The Ultimate Conan The Destroyer Retrospective

[@zvonimirtomac7896]

Dude, your retrospectives truly deserve the 'ultimate' part of the title.

[@MGSBigBoss77]

We know this! Andre's retrospectives ought to receive physical Blu-ray disc copies they're that great!

[@Bughunt89]

MGSBigBoss77 I totally agree, and I would buy the fuck out of those blu rays by Crom!

[@emmettfitz-hume9408]

If anyone is familiar with Cecil at Good Bad Flicks, I would love to see an Andre/Cecil joint production

[@rogerrambo4172]

Agreed, they are fantastic & have reignited my love for all things Conan.

[@awesomereviews1561]

I know why you thought Conan The Destroyer was better as a kid because I was the same. Conan The Barbarian was the first movie I saw when I was 3 years old ( yeah my dad was awesome) . Soon after I saw Conan The Destroyer, and I liked it better because in as a kid it made more sense since the story had little depth and was pretty straightforward. But as I grew older, years after years, I was more drawn to The Barbarian. When I was older and studied philosophy in school, I finally understood what Conan The Barbarian meant and I was blown away. Conan the Barbarian and a few other movies from the 80’s ( such as Robocop 1 and First Blood) are a special bred. They are attractive for kid but get much better as you grow older because they do have depth. It’s just that has a kid, you are not equipped with the keys to unlock those doors. Great video as usual. Thank you.

[@TILLEYJS]

I'm in the same boat.

[@bellvnv2000]

For my own accord when I was a kid I thought Conan the Destroyer was better too because it had that monster in it and the sexy sexy Ursa as the Evil Queen . Barbarian came off as boring . The pacing in it at points is very slow and as a kid I didn't really get that and to an extent today when I watch the movie, unless I had the backstory or knew anything about the comics it still comes across as kind of boring . But like Empire Strikes Back it IS the better movie . Did I mention that Ursa was sexy ? 😍 😂

[@faz6877]

I had the same experience as a child. At 5 years old I appreciated the monsters in The Destroyer over the amazing story telling in the Barbarian. Of course today I'll take Doom almost any movie villain.

[@bellvnv2000]

@@faz6877 like fine wine time makes 'us' better with age . But for others they just turned to vinegar ! It is a strange Life to Live to look back at the 80s with fondness and reverence versus what we have today ! I mean back in the 80s I was foaming at the mouth for things to be better in the 21st century ! Aside from technology, "Good God" ! Have we not been such good stewards of our own culture as to stay off this Hellstorm ? 😔

[@nuruddinshah684]

( such as Star wars....Ones ago) are a special bred. They are attractive for kid but get much better as you grow older because they do have depth. It’s just that has a kid, you are not equipped with the keys to unlock those doors.

[@theaverageDon]

Sounds like a cautionary tale that keeps repeating itself again and again, back then and today

[@mrgreatbigmoose]

"What does not kill you makes you stronger" is a fine quote. But "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it" seems to be forgotten, as Hollywood could have produced five great Conans if they knew this little adage existed. Happy New Year Andre!

[@jordil6152]

@@mrgreatbigmoose Those who learn from history are doomed to watch others repeat it.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

The thing is movie studio producers/execs have always been morons who never really understood movies and art. As they only see movies as a way to make money, and as they're usually filthy rich, they think they know better than everyone else how to make said money. And almost always they are in fact the least qualified people for that task. If they were capable of looking past their own arrogance and stupidity, they would realize that leaving the job for more qualified people would bring in a lot more of the money they so much crave. But that will never happen.

[@stonetic2515]

Basil Poledouris is still my favorite movie soundtrack guy of all time. It's a shame he's practically unknown despite all the legendary themes he's made. The Conan ones were his best by far. I love his unusual choices of primitive instruments and that powerful male chorus in "The Kitchen".

[@derekk2708]

Totally Agree. ; )

[@thecatsnightmare]

I still think the duel between Akiro and the leader of The Keepers of the Horn is one of the top 3 wizard duels in cinema. No special fancy effects, just the actor's performances of Mako and Ferdinand Mayne showing the back-and-forth of the effort of battle of two wizards trying to impose their will over the other other in magic to open/close that door.

