warlord Khalar Zym, played by “Avatar’s” Stephen Lang, pillages Conan’s village and murders his father. Khalar is looking for the missing piece of the Mask of Acheron that will bring his dead wife back to life.

Helping Khalar is his daughter Marique (Rose McGowan), a sorceress-in-training who will do anything to gain her father’s approval. Together, the father and daughter team unleash havoc in Hyboria much to Conan’s chagrin.

Our hero’s motto in reaching contentment is simple. He lives, loves, and slays. Based on that principle, the movie’s portrayal of the warrior is a success. Conan lives, loves, and slays, and he’s contented.

Playing his love interest is Rachel Nichols as Tamara, a pureblood and a direct descendant of the Sorcerers of Acheron. Her blood will awaken the power of the Mask of Acheron.

Directed by Marcus Nispel, the guy who gave us the remakes “Friday the 13th” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Conan the Barbarian” works as a generic portrayal of the Cimmerian hero.

Nispel succeeds in giving us an eye-catching film, but he fails in expanding the mythology that Howard started. As a reboot of the 1982 version, “Conan the Barbarian” is worthy of its successor.

But I did like the film’s pacing, the narrative moves forward briskly which is what this genre requires. Some characters are introduced and left in the dust, but at least we’re side-by-side with Conan until the bloody end.

“Conan the Barbarian” is violent but I like how some action scenes were staged. There’s an impressive bit about sand warriors that Marique conjured up. Yes, there are some horrific monsters to be had, a staple of the series.

If you like the sword and sorcery genre, you will enjoy “Conan the Barbarian.” It’s still hard to erase the iconic image of Schwarzenegger as Conan from our memories, but this new movie gives us the mythology that the first film missed.