The Barbarians

1987 "Warriors. Conquerors. Heroes."
5| 1h27m| R| en| More Info
Released: 01 March 1987 Released
Producted By: Cannon Group
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Orphaned brothers Kutchek and Gore are adopted by a tribe led by Canary the owner of a powerful jewel. The evil Kadar wants both Canary and the jewel. Attacking the tribe he kidnaps Canary but the stone eludes him. The brothers are taken to be trained as gladiators and years later have grown to be VERY big. They escape and set off on a quest to find the jewel and rescue Canary.

Watch Online

The Barbarians (1987) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Ruggero Deodato

Production Companies

Cannon Group

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

Stream on any device, 30-day free trial
Watch Now
The Barbarians Videos and Images
View All
  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew

The Barbarians Audience Reviews

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?
Micransix Crappy film
Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
Woodyanders Brawny twin brothers Kutchek and Gore join forces to rescue their kidnapped queen Canary (a bewitching turn by the strikingly lovely and radiant Virginia Bryant) from the vile clutches of evil tyrant Kadar (veteran bad guy thesp Richard Lynch in fine wicked form) so they can restore the itinerant gypsy tribe they were adopted from to its former glory. Feisty outlaw gal Kara (a winningly spunky portrayal by the incredibly comely Eva LaRue) helps our endearingly thick-skulled musclehead heroes out.Director Ruggero Deodato, working from a blithely inane script by James R. Silke, wisely doesn't take the silly story seriously, maintains an engaging tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, keeps the enjoyably asinine plot moving along at a brisk pace, stages the sword fights with gusto, and even tosses in a few decent bits of splatter. The cast have a grand time with the campy material: Peter and David Paul make for amiable leads, Sheeba Alahani really sinks her teeth into the juicy role of formidable and treacherous sorceress China, Michael Berryman likewise has a ball as vicious lackey the Dirtmaster, and George Eastman pops up in a nifty bit as slimy arms dealer Jacko. Pino Donaggio's robust score hits the rousing spot. Gianlorenzo Battaglia's glossy cinematography and the pretty lavish production values provide an impressively polished look (the giant animatronic dragon in particular is quite gnarly). The bevy of luscious scantly clad harem girls supplies plenty of delectable eye candy. Good dumb fun.
Comeuppance Reviews In a mystical faraway land of swords and sorcery, two twin brothers are orphaned and adopted by a traveling caravan of weirdos. When the nefarious warlord Kadar (Lynch), in a quest for more power, attacks the traveling troupe and imprisons Queen Canary (Bryant) and enslaves the brothers in a work camp, at least some good comes out of it: a lifetime of lifting rocks has turned the two brothers into massively muscular "Barbarian Brothers". Kutchek (Peter Paul) and Gore (David Paul) want to free their beloved Queen, so, along with another newly-freed victim of the wrath of Kadar, a girl named Kara (La Rue), they go forward on their quest. Along the way they meet all kinds of crazy characters and people, not the least of which are Dirtmaster (Berryman) and Jacko (Eastman). Will they slay the dragon? Will they find the magical ruby that fits into the bellybutton of the future queen? Will they argue and make weird, animalistic noises? Find out today! Connecticut's own The Barbarian Brothers truly come out to shine (literally - they glisten) in their first major, starring role. It truly was an amazing time for the film industry and the world of video stores alike - the fact that projects like this could be made and distributed around the world would not happen today. That Cannon would put Ruggero Deodato in the director's chair, and - of all people - The Barbarian Brothers front and center is nothing short of a miracle. The result is a fairly freewheeling journey into a magical land filled with wacky costumes, crazy makeup, and oiled-up meatheads.It was the 80's, after all, and things like Dungeons and Dragons, He-Man, and the Conan The Barbarian series (he's only ONE barbarian. Here you get two for the price of one) were huge. Not to mention video games like Iron Sword (remember the Fabio cover?), Gauntlet and later Golden Axe. Even the breastplate that one of the brothers wears later in the movie is very He-Man esque. And seeing as how Lucio Fulci directed Conquest (1983), Cannon probably figured, 'okay, this sword-and-sorcery stuff is huge right now, let's get another Italian director known for his horror/gore work and have him run the show'. Deodato provides a weird/wacky vibe, and the whole thing is well-shot in typical Italian style. While Dolph Lundgren was ideal casting for Masters of the Universe (1987) - could you imagine He-Man x2? Well, imagine no longer.Fan favorite Richard Lynch was good casting as the baddie, and it's probably the only time we've ever seen him with dreadlocks. He must have impressed Deodato after working with him on Cut and Run (1985). Same goes for Michael Berryman, who also appeared in that movie two years earlier for Deodato. Berryman is always cool to see, and he makes some great faces, and has some impressive headgear. Same thing for George Eastman, we always enjoy when he pops up when you're not expecting him to, which happens fairly often. Eva La Rue makes a cute companion to the Barbarians on their quest, and there are some lesser characters with notable features such as a guy who can only be described as "Pee Wee Amidala" (you'll know him when you see him) and a baddie who looks a lot like Bane. Interestingly, in this "origin story" for the Barbarian Brothers, they actually take the time to explain WHY they're so huge, which you don't often see for other meatheads. The brothers themselves have a silly kind of chemistry which has helped earn them a fan following.The movie fluctuates between childish fun and more adult themes, so it's hard to tell exactly who this was aimed for. Perhaps the ideal audience is immature young men like us. Featuring an uncredited song with the lyrics "Your ruby dreams taste so sweet", The Barbarians remains a lightweight 80's Barbaric good time.
Alohalani Sheeba Alahani I was China in this film. I choose the screen name Sheeba Alahani because I was modeling at the time in Italy and they couldn't pronounce my real name correctly, so I choose Sheeba and then added Alahani since it was similar to Alohalani.I had never acted before (and it shows), but it was so much fun to film. They gave me "acting lessons" each morning (which obviously were not useful). They dubbed my voice (thank goodness).David and Peter were a blast on the set, full of good humor and jokes. This film was never meant to be taken seriously, it was a tax write off according to inside information. I give it a 1 because I have a sense of humor, but a 10 for the fun I had "acting" in it.
Peter Malone I have to agree that this isn't a movie you should watch expecting to see Conan or something. This totally belongs in Mystery Science Theater 3000, and should be forever immortalized as the timeless piece that it is. It has always been one that I've enjoyed and gotten many laughs from. The storyline is ridiculous and the acting is atrocious, but it all lends itself to the humor. I think that at the time the idea that weight lifters could act had some appeal. Look at Arnold, he did well for himself, but I'm not so sure if these two ever returned to the movie business. So take this movie with a grain of salt, and then maybe a shot chased by a lemon wedge, because it is excellent entertainment and very funny if you keep in mind just how silly it is.