Barbarians, The (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Ruggero DeodatoRelease Date(s)
1987 (November 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Cannon Films (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: C+
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B
Review
Some movies are just for pure entertainment—no messages, no heavy themes, no Oscar-worthy performances, and no perfect script. This is the case with The Barbarians, a sword-and-sandals flick with warriors, villains, and heroes in an undefined era of the past.
A traveling carnival company is attacked by the evil Kadar (Richard Lynch) and his renegade band. Kadar captures Canary (Virginia Bryant), a young beautiful queen, and forces her into marriage. He also enslaves twin boys from her clan. Canary’s loyal servant spirits one of the twins away to a distant land where he grows strong and powerful. The other twin stays with Kadar.
As men, both twins, Kutchek (Peter Paul) and Gore (David Paul), have become slaves in different stone quarries. Hard labor has developed their bodies into muscular physiques. When their respective captors go to war with each other and force them into combat, they’re reunited for the first time since childhood. Using their combined strength to break down barriers, they escape on horseback. In an attempt at humor, the brothers bicker and provoke each other like ten-year-olds.
Assisted by young outlaw Ismene (Eva La Rue), the brothers set out to free their mother and recover a magical ruby that gave humanity the joyful power of the performing arts. In a Cinderella-like variation, once the gem is found, the keeper will be discovered by how perfectly it fits into her bellybutton. The brothers’ quest will entail lots of sword play, occasional moments of nudity, and encounters with a wolf man, a gigantic swamp dragon and black-cloaked, sword-wielding Kadar.
The Paul brothers are no actors. That’s apparent from their first scene. They had capitalized on their massive bodies in only a few films. Paradoxically, their inexperience and ineptitude lend this film unintended fun.
Special effects aspire to more than they can deliver, mostly because of budgetary constraints. The dragon is a huge puppet that’s about as frightening as a stuffed Elmo.
Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) as Dirtmaster is on hand primarily to laugh maniacally from time to time and a sorceress (Sheeba Alahani) decked out in erotic finery adds an aura of mystery.
La Rue and Lynch come off best in the acting department. As the outlaw Ismene, La Rue has a natural delivery and self-confidence that makes the character’s ability to work her way out of dangerous situations using both her head and her physical prowess believable. She’s far from a damsel in distress. Lynch, with the same stony, cold expression throughout, is imposing as Kadar, a warlord who says little, preferring to let his powerful sword send a message.
Director Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust) devotes most of The Barbarians’ production cost to sumptuous sets and costumes and some elaborates set pieces typically found in films with bigger budgets. The opening scene, an extended chase, is a mash-up of scenes from John Ford’s Stagecoach and The Conqueror as the traveling carnival’s five wagons try to outrun Kadar’s marauders. The defenders use what resources they have to ward off the attackers, including a knife thrower, acrobats, and a fire breather who shoots flaming torpedoes at galloping horsemen. There’s also a blue-hued forest with jets of steam shooting up from the ground, creepy bare tree branches, and a swamp that holds lethal creatures. In a key scene, the magic ruby’s glow is reflected in the faces of the characters.
The Barbarians was shot by director of photography Gianlorenzo Battaglia on 35mm film with spherical lenses, processed by Telecolor, Rome, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Blu-ray is sourced from a new HD master. Clarity overall is very good, and the opening scene looks great in widescreen. Details are well delineated in Canary and Ismene’s costumes, the scar on Kadar’s face, the twins’ rippling muscles, the female characters’ anachronistic lip liner, and slaves toiling in the quarry. Cinematographer Battaglia boldly bathes the set in golden, blue, or red light depending on the scene. Special effects include a creature’s arms being ripped off, bodies being impaled, the silly dragon, and creepy facial enhancements on Kadar’s men.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are available. Channel separation is especially effective in the caravan raid sequence and the scene in which the brothers are forced to fight each other. Dialogue is clear, though the Paul brothers’ line deliveries are far from professional. Their “humorous” verbal byplay as they go from one adventure to the next falls flat. Sound effects include swords clashing, horses galloping, wagons speeding across the countryside, and characters being impaled and hit by heavy objects.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics include the following:
- Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
- Trailer (1:39)
- Double Trouble Trailer (1:51)
Audio Commentary – Film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson classify The Barbarians as a film from cinema’s “muscleman school.” The Cannon studio was putting a lot of product into theaters in the 1980s, capitalizing on trends until audiences wearied of them. Ruggero Deodato replaced the original director before filming began. The Barbarians did well at the box office especially in international engagements. By the end of the 1980s, the sword-and-sandals genre was in decline. The Paul brothers have little dialogue but look the part and do lots of physical action. They serve the picture effectively and are “simple and charming.” The commentators compare them to the Incredible Hulk. Deodato infuses the film with considerable production value and is good with actors, allowing them to provide their own input into their performance. As long as they stayed within the script’s parameters, they were allowed to interpret their role their way. Deodato is comfortable with different styles of acting. One of the commentators notes,“He’s by no means a no-talent hack.” The fantasy landscape later in the film doesn’t detract from a film in which realism isn’t necessary.
The Barbarians is fun primarily because of its mishmash of elements—muscle-bound twins, magic gem, evil warlord, female Robin Hood, and mystifying sorceress. A silly adventure at heart, it offers plenty of action. Despite hokey dialogue and less-than-convincing special effects, it’s enjoyable, fast-paced and often outrageous. Director Deodato creates a fantasy world of action, and Peter and David Paul have a kind of charm as they hack and chop their way through obstacles.
- Dennis Seuling