[@faz6877]

Enough talk!!

[@lsb2623]

There is only ONE wizard battle of 80's flicks... Egg Shen versus Lo Pan !!!

[@thecatsnightmare]

@@lsb2623 Oh hell yes! That is one of my other choices for Top 3. Akiro Vs The Keeper for performance/acting, Egg Shen vs Lo Pan for style/presentation, and for #3, Fin Raziel vs Bavmorda in Willow for that "oh snap!"/intensity, it starts out a classic battle between two sorceresses but the raw intensity of their dislike of each other, just causes the whole thing to break down into old lady catfight!

[@faz6877]

@@lsb2623 : Ends the same way as in Conan, just cuts the wizard off and throws a knife at through them lol. That's how I like my wizard fights

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

@@thecatsnightmare I just had to watch Fin Raziel vs Bavmorda as a refresher, never knew how much it reminded my of lord of the rings how Gandalf got captured. lol

[@crispycritterz]

The worst enemy of the creative process: Meddling from the front office. Another potentially great franchise goes up in flames.

[@Emper0rH0rde]

It's been 40 years, bare minimum, and ivory tower executives *still* haven't learned that meddling in the creative process *never* changes things for the better. That's how isolated they are from reality.

[@mazimadu]

*The Story of Andre* : When I was I boy, I had the mind of a boy, and thus lived Conan the Destroyer. When I was a man, I developed the mind of a man, and thus liked Conan the Barbarian and hated Conan the Destroyer. Now I am an older man, and have developed wisdom, and thus appreciate both movies. ... this ends the story of Andre!

[@Hybris51129]

There really needs to be a uncut version of the Conan movies released.

[@Thundarr100]

There already is a directors cut of Conan The Barbarian. Not much difference except for a conversation between Conan and Subotai when they're preparing for the final battle, which was cut for time and not content. I would like to see the Rated R cut of Conan The Destroyer though. The first one that the MPAA sent back with an R rating. If the footage still exists, Universal Studios should totally rerelease it on DVD/BluRay.

[@jamiegoss4970]

First one, scandalous.

[@thebaron512]

@@Thundarr100 They added back the princess at the end as well

[@Thundarr100]

@@thebaron512 True. And some of the scenes of Conan sneaking up on Thulsa Doom were shown from different angles. Still, the bulk of the movie is unchanged between the two different cuts.

[@Tony-1971]

Both movies are awesome in their own different ways. The sets in both movies are fantastic as well. I love that the second one was more 'comic book' in style. The magic castles, horned god monsters and wizard lizards are exactly the kinds of things youd see in the Conan comic books. I actually wanted more of that stuff. Theres a great documentary on in the extra features on the Conan the destroyer blu ray that tells you about some other really cool stuff they planned for the movie but ended up dropping. Red Sonja is my unofficial 3rd Conan movie in series.

[@AHersheyHere]

Destroyer gets to exist merely for the 'Enough talk!' line.

[@xser4321]

"only pain" is equally iconic!

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

"Lot on your knife!"

[@hatuletoh]

I was thinking about the turmoil and ultimate failure to get another Conan movie made, and for a reason I didn't understand at the time, I was reminded of the Terminator movies; then my thoughts went to Predator. Finally I realized that the connection, the "through-line", so to speak, that all those franchises share is Arnold Schwarzenegger's looks and physical presence is/was a major component of their success (esp Conan and Terminator), and as time has progressed and Schwarzenegger has aged, it has completely dictated what story lines within those franchises can oe cannot do, even to the point of preventing films from being made. That's pretty remarkable when you think about it: major movie franchises that more or less turned on the physique of one....well, I was going to say "on the physique of one actor" but Arnold is much better described as a "movie star". Don't get me wrong, I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and make no excuses for my love of Arnold Schwarzenegger action films. I like everything he did from Conan to Terminator 2, even Red Heat and Running Man. And unlike many old Arnold action fans, I even enjoyed his early comedy: I recently watched Kindergarten Cop for the first time in at least a decade, and it was damn funny. It's an objectively enjoyable film if youre in the mood for what it is. That said, Arnold Schwarzenegger is never going to be mistaken for an great thespian who portrays different characters rather than being the same "big tough guy from a Germanic speaking country" in every single movie hes in. On the other hand, the man understood what people were coming to see, and if he had no hope of ever speaking with a different accent, he at least put tons of work into looking good and projecting a presence onscreen. This video mentioned him losing, then getting back, the muscle definition for the Conan movies, and his all-cast, all-night work-outs in the jungle while shooting Predator have become legendary. I think it's fair to say that Arnold's physique and charisma didn't just cover for his minimal acting ability, but actually created characters and whole franchises that Hollywood has been unable to recast since he became too old to play the roles. Has there ever been another film star who can make that claim? John Wayne is the closest I can think of, but as distinct as he was, he wasn't integral to roles in the same way or as irreplaceable as Arnold.

