The original Conan movie - Conan The Barbarian - came out in 1982 and was both a popular sword and sorcery film and a reasonably successful attempt to turn bodybuilder Arnold Scwarzenegger into a movie star. However, the critics were somewhat unkind to John Milius's fantasy epic, stating that it was far too long, far too serious and far too humourless. On that occasion, the critics were wrong - I, and many others, like Conan The Barbarian BECAUSE of its length and its seriousness. The story feels thorough and atmospheric, and the pace is controlled, not dull. It is very sad that this sequel addresses the very things that were falsely alleged to be "wrong" or "flawed" about the original. It's as if the makers of Conan The Destroyer sat down and listed all the criticisms ever levelled at Conan The Barbarian, then tried to do something to rectify them. So, this sequel is shorter, more lightweight and more humorous than its predecessor. Does it work? Have these changes resulted in a massive improvement? No. In fact, Conan The Destroyer is actually vastly inferior to the original, and is little more than a juvenile romp aimed at bloodthirsty kids and slightly nerdy adults.
Fearsome Cimmerian warrior Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his travelling companion Malak (Tracey Walter, in a bad comic characterisation) are summoned to carry out a dangerous quest on behalf of the treacherous Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas). She promises that if the quest is a success she will reincarnate Conan's long-dead lover so that he may be reunited with her. The mission requires Conan to take a virginal princess named Jehnna (Olivia D'Abo) on a journey to recover a magical crystal. The princess is the only person who can handle the crystal which, when used correctly, will unlock the gateway to an all-powerful horn. With this horn, Taramis plans to awaken a deity and share God-like power with it by sacrificing Jehnna. Along the way, Conan picks up other travelling companions to aid him in his quest, such as the female barbarian Zula (Grace Jones) and inexperienced magician Akiro (Mako). However, Taramis has lied to Conan in order to secure his services; she not only has no intention of bringing his lover back to life, but also plans to kill him once his usefulness is over.
Conan The Destroyer is not a total loss - in fact, in some departments it is actually quite good. Basil Poledouris again provides pulsating music (not quite as good as his scoring of the earlier film, but good enough all the same); Jack Cardiff's photography brings the vast sets and varied locations colourfully to life; there are even infrequent bursts of real excitement. But Conan The Destroyer is repeatedly dragged down by its numerous flaws - ill-suited comedy, listless performances, obvious special effects, and an episodic narrative. In particular this last criticism is a major disappointment. The story is episodic to the point of tedium. The characters ride around, chat about love and magic, then arrive at some kind of temple or castle where a little action ensues. Again and again, with irritating repetition and boring monotony, this same sequence recurs - ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... Conan IS a destroyer - but, unfortunately, what he's destroying is his own genre!!
Fearsome Cimmerian warrior Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his travelling companion Malak (Tracey Walter, in a bad comic characterisation) are summoned to carry out a dangerous quest on behalf of the treacherous Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas). She promises that if the quest is a success she will reincarnate Conan's long-dead lover so that he may be reunited with her. The mission requires Conan to take a virginal princess named Jehnna (Olivia D'Abo) on a journey to recover a magical crystal. The princess is the only person who can handle the crystal which, when used correctly, will unlock the gateway to an all-powerful horn. With this horn, Taramis plans to awaken a deity and share God-like power with it by sacrificing Jehnna. Along the way, Conan picks up other travelling companions to aid him in his quest, such as the female barbarian Zula (Grace Jones) and inexperienced magician Akiro (Mako). However, Taramis has lied to Conan in order to secure his services; she not only has no intention of bringing his lover back to life, but also plans to kill him once his usefulness is over.
Conan The Destroyer is not a total loss - in fact, in some departments it is actually quite good. Basil Poledouris again provides pulsating music (not quite as good as his scoring of the earlier film, but good enough all the same); Jack Cardiff's photography brings the vast sets and varied locations colourfully to life; there are even infrequent bursts of real excitement. But Conan The Destroyer is repeatedly dragged down by its numerous flaws - ill-suited comedy, listless performances, obvious special effects, and an episodic narrative. In particular this last criticism is a major disappointment. The story is episodic to the point of tedium. The characters ride around, chat about love and magic, then arrive at some kind of temple or castle where a little action ensues. Again and again, with irritating repetition and boring monotony, this same sequence recurs - ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... ride, chat, action.... Conan IS a destroyer - but, unfortunately, what he's destroying is his own genre!!