The Conqueror

The Conqueror is a 1956 historical epic film directed by Dick Powell and starring John Wayne. It is about how Temujin rose to power as Genghis Khan.

Why It Sucks

 * 1) John Wayne as Genghis Khan is an abysmal casting choice.
 * 2) A story about Genghis Khan, one of the most evil men in history who raped and pillaged isn't the kind of thing to make a sweeping epic film out of.
 * 3) Terrible dialogue, most notably John Wayne delivering Mongolian dialogue in his trademark cowboy voice.
 * 4) Lame action sequences.
 * 5) Poor pacing.
 * 6) This film lead to the downfall of RKO Pictures.
 * 7) Howard Hughes made a stupid decision to film downwind of a nuclear test site (and even bring back some of the sand to use in the studio), poisoning and eventually leading to the cancer deaths of much of the cast and crew, John Wayne (possibly) included.
 * 8) Sometimes the music is in inappropriate locations: romantic music plays when Genghis rips off his wife's blouse.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) The costume designs are great.
 * 2) Impressive amount of extras.
 * 3) Despite the music sometimes not fitting the scene, Victor Young's score is nice.