[@hamarbiljungskile8953]

Well put.

[@faz6877]

great post. As with Terminator, it sucks we have to tailor the story to Arnolds age (even if doesn't make sense) rather than simply crafting a great story. I agree, part of Arnolds screen presence is that look. Without it it has been hard to make the same impact. I will say he might have been able to pull Conan off. I guess I can accept an aging Conan over some of his other characters. He would look good with a big beard. Of course I don't have any faith in a studio giving us a dark depiction of Conan that would do justice to The Barbarian.

[@pangoprime8674]

Excellent post.

[@SirBlackReeds]

Kindergarten Cop is the best of those "stick the tough action hero with a bunch of kids" movies.

[@Predilus]

The reference to kennedy / disney was spot on. History repeats itself.

[@sebastianprimomija8375]

Goddamn Arnold as Conan makes me want to get massive gains.

[@lsb2623]

Yes, bro. Go for it bro! You too can be the Tom Platz of abs...

[@Reidbynature]

I still enjoy Destroyer. Though I'm more aware of the bad effects I also now see the Lovecraft connection which heightens my appreciation. Though not in the same league as Barbarian, it's a fun monster flick with some good cheesy lines.

[@rengarcia5189]

I actually love this film. In 1984, I think I enjoyed it more than the preceding film because I thought it embraced high sorcery more. I loved Mako as the wizard and I even thought Wilt Chamberlain did a great job as Bombatta. This adventure fueled my imagination and, as a story-writer myself, help inspire me as I published my own works later on.

[@ryanjacobson2508]

If the lame attempts at humor had been cut out of the movie, it would work quite a bit better. That said, it's. still pretty good. The sets, costumes, and special effects are mostly good. The cast is unusual and does what they can with the script they've been given (I can't fault d'abo or Tracey Walter for the fact that their characters were written badly). And it does seem like the writers and the director were more comfortable with fantasy than Milius was.

[@JamesGhodbane]

Conan the destroyer was a good heroic fantasy movie but I preferred Conan the barbarian a dark fantasy masterpiece

[@natsohigh5552]

Is that the one with Grace Jones, cause that's a badass film

[@luchomscyfy]

It's more philosophical too. The themes about the Riddle of the Steel.....marvelous.

[@lsb2623]

Barbarian was a journey of a film... Destroyer was a popcorn flick (albeit of the highest order!)

[@drogonblack4424]

I agree with you. I love Conan the barbarian. Fantastico 👍 John Milius a great director. Robert E. Howard I will love you forever

[@RPGmodsFan]

I always thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger was ungrateful towards the movie that launched his career. Thanks to your Retrospective Video, I now realized that i was wrong. He wanted the movies more true to Robert E. Howard's stories, settings & characters.

[@Cyromantik]

He may not be the vest actor, but he's definitely one of the more sincere ones out there, and will do his best to play his characters faithfully.

[@poodinky80]

​Agreed, he was physically great in the roll and it was obvious how much he was into the character@@Cyromantik

[@Man_of_Tomorrow]

Destroyer doesn't hold a candle to Barbarian, but is still vastly more entertaining than most sword and sorcery films. Had Barbarian not existed and Destroyer was all we had I think it'd be held in much higher regard as the fun schlocky movie it is. It's just that the reality is that it follows a finely crafted philosophical masterpiece.

[@lsb2623]

Barbarian was a very artsy and "realistic" kind of movie with a certain weight to it. Destroyer had a real 80's Arnie action flick feel to it. I really had no idea they were made so close though! Both were huge to me when I was a kid and teen. I love Conan!

