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

Wilt Chamberlain and Grace Jones didn't get along on set. Chamberlain had to keep asking Jones to turn down her boom box.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 24 mins) Just after Conan rescues Malak from the falling rocks and they are both under the waterfall, Malak's hair is soaked but Conan's is barely damp.

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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

In the original release, Jehnna rewards Malak by appointing him royal treasurer, reasoning, "Who better to guard my treasure than a thief?" In current broadcast and video releases, Jehnna appoints Malak "fool".

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Connections

Referenced in ReBoot: Icons (1997)

User Reviews

Stupid But Fun

If you're looking for a deep, interesting and layered fantasy flick which makes sense and has an original story, go rent out the first Conan movie. Conan the Destroyer is pure Hollywood cheese, made because the Conan the Barbarian was such a hit. The studio execs made the story more light-hearted, with sidekicks and magic and the kind of story a thirteen-year-old could watch without getting in trouble.

Oddly enough, it works. While it's light years away from Robert E Howard's original Conan stories, Conan the Destroyer is still great fun, even twenty years after it was made. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes the most of the very silly lines he's given, Tracey Walter proves a capable if somewhat pointless comic foil, and the irony of casting Wilt Chamberlain as a protector of a young princess' virginity is hilarious.

Mako hams it up, Grace Jones takes it all too seriously and Olivia D'Abo makes for a good childlike princess because she was 16 when the film got made. The music's over-dramatic, the lines are laughable ("Some wizard you are! Go back to juggling apples!") and the story's cliché, but for Saturday night viewing, nothing beats Conan the Destroyer.

Possibly Interesting Trivia: This movie was produced by Raffaela De Laurentis, daughter of the famous Dino De Laurentis. She also produced the confusing big-budget epic "Dune". Both Dune and this movie flopped at the box office, and both were filmed in Mexico.