Conan the Destroyer (1984)

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Arnold Schwarzenegger returns in his only Conan sequel, a less serious and more family-friendly adventure to help a princess (Olivia d’Abo) find a legendary horn for her aunt, Queen Taramis (Superman II‘s Sarah Douglas), who promises Conan she’ll bring his lover from the previous film back to life once he completes this quest. Mako returns as Conan’s wizard companion, along with a motley collection of new comrades played by Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, and Tracey Walter. The journey is complicated when Conan learns the queen plans to resurrect a dormant god who will require her niece as a sacrifice.

Without the element of revenge that drove the first Conan movie, Conan the Destroyer is a more light-hearted and even comical film. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. One of my favorite moments is a campfire scene in which Conan gets drunk and the naïve princess asks Grace Jones’ fierce warrior character to help her learn the ways of combat. She later asks Jones for advice in attracting a lover. Jones simply says, “Grab him!”

Grace Jones has a singularly striking screen presence here, as well as in her precious few other screen roles. I wish Hollywood could have figured out how best to utilize her talents. She’s an asset to Conan the Destroyer, even in her limited screen time. The same cannot be said for Wilt Chamberlain, who comes off wooden as the princess’s protector. Mako and Tracey Walter offer moderate comic relief throughout the film, and Schwarzenegger is given much more dialogue than he had in the first film. His acting chops are stronger all around, even showing some promise with comic timing.

Conan the Destroyer is less dramatically compelling than its predecessor, more of a run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure, but at least it’s a well-executed one. Jack Cardiff’s cinematography, Pier Luigi Basile’s production design, and Basil Poledouris’ music elevate the production, and it never hurts to have a third-act monster reveal from effects artist Carlo Rambaldi in your back pocket.

With Pat Roach (Willow‘s General Kael) and Jeff Corey. Directed by Richard Fleischer (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Soylent Green).