[@Paulafan5]

The first one treated it seriously and the second one did what most sword and fantasy movies were... a joke. You have to take the material seriously, even if it is outlandish.

[@smackroscoe]

“Family friendly Conan…”, 3 words that should never be uttered for the rest of eternity. Always wondered how/why the quality dropped so much between movies. Now, because of your tireless pursuit of truth, we know the true villains of this disaster. Thank you for all the tremendous work & wonderful commitment to our shared culture. Bless you Sir! Bravo!!!

[@rengarcia5189]

And, I must say, Sarah Douglas is one of the most underutilized and covered-up hotties of all time. I thought she was absolutely gorgeous in this film, the dark smokiness of her character thrilled me.

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

I had to look her up and in this movie, not bad. Then next to it saw her in superman and outloud slipped "oh Jesus". lol

[@NBDYSPCL]

Arnie needs a Logan style Conan finale. A quick montage at the beginning of what the other films might have had (some conan the pirate?) and then an sged conan savagely fighting against the collapse of the Hyborian age.

[@cvzanikos1]

Conan is one of my favorite movies of all time Barbarian of course. I loved the sequel when I was young and then came to hate it later on like everyone else now you make me want to buy it.

[@Kevin_Street]

Your Conan series is so great. Thank you for making this video, and for releasing it at Christmas when we can all sit back and enjoy it. Conan The Destroyer... Wow, I haven't thought about that movie in a long time. I sort of remember coming away from it with three impressions and not much else: - The first movie was way less predictable and thus more fun. (And this was after only seeing Conan The Barbarian in cut form on TV.) - Olivia d'Abo was incredibly hot. She's older than me, so this wasn't inappropriate. - Conan's fight with the monster at the end was so stupid. It invalidated the seriousness of the quest they'd just gone through when he could slay it on his own. Over the years I've rewatched Conan The Barbarian a number of times, but haven't seen Destroyer since the mid 80's. Oh, for what could have been! The Thomas and Conway script sounds epic.

[@beoxsgaming9388]

I watched both Conan movies when I was younger, but haven't seen then in at least a decade (maybe two). Having watched the retrospectives so far, I want to go back and watch them again.

[@DUARTE99]

Great stuff M.E.! I have to admit, Conan the Destroyer is a guilty pleasure of mine.

[@Keyser666]

I'd forgotten how beautiful Olivia d'Abo is in this. And everything else she's ever been in.

[@raksh9]

In the late 90s, I showed the Conan The Destroyer soundtrack CD to a friend. He was immediately drawn to the picture of Olivia D'Abo on the back, and we had a mutual appreciation moment. She was truly beautiful back then. I'm a bit disturbed to find out, decades later, that she was only 14 when that movie was filmed.

[@michiganjack1337]

In 1986 when I first was introduced to both of the Conan films it was a quick lesson in curbing expectations especially when it comes to fiction. This was quickly substantiated with the Superman sequels.

[@Elfos64]

What you were saying about the violence and gore needing to be toned down to get a PG rating, it reminds me of an observation I made with a comic I read. The Sword & Sorcery genre is defined by the savage and supernatural brutality of the distant past, few genres are as married to their MPA ratings as Sword & Sorcery is to R. To mandate a tone-down defeats the point, that'd be like a Sci-Fi film that can't have aliens, unrealistic technology, or be set in space. Not impossible, but remarkably divorced from typical tropes. I remember when I read DC's Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, it had various kingdoms each with their own magic and like people with crude prosthetic limbs, monsters that could eat you, a sort of "strong conqueror the weak" vibe, main villain is an evil sorcerer who's trying to steal all the other kingdom's magic, etc. I got a Sword & Sorcery vibe from it, but like... a weirdly PG friendly version. Amethyst has since been reinterpreted and readapted as more of a Magical Girl series, but I can't stop thinking about what it was originally and what it could have been.

[@mlang28]

Still watching my conan movies in 2021...love it!!

[@wishfulthinking1079]

These Conan videos are amazing, thank you midnight's edge, keep up the great work.

