First looks at Jason Momoa as Conan...

[O'Dib]

polynesians play non-polynesian roles - they play white europeans, first century jews, egyptian warlords, carthage kings, greek gods, roman gladiators, ancient celts, etc.

Whereas a native actor will always have only a native role, if there is a need for a native character, otherwise no acting for him. And sometimes, even the native roles will have non-natives cast into them

Like, polynesians?

 

[Base_Delta_Zero]

Ugh, those pics look awful. SyFy Movie of the week time. What a waste.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but flexibility need not be affected by musculature either. Tom Platz, a bodybuilder with enormous legs, could do full splits. I tried looking for a video of it... maybe I'll find it.

Yeah, I think I've seen it. But doing splits is kind of a special case, because there are not major muscles interfering with it. I was thinking more about reaching for something behind their back, or keeping their arms close to their bodies, for example due to an hyper-developed latissimus dorsi.

Bodybuilders do splits on stage during posing routines all the time...flexibility is more limited by individual body mechanics rather than muscle. Robby Robinson ran a 10 flat 100 meters when the record was still in the upper 9s. Lats don't keep BBs from keeping their arms at their sides, its usually an attitude thing, not physical. My friends and I call it being a "suitcase"..since it looks like they are carrying them. Being "muscle bound" is usually a myth.

As for the Conan casting...ugh! Horrible! Couldn't they get a European bodybuilder? This guy looks kind of unimpressive compared to Arnold too. I don't think I'll be watching this.

RAMA

When a guy in the gym has his arms sticking way out to the sides I've heard it called ILS...for Imaginary Lat Syndrome

 

[Aragorn]

Has darkwing_duck1 weighed in his opinion of the casting yet?

I'm guessing when footage (trailer?) finally comes out, someone will recut it to the Baywatch theme and post it on YouTube.

 

[Mach5]

Uhm, Momoa doesn't look like Conan at all. He looks like a sword-wielding hula dancer...

 

[JacksonArcher]

Er, the last CONAN movie was twenty-six years ago. And there have only been two movies to date.

And various TV series and TV movies.

I only know of one short-lived syndicated series, plus a couple of cartoons. What tv-movies?

Compared to, say, eleven STAR TREK movies, nine BATMAN films, six STAR WARS films, four INDIANA JONES movies, three MATRIX movies, and M knows how many Bond flicks. And that's not counting all the cartoon and tv versions of STAR WARS, STAR TREK, BATMAN, etc.

CONAN is practically virgin territory by comparison!

Nine Batman films? Counting Batman: The Movie, the four Burton/Schumacher movies, the two recent Nolan movies, that's seven feature-length live-action films. If you want to get technical, you can count Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which would make eight, since that was a theatrical release but it was animated, but you seemed to have been counting live-action releases. What's this other Batman film you speak of?

 

[Sean_McCormick]

I believe, there were some in the 30ies or 40ies. Nothing i can substanciate, i think i read an article about it arount the time, Batman Begins came out.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Those were serials, though. I am not sure if they qualify as live-action films.

 

[AJBryant]

If anything I'm slightly more mystified by Jake Gyllenhall and Gemma Arterton (the latter of whom is as pale as the average Brit) instead of any actors who actually look 'persian'. Sometimes the decision to go for bigger 'names' in a movie makes the casting look stranger.

Two names for you: John Wayne. Genghis Khan.

And, yeah. It does boggle the mind.

 

[Aragorn]

^ Steven Seagal also wanted to play Genghis Khan before his career went belly up.

Charlton Heston played a Mexican for Orson Welles' Touch of Evil.

 

[Trent Roman]

^ I pity whoever had to do his makeup while he kept trying to shoot the mirror.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Greg Cox]

Those were serials, though. I am not sure if they qualify as live-action films.

Why not? I was indeed thinking of the old b/w serials, which were the first movie versions of BATMAN . . . .

My point being that Hollywood has been making BATMAN movies for eighty years or so, but has made only two CONAN movies in that time . . . .

 

[Shazam!]

What a pointless movie to make. King Conan or just don't bother, IMO.

 

[Forbin]

King Conan with Arnold, or nothing.

 

[Shazam!]

Yeah, that's what I meant.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Those were serials, though. I am not sure if they qualify as live-action films.

Why not? I was indeed thinking of the old b/w serials, which were the first movie versions of BATMAN . . . .

My point being that Hollywood has been making BATMAN movies for eighty years or so, but has made only two CONAN movies in that time . . . .

Sorry, sorry, your point is absolutely valid, I was just being really nitpicky.

 

[Greg Cox]

Those were serials, though. I am not sure if they qualify as live-action films.

Why not? I was indeed thinking of the old b/w serials, which were the first movie versions of BATMAN . . . .

My point being that Hollywood has been making BATMAN movies for eighty years or so, but has made only two CONAN movies in that time . . . .

Sorry, sorry, your point is absolutely valid, I was just being really nitpicky.

No problem. To be honest, I've never even seen the old serials, but I knew they existed . . . .

 

[Nardpuncher]

I just saw some new pics on another website and he looks bigger and has a mean scowl...I now approve.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Those were serials, though. I am not sure if they qualify as live-action films.

Why not? I was indeed thinking of the old b/w serials, which were the first movie versions of BATMAN . . . .

My point being that Hollywood has been making BATMAN movies for eighty years or so, but has made only two CONAN movies in that time . . . .

If you count serials you should also count tv shows, and Conan had 22 episodes of tv adventures.

 

[Nardpuncher]

^^ Heck, most people don't even remember the sequel to the first movie, so to the general public there's a helluva lot more Batman out there than Conan.