MIDDLE-AGED MATINEE! #5 - 'Conan the Destroyer'

'Conan the Destroyer' (1984)

It’s time for another “Middle-Aged Matinee” where I take a look at a film that was released during the year of my birth, 1984!

In the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the mainstream when he released the hit film, “Conan the Barbarian”. Since the film was a hit, both in the theaters and in the emerging home video market, that meant that a sequel was inevitable. In ‘84, Schwarzenegger returned in “Conan the Destroyer” and it… did not do very well, either at the box office or with the critics at the time.

The movie came out in the same year as “The Terminator” and it would be that film that would become Schwarzenegger’s signature role. The sequel’s misfortunes also killed plans for a third “Conan” movie. However, I must admit that I quite enjoyed this movie and while I can’t say that I liked it better than “Barbarian”, it definitely lived up to its predecessor for the most part.

In the movie, Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas) enlists the aid of Conan to escort her young niece Princess Jehnna (Olivia d’Abo) to retrieve an ancient horn. What she doesn’t tell Conan is that once Jehnna retrieves and returns with the horn, the young princess will be sacrificed and Taramis has also ordered her loyal soldier Bombaata (Wilt Chamberlain) to kill Conan as well. With his allies Zula (Grace Jones), Malak (Tracy Walter), and Akiro (Mako), Conan must do what he can to protect the princess and stop the evil Queen Taramis.

Once again, Schwarzenegger actually proves to be pretty good with the swordplay and the action is a ton of fun. There are also great fantasy sequences such as Conan having to use a series of mirrors against one enemy and there’s plenty of fights against a variety of wizards, soldiers, and unique creatures.

Now, I will admit that some of the effects in this movie have definitely not aged well and that’s even compared to the original film. In part, this is due to the filmmakers trying to overreach with their ambition and the technology just wasn’t there yet for some of the effects.

Performance wise, Schwarzenegger is more confident in the role and proves once again why he became one of the biggest leading action stars of the day. He’s also helped out by a strong supporting cast that include Jones as the slightly unhinged warrior Zua and the return of Mako as Conan’s loyal friend and wizard, Akiro. I also think that Douglas does a great job as Taramis and gives the movie a strong main antagonist.

Again, I can’t say that I liked this movie more than the original. In fact, at the end of the day, the original is the better movie. However, that doesn’t make this a bad entry. It’s a solid sequel and I’m kind of sad to see that they couldn’t continue with the series. “Conan the Destroyer” is another good example of 1980s fantasy films.

While not as good as the original, this is still a solid and worthy sequel.