[@ardon68]

i like all 3 Conan movies as a Conan fan of the comics of the 80's . i had some of the paperback books but lost them due to storage weather ruining them. which i was going to read but never did.

[@gulf_coast_gypsy]

I loved both movies, Barbarian being my favorite. That said I would have loved to see any Arnie Conan project no matter how bad. If he had played Conan in Red Sonia it would have elevated that movie in my eyes. I have even read that Kull the Conqueror movie was originally intended to be a Arnie Conan movie. That would have made that movie better by far. We have so little live action Conan that at this point (to me) anything would be great. We need more!!!

[@aylmer666]

I've seen the film dozens of times and it never occurred to me until your review that Bombata is indeed a Eunuch. I had always thought the princess was just "putting him in his place" and suppose the casting of Wilt Chamberlain affected my perspective.

[@MidnightsEdge]

See, that's why it needs pointing out;p

[@TheEyez187]

20:20 - Fans recognize him as Thoth Amon, but I also recognize him as a departed family friend. A true gentle giant! Remember one Christmas as a kid, at the healthclub he and my mother were members of, sitting on his knee as he'd taken up the mantle of being Santa; glad he didn't have the monster make-up on under his hood!! :D RIP Pat Roach.

[@vincent207]

While I usually come here for news and drama in Hollywood, it's nice to see these kind of videos every once in a while.

[@Rickwmc]

Actually Arnold already did a "third Conan movie." It was Red Sonja (1986). Arnold's role of Conan had to be changed to "Kalidor" due to copyright wrangling with the owners of the Robert E. Howard estate. Also, Arnold was getting contracts to such major movies as Predator, Running Man, Total Recall and Terminator-2 and had no time to do another "fourth" Conan movie. When he became California governor that was 8 more years delayed. Then the poor man had not one but two heart surgeries (his 3rd and 4th!). The copyright wrangling has now gone on for another 13 years while Arnold was making five post-governor movies.

[@wolfman7284]

I had no idea that Andre "The Giant" Roussimoff played Dagon. That's cool, thanks for sharing that!

[@fortheloveofking]

Me either, even tho I've seen the promo photos before, I thought it was just promotional material.

[@wolfman7284]

@@fortheloveofking I did too. I thought maybe they were just showing how big everyone was due to them being in the same area or something. The only movie I knew with Andre in it was Princess Bride

[@marcase2003]

Enjoyable piece, thanks guys. I too grew up with Conan, and the Conan comics at the time were among my favorite. There were a slew of cheap b-type "popcorn barbarian" movies being released back then which were enjoyable ("Barbarian Brothers", Beastman etc) but ultimately were nothing more than underperforming 'family adventure' movies. I doubt that Conan can be resurrected to a franchise in its original intended form, but something like a Witcher format might work.

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Actually Beastmaster and especially The Sword and the Sorcerer did fairly well at the the theaters. But they, along with Conan 1, were released in 1982. Later movies in this genre were much less successful since evidently people had had their fill of these movies.

[@909sid]

I just revisited Conan movies and I thank you for making my experience more savored one

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

22:14 thhe ultimate conan moment. You don't need to have the biggest body, just the biggest drive.

[@johngonzales7130]

i had no idea that Bombatta ended up as the virgin sacrifice. how clever. i'm dumb. thanks for the great video!

[@DrJReefer]

I didn't get the eunuch thing or the virgin sacrifice.

[@Pedr4m]

I actually preferred Destroyer to Barbarian as a kid, and again as an adult when rewatching them about a decade ago. After this retrospective, I think I want to revisit them again and see how I feel. I know they'll still be much better than the reboot regardless. The original script sounds like it would have been pretty cool to see though too.

[@Ascendant1]

I can’t lie, I really love this movie.

[@justinratcliffe947]

Nothing wrong with that. Fuck the haters

[@lazerbeamhawkins]

Thanks Andre, love the Conan retrospectives, always a treat! My Dad let me see Destroyer and even taped it for me on VHS back when he wouldn't let me see The Barbarian (I was 9 when the OG came out, and had to watch it at a friend's house). Barbarian will always be my favorite, but Destroyer is still fun to this day for me.

