Conan the Destroyer (1984)

Conan leads a ragtag group of adventurers on a quest for a princess.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Robert E. Howard (based on the character created by), Roy Thomas (story by)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Olivia d'Abo

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Conan
Grace Jones	...	Zula
Wilt Chamberlain	...	Bombaata
Mako	...	Akiro 'The Wizard'
Tracey Walter	...	Malak
Sarah Douglas	...	Queen Taramis
Olivia d'Abo	...	Princess Jehnna (as Olivia D'Abo)
Pat Roach	...	Man Ape / Toth-Amon
Jeff Corey	...	Grand Vizier
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	Togra (as Sven Ole Thorsen)
Bruce Fleischer	...	Village Heckler
Ferdy Mayne	...	The Leader (as Ferdinand Mayne)

Storyline

The wandering barbarian, Conan, alongside his goofy rogue pal, Malak, are tasked with escorting Queen Taramis' virgin niece, Princess Jehnna and her bodyguard, Bombaata, to a mystical island fortress. They must retrieve a magical crystal that will help them procure the horn that legends say can awaken the god of dreams, Dagoth. Along the way, Conan reunites with the wise wizard, Akiro and befriends the fierce female fighter, Zula. Together the heroes face ancient traps, powerful Wizards, plots of betrayal, and even the dream god, Dagoth, himself!

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Plot Keywords:

zeus character | good versus evil | antihero | punching an animal | good man | 

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Taglines:

The Darkest Side of Magic. The Strongest Side of Man.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Conan: King of Thieves

Filming Locations:

Yuma, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,876,678, 1 July 1984

Gross USA:

$31,042,035

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,042,035

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Edward R. Pressman Film, Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roger Donaldson was originally chosen to direct but producer Dino De Laurentiis moved him over to The Bounty (1984). John Milius recommended Richard Fleischer who had worked with De Laurentiis before, and who had directed The Vikings (1958), one of Milius' favourite movies.

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Goofs

(at around 7 mins) After the initial fight, when Queen Taramis is approaching Conan, he stands up and takes a fighting stance. While standing, one of the nets gets caught on his scabbard (or knife hilt). Later the net disappears while he is still in the fighting stance and did not have time to remove it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Akiro 'The Wizard': [voiceover] Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, sword in hand. It is I, his chronicler, who knows well his saga. Now, let me tell you of the days of high adventure.

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Alternate Versions

There are some deleted scenes that never made it to the dvd or vhs, these include:- 1. A love scene between Conan and Queen Taramis 2. Queen Taramis slaps Bombaata The German dvd release of Conan the destroyer is special edition and restores some of the scenes that aren't included either on the UK or US versions, these are:- 1. When the camel spits at Conan, Conan slams the camel down with a fist. 2. Some of the fight scenes are extended 3. Bombaata trips up Zula when she helps Conan defeat the Elite guards that surprise attack.

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Connections

Follows Conan the Barbarian (1982)

User Reviews

campy and humorous, but still enthralling entertainment

While the original 'Conan the Barbarian' was more dramatic, the sequel is played more for laughs. Nonetheless, it is still a highly entertaining sword and sorcery fantasy flick. The music is again outstanding and carries the movie where the dialogue fails. Of particular note is Wilt Chamberlain's impressive performance as the immense Bombatta. He has a tremendous screen presence, more than just his stature (plus he had to do his own stunts!).

There are lots of memorable scenes throughout the movie. Not a cerebral film, just good old-fashioned fantasy!