"Conan The Barbarian" is the best Schwarzenegger movie. It's better than T2, Predator, True Lies, etc. It's on another level and is a freaking epic movie!
So my opinion of this is colored by nostalgia, but I tend to agree with the OP.
When I was very little I rented Conan shortly after seeing T2 and assuming anything with that guy in it would be good.
I sat at home and watched that movie in AWE. it was AWESOME. dude is poetic and he doesn't take no shit, and DARTH VADER is in it??? How had I never heard of this before?!
Few movies have captured that childlike wonder in me the way Conan the Barbarian did. LOTR got close, only because I'd been anticipating it for so long. But there's something about that movie you see as a child that just blows you away, that is at least in it's own right a decent movie. Conan isn't just good to a kid who probably shouldn't be watching it, it's genuinely a decent film. Total recall, while also good, just didn't light that spark in me.
I still watch them both every few years. Last action hero and Tango and Cash and demolition man too.
I actually loved the sci-fi in that one. The cloning of pets was pretty cool. Also the plot twist was pretty neat. I'll have to watch it again to see if it holds up.
Conan doesn't get the respect it deserves on multiple levels. From Basil Polidouris's score, to the cinematography, and YES...even the screenplay. Conan was never "just a Arnold action movie".
I've always equated it to more like an opera. Dialogue is honestly sparse. Much like the character of Conan himself, dialogue only exists when it has the most impact, with the rest of the story being told visually. It's one of the only films I've seen where you can put it on mute and still mostly know the broad strokes of what's going on.
I'll never not defend this movie. So yes...I sort of agree with the O.P. But then again....Total Recall exists.
Poledouris' score is definitely the best complete score of any Schwarzenegger movie and one of the best movie scores of all time. I can still recite Mako's intro from memory.
And I've seen the opinion expressed a lot. Which means I can't really call it unpopular, though it also isn't a majority opinion either.
Where I would disagree is that his performance wasn't his best overall, despite it being his best movie. A good bit of the work involved came from direction, editing, and the rest of the cast as well. He didn't, however, do great delivering his lines.
Where I agree is that he didn't have a lot of lines. Most of what made the character shine was physical and facial. That's where he was great. He still is superb at that; he plays for the back rows, and it works.
For sure though, it's still his best movie overall
The Conan soundtrack is truly epic. Put it on while doing chores around the house, suddenly you are doing quests. Cooking? No you are making a feast to celebrate conquest!