[@ditsycitykitty3841]

I remember my relatives and I were disappointed with Destroyer at first, but each time we gave it a rewatch it grew on me though I don't know about them. I liked it more each time especially when comparing it to Red Sonya whenever we watched the 3 together. Now I view Destroyer as an okay movie, but not great like the first. And arguably, it's a lot better than so many other action adventure movies that have come out over the last 30 years. Ugh, the MPAA rating system really needs to go. I think it causes more confusion than people care to admit. I loathe it with a passion! Ya, I think I definitely would have preferred to see the original Thomas and Conway script as a movie. Even with a PG rating, I think it would have fit well with the first. Always looking forward to more Conan related videos. Thanks, Andre!

[@Ratlegion]

Your retrospectives are dominating. PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!

[@Roper122]

Ahh love how much you are into Conan. Another retrospective? Bring it on.

[@naponroy]

I had the same exact reaction to the movies as you. In youth I preferred the Destroyer, in my 20s hated it and LOVED Barbarian... and now, I'm curious to watch destroyer again to see if "It isn't that bad."

[@pfath77]

THank you, sir. That is what ive been waiting for. Can't wait for more Conan vids. As a fan of all 3 Conan films(despite the last two's major shortcomings "magical castles, lighthearted adventures and babies born on battlefields") I find your retrospectives very good.

[@CommonSenseAmericanPatriot]

This was solid. I liked Destroyer when I was a kid more than Barbarian too. Then understood the quality of Barbarian! I love the Star Wars knock at the end!

[@jefferyrailey405]

Loved my giant Conan comics and collected and read all the Howard and Sprague de camp paperbacks. Arnold made a great Conan

[@FreeArtFreestheWorld]

A movie that has its moments for sure. Not an amazing sequel but not as bad as you'd fear.

[@nyiloronikki160]

Still the second best Conan movie after Conan the barbarian.

[@mikep608]

Conan The Destroyer was for kids. They even changed the opening Narrative from Mako, and the theme music to sound friendlier. As a kid, I was thrilled to be able to see this at the movies, even though it seemed comic book like.

[@MadMattInc1]

The only thing I still really like about Destroyer as it currently is, is the touched up music, and the addition of an actual Conan theme.

[@Krommer1000]

FANTASTIC video. Can't wait for the next installment.

[@georgeorwell4534]

Another magnificent IP brilliant in the writing (including SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN in the 80s) horribly mangled by entertainment managers in the studio.

[@METALGEARMATRIX]

I still like Destroyer

[@slyaspie4934]

These retrospectives really are fantastic thanks for all the hard work you've clearly put into these

[@MidnightsEdge]

You're welcome. Many more are forthcoming, including on all other Robert E. Howard related movies.

[@Astrotrain78]

"Conan the Destroyesr was filmed on location on Mexico, or México for the locals" Yes, thank you, Andre.

[@MidnightsEdge]

De nada.

[@theclubvids]

you could talk about dishwasher repair i'd be down

[@ManicPandaz]

I always loved the scene with Conan’s donkey punch.

[@Jmnzz]

Gotta admit, I still love this movie. That theme song got me as a kid and I loved the adventure . And...I still prefer it to the original 😜 Enough *TALK!*

[@hyperguyver2]

Conan the Destroyer serves a completely different audience, it was made to be a family friendly swashbuckling adventure where Conan the Barbarian is a hard hitting fanasy action drama tailored towards an older audience. Each film has their role to play. If I wanted a kid interested in Sword and Sorcery I'd show them Destroyer, for a late teen it would be Barbarian. These are effectively a "gateway drug" to the epic fantasy genre qe see on TV now defined by Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and The Witcher.

[@MidnightsEdge]

Except that gateway drug failed. Sword and sorcery genre dried up pretty quickly after this.

[@mikichicago1200]

Thx! Finally my questions are answered!!!

[@mwheeler22]

I can’t wait till the next installment of this retrospective love the breakdown and behind scenes of the making of the movies.

[@willchew4040]

I luv this Ultimate Conan Retrospective. Never knew Andre the Giant was the guy in the monster suit at the end of Destroyer?

[@happyhammer1]

Yeah I also loved Conan the Destroyer as a kid. Now a days Conan the barbarian is one of my favorite movies ever and I would be fine never seeing Conan the Destroyer again.

