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Conan the Destroyer Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 25 Reviews)

An action adventure movie whose faults (of which there are many) are now charming in their cheesiness
Filming movies back-to-back is nothing new, the obvious savings and advantages on sharing production costs, crew and even marketing meant that the second and third BACK TO THE FUTURE films were filmed simultaneously in the late 1980s. Even today the two sequels to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN are being filmed hand-in-hand and there are reports that the second Daniel Craig 007 movie will enter into production shortly after the crew have wrapped CASINO ROYALE.
So, it should be no surprise then that the second Conan movie was part of a similar back-to-back deal in the early- to mid-1980s. But what is surprising is that the movie that partnered with the rollicking adventure movie was a quirky science fiction blockbuster from David Lynch named DUNE.
That's right, as that big-budget turkey was roasting under the Mexican sun, a pre-Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger was working on a much more entertaining movie with a colorful cast of characters.
Based (rather loosely) on the series of novels by Robert E. Howard, this 1984 feature was a sequel to the much darker and more sinister 1982 movie CONAN THE BARBARIAN and saw Schwarzenegger reprise his role as the monumentally strong thief and adventurer.
The director of this entry, the veteran Richard Fleischer actually owed his hire for this movie to another movie he had made almost 30 years earlier, 1958's THE VIKINGS. Producer Raffaella De Laurentiis had commented that since they had tried to copy that movies style and look for the 1982 picture, why not hire that movie's director for this production - and so Fleischer was hired.
Once hired Fleischer set about shaping the movie to his liking. One of the most publicized, decisions he made was telling an incredulous Schwarzenegger that he needed to buff up a bit more. Fleischer said that at the time of the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN he had been disappointed that Arnold's incredible physique had been covered up for most of the movie, Fleischer also consciously set about making this a lighter entry to the series. The Conan here has a number of genuinely comedic moments, from punching a camel, a horse and attempting to teach a beautiful princess how to wield his sword, Schwarzenegger shows early promise in a genre that would not fully be realized until movies such as TWINS and KINDERGARTEN COP.
Joining Schwarzenegger this time is Sarah Douglas (of SUPERMAN II fame) as the evil Queen Taramis who enlists Conan's help in retrieving a crystal and in turn a magical jeweled horn. Former basketball star Wilt Chamberlain is on board also as the towering Bombaata, who is charged with keeping the princess Jehnna, who is destined to bring back the mystical object (played by the impossibly beautiful Olivia D'Abo) a virgin so that she can be sacrificed. Along the way Conan's ragtag group meet up with Zula, played by Grace Jones. The scene that introduced Jones' character sees her wielding a stick against a group of tormentors and reportedly she landed a few strikes sending a couple of stuntmen in the hospital. It was in fact her role here that brought her to the attention of the James Bond producers that in turn led to her starring in Roger Moore's swan song as 007 in 1985's A VIEW TO A KILL. Far from a great acting display her character still provides a number of memorable moments and is one of the movie's highlights.
The special effects are very dated by today's standards and Pat Roach (veteran of NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN and the Indiana Jones movies) makeup as the wizard Toth-Amon guarding the crystal really is appallingly fake-looking. But the movie is a good popcorn flick that is both fun and fast-paced enough that you can easily forgive these lapses.
Interestingly in the audio commentary that accompanied CONAN THE BARBARIAN Schwarzenegger commented that he would be interested in making a third Conan movie. Sadly this has not been forthcoming and now that he looks intent on pursuing political goals it appears less and less likely. A shame.
This movie is nowhere near as good as its predecessor, but it's still recommended for those rainy Saturday afternoons.

A must have movie!!!
this was an fun fantasy-action movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a powerful kick ass/warrior. Arnold is so damm sexy with all the muscle showing sword-fighting ....And yes, the movie is visually interesting, too, even though, the special effects are obsolete and a little goofy...but thats ok...its an old movie now... A movie I love seeing over and over again...a movie that is a must have for any Arnold -Fan!

There you are, joined. I mean,how do you think flowers grow
The mighty Conan journeys on a search to obtain a magic crystal from a mysterious sorcerer, he is also responsible, unknowingly, to retrieve a magic horn from a guarded temple. He is assigned to have Princess Jehnna accompany him, as she is the only one who can touch the two artifacts. Bombaata (Wilt) is sent along with Conan to protect the princess and insure her virginity be kept in tact. Conan obtains some of his own friends to assist him on this journey including: Zula (Grace Jones), Akiro 'The Wizard (Mako), and Malak (Tracey Walter).

Richard Fleischer (Red Sonja) directs Conan the Destroyer. It is not as good as the original. The first Conan possessed a larger then life character, played by James Earl Jones, and that left a big void in this film. The ending in Conan the Destroyer was kind of disappointing. Also, the animated dragons special effects was also a downer. The comic relief by Malak was a nice addition. The scene where Conan is paddling the boat, and hitting Malak on the head with the paddle, and Malak never changes facial expressions is classic, but subtle. Why does Wilt pull a Mike Tyson and bite part of Conan's ear off?

"If you're going to learn how to fight, learn with a real weapon, not a toothpick."

This is not a great movie. It is very entertaining, fun, and a delight to watch. It is nowhere near as good as the first. A lot of people unjustly beat this movie up, more so because there was never the sequel and continuation the Conan character deserved. Since this is the last movie in the collection, it should have been better. This honestly should have been the second movie of three or four. Unfortunately for Conan the Destroyer it is not. Instead, it is a disappointing conclusion.

No matter how disappointed you are with this film, it belongs in your DVD collection. Despite being far inferior to the first Conan, it is still a very entertaining movie. I also love the Conan character, and enjoy watching him grow from the animal depicted at the beginning of the first film. Conan the Destroyer belongs in your collection.

Grade: A-

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