Synopsis
Conan is commissioned by the evil queen Taramis to safely escort a teen princess and her powerful bodyguard to a far away castle to retrieve the magic Horn of Dagoth. Unknown to Conan, the queen plans to sacrifice the princess when she returns and inherit her kingdom after the bodyguard kills Conan. The queen's plans fail to take into consideration Conan's strength and cunning and the abilities of his sidekicks: the eccentric wizard Akiro, the warrior woman Zula, and the inept Malak. Together the hero and his allies must defeat both mortal and supernatural foes in this voyage to sword-and-sorcery land.
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Cast
- Arnold SchwarzeneggerConan
- Grace JonesZula
- Wilt ChamberlainBombaata
- MakoAkiro 'The Wizard'
- Tracey WalterMalak
- Sarah DouglasQueen Taramis
- Olivia d'AboPrincess Jehnna
- Pat RoachMan Ape / Toth-Amon
- Jeff CoreyGrand Vizier
- Sven-Ole ThorsenTogra
Recommendations
- 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Conan the Destroyer is more cheerful than the first Conan movie, and it probably has more sustained action, including a good sequence in the glass palace. - 70
Time Out
A predictable quest plot is unwound with tremendous verve, and the only real disappointments are some ropey special effects. But Fleischer's zest for action carries it all along splendidly. - 70
Variety
Conan the Destroyer is the ideal sword and sorcery picture. As Conan, Arnold Schwarzenegger seems more animated and much funnier under Fleischer’s direction than he did under John Milius’ in the original – he even has an amusing drunk scene. Jones just about runs off with the picture. - 60
IGN
Conan the Destroyer is not an awful follow-up, just a mostly unnecessary one. - 60
TV Guide Magazine
Under the direction of veteran Fleischer, this superior sequel to the plodding Conan The Barbarian boasts much more speed, skill, and ingenuity than its predecessor. - 58
The A.V. Club
Destroyer makes all the mistakes Barbarian avoided. Dropping the first movie’s grim approach to achieve an audience-friendly rating, the sequel goes for a lighter, more overtly humorous tone, with multiple characters serving as increasingly unnecessary comic relief. - 50
The New York Times
The special effects aren't bad, and there are fewer decapitations than in Conan the Barbarian. Mr. Fleischer seems to want this film to be funnier than was the first one, directed by John Milius, but Mr. Schwarzenegger, a body builder who can lift freight trains, can't easily get his tongue into his cheek. - 50
Newsweek
Veteran director Richard Fleischer brings to the Conan sequel some of the endearingly stolid craftsmanship of his old movies, while avoiding the lip-smacking sadism of the original. The movie is consistently dumb, though not hard to watch, but it would be a lot more fun if someone had bothered to give Conan a personality. [02 July 1984, p.45]