[@antiqtech]

"the fellowship of the gem" hehe :D Thanks for these wonderful retrospectives !

[@quinnpd]

I love Destroyer for the live-action cartoon that it is.

[@anissueofursincerity]

The idea that Dagoth turns out to be not so bad is actually poetic. The true evil turns out to be in the hearts of the queen and her high priest. Conan should mated with Jenna.

[@CaptRobertApril]

One on-set issue was that it took awhile for Grace Jones to understand that she didn't have to actually hit the stuntmen. It didn't matter that her staff was rubber, it still freakin' hurt.

[@MidnightsEdge]

Very true

[@rickmaurer8726]

Amazing video as always Andre. Can't wait for next video. May King Conan reign forever!!!!

[@kungfew1396]

They never even explain Subatai's absence in this movie.

[@kungfew1396]

@Stevo Urkel Me too, and I can't find that actor on KZbin explaining why. He was executed in the beginning of the original script and they at least brought back Mako as the wizard.👍

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Gerry Lopez was not an actor by trade and his character wasn't iconic or anything. I would have liked to have seen him back but perhaps the studio just didn't want to bother him and/or preferred to replace him with a character played by a "real" actor (and Tracey Walter is a wonderful actor).

[@rrmendoza1]

I was very entertained by this movie. Though the first was a whole lot better. Why they made it family friendly back then was a mystery to me until now. Thanks, Midnight's Edge!

[@grittynerd]

Destroyer was interesting for the idea of showing a full-on adventure compared to the first more Conan origin centered story but, outside the issues explained, the use of magical, innatural things was smarter in the original because they limited that stuff to what could be "good enough" to the technology of the time. Maybe they were hoping that special effects would give that boost in appreciation but they showed they didn't have the talent to do something so good (with the money and the people they had, maybe inventing some new technique to make it better). Choosing a different story without having big monsters shown in front of the camera, with a more subtle style of the unknown (something like the Predator movie?) or just other topics (field battles, pirates & slave ships, etc) would have helped. I can see also potential for the chemistry between the team of people Conan travel with too, it was interesting in the first movie (when he was with his thieves companions, with the mage/monk, etc) they can do better even more and enstablish (more) recurring characters loved by people (like Star Wars). Monsters, big ancient temples, visiting the many places in Conan world probably are more for videogames (given how the movies industry is now) but even there the authors have an hard time doing something that have both a good (single player possibly) story and gameplay that give the right tribute to the original character. We can only hope that something will come in the future :)

[@kevincharles1983]

Destroyer is awesome. Wish it went rated r but it is what it is

[@white-dragon4424]

Conan the Barbarian was successful BECAUSE it was adult. By making Conan the Destroyer more suitable for kids they were unwittingly killing the film's box office, not increasing it.

[@lancelindqvist8848]

love these retrospectives

[@dragoneye6229]

I heard something about Conan the Conqueror, a new movie with Arnold as king Conan, in the works. I hope it's good because both Destroyer and Barbarian are my favorite sword and sorcery films. I must have watched them both so much as a kid that I ended up memorizing the entire script by the age of 12. I remember my mom thinking they were a terrible influence on me, my dad as well, never heard that complaint from any women I met though (you can guess their main problem with it), which I find interesting given my parents leanings ideologically.

[@msg4925]

Excellent video! Looking forward to the next one.

[@MrWarwolf6]

I love the first Conan movie that Milius directed! Having said that I feel that Conan is still waiting for his best portrayal.

[@AAron-gr3jk]

I just want to say re CtD: with all the references to other REH stories, that's more effort from the writers than we get nowadays from movies.

[@antiqtech]

I saw both on television and since more scenes were cut from the first movie compared with the second one due to censorship, I remember second one as more cohesive, making more sense and as a result liking it more. Years later I watched both without censorship and loved the first one more but never hated the second one.

[@CaesiusX]

_Thank you for these fantastic retrospectives!_ I was turning 15 the year *Conan the Barbarian* came out. Thus, subsequently turning 17 around the time of *Conan the Destroyer.* I was _so disappointed_ with the latter. I was an avid RPGer (incl. AD&D), but there were so few solid fantasy films. I was crazy for the films with Harryhausen's work, like the _Sinbad_ films. His work on _Clash if the Titans_ was great. But I didn't care for the film as much. Anyway. . . of the releases around this period, I liked (off the top of my head) _Excalibur, Conan the Barbarian_ and Bakshi's _Fire and Ice._ And regardless of what Simon Pegg says in _Spaced,_ I was able to recognize what utter crap _Hawk the Slayer_ truly was. But he is three years younger than I, and that makes a difference around the time that we're talking. I might have felt the same way he did if I were three years younger. What bothered most with _Conan the Destroyer_ was *the score.* _Conan the Barbarian_ is *still* one of the greatest soundtracks I have ever heard. I forgot if the liner notes for either of the reissued CD releases explaines why there was no chorus on the _Conan the Destroyer_ score. However, I vaguely recall that Poledouris wanted it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ *Edit:* btw, if you love the _Conan the Barbarian_ score as much as I, and have not yet heard *Knut Avenstroup Haugen's* music from the Conan video games, they are a _must-have!_ They are beautiful successsors to the _Conan the Barbarian_ score. You can get a taste of some of them right here on KZbin.

[@derekk2708]

Thanks for the Knut recommendation. Listening to it right now.

[@peterlewerin4213]

I agree that the PG rating goal was a mistake that hurt CtD. But I cannot agree that CtD is a departure from the Conan mythos. The magic castle and the threatening but ultimately easily defeated sorcerer occurs several times in the stories. The lovecraftian plot fits in well with Conan. The most obvious deviation is that in a true Conan story, Jenna/Atali would have offered herself to Conan, and he would have obliged.

[@Paulafan5]

To me, the first one was about Conan's journey in getting justice and the second one should have been his progression into more of the character we see in the books while still doing a great R-rated story that was treated with respect. Instead, we got a standard b-movie PG sword and fantasy movie, just with Arnold in it.

[@brianmcguinness9642]

When Conan the Barbarian came out, I was in college. I went to see it with some friends, not expecting much, and ended up really liking it. When the sequel came out, it was disappointingly silly. Now I finally understand why. I wouldn't mind seeing The Hour of the Dragon faithfully adapted to the screen.

[@yuothineyesasian]

Great job Andre

[@TheDolfanar]

You aren't going to cover Red Sonja, Conan the Adventurer Animated, Kull the Conqueror or the live action TV show?

[@MidnightsEdge]

In due time, yes. All of them.

[@hamarbiljungskile8953]

@@MidnightsEdge Hell yiss!

[@Invidente7]

@@MidnightsEdge The conan animated series are highly underrated, heck it even had a proper ending!

[@fstemarie]

I want to see the Red Sonja one !

[@faz6877]

I was shocked they gave a conclusion to the story. Not Many cartoons back in the day gave us a real ending

[@Steger13]

What a shame, of they kept the first script version itbcould had been even better then the first movie. Why is always stupid ppl that make dumb decisions and ruine something great. Something happen on Disney star wars. Hope they will make Conan the king while arnold still be able to workout and get in shape for it. I want to see arnold back on great shape.

[@laguy8181]

I’ve enjoyed them because of nostalgia and I’ve always liked Conan but this was the lesser of the two and definitely made you feel like there were two different Conan’s

[@jaytalks8091]

Great slight at Kathleen Kennedy!

[@GeneraluStelaru]

Man, you made me want to play the Age of Conan board game again.

[@voradorhylden3410]

The theme song is my ringtone and has been for like 10 years. Lol. Every call...is epic. Lol

[@rockybeats8682]

We can only imagine what we would have gotten if they went rated R

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

It has me worried as R back in the day...

[@nate1066pollock]

I also saw Destroyer before Barbarian. And I agree, it's not bad. The fight scenes are really good, and there are some cool moments. And I like the score too, especially the main theme.

[@wojtekwieczorek6397]

Love the photo you chose to illustrate your point at 4:56

[@Sam-lm8gi]

Awesome retrospective! I definitely gotta check out that comic now; Conan the Barbarian: The Horn of Azoth...

[@markfields7622]

Well done everyone , I look forward to what you guys do in the new year . Be safe and happy new year.