Conan the Destroyer (1984)
After the success of 1982’s Conan the Barbarian, its rights holder, toy company heir Edward R. Pressman, set about getting a follow-up made. Pressman had his star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed to a five-picture deal, so continuing to roll the hot dice seemed a no-brainer. One surprising person not to return was director John Milius. Milius was contractually obligated to direct Red Dawn and De Laurentiis, who clashed with Milius repeatedly during Conan the Barbarian, didn’t want to wait. After receiving complaints from younger viewers that they could not see Conan the Barbarian because of its R rating, Pressman wanted a PG-rated sequel. The adult-oriented Conan extinguished merchandising opportunities normally afforded to popular intellectual properties that appeal to kids and teens.
Director Roger Donaldson oversaw the script development, at first called Conan II before turning into Conan: King of Thieves, from Marvel Comics writers Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, who wrote another sword-and-sorcery film from 1983, Fire and Ice. Thomas and Conway incorporated elements from Howard’s books as well as the Marvel comics. They envisioned Conan leading a gang of adventuring thieves rather than a brooding loner. They borrowed concepts Howard fans would recognize from his books or the Marvel comic series. Schwarzenegger read it, liked it, and signed on.
During this phase, to pay off his debts, Pressman sold all sequel rights to De Laurentiis for $4.5 million and 10% of the gross. In the deal, he released Donaldson to De Laurentiis to take over directorial duties for his troubled production, The Bounty. De Laurentiis provided script oversight; his daughter Raffaella retook the producer’s chair. Through interpreters, Dino De Laurentiis informed them that he wasn’t particularly interested in the Conan property and didn’t like the first film, except that it made him money. He felt that the second movie should go in a more broadly appealing direction and made demands that, to the screenwriters, defied logical explanation.
The screenwriters removed ties to the first film so new audiences wouldn’t be confused. Subotai, who would perish in the sequel, changed to a comic-relief character called Malak the Quick. All in all, Thomas and Conway revised their original concept four times at De Laurentiis’s request. Schwarzenegger told De Laurentiis that the screenplay had gone astray. The three-part story structure was ill-defined, starting without enough explanation of how the characters got there or where they go in the end. Schwarzenegger felt De Laurentiis was wimping out by not providing the sex and violence that true fans expect to get a PG rating.
De Laurentiis cycled through a few replacement directors (William Dear was one) before settling on veteran director Richard Fleischer. Fleischer worked for De Laurentiis before with 1961’s Barabbas, 1975’s Mandingo, and 1983’s Amityville 3-D. Fleischer also directed 1958’s The Vikings, one of Milius’s influences for Conan the Barbarian, making him a suitable choice. Fleischer’s only prior exposure to “Conan” was Milius’s film. He felt it was quality work but was shortsighted in its potential to become a real blockbuster. Dramatic tension wasn’t relieved by humor, resulting in a leaden and downbeat viewing experience.
Similarly, he felt that the Thomas/Conway script lacked substantial entertainment value. He liked their first draft and its literary references, but it was also lengthy, complicated, and would be expensive to produce. Subsequent revisions grew weaker with each pass.
After meeting with the screenwriters, Fleischer surmised that they were burning out on the process. They grew defensive about their script and reticent to explore new directions or in injecting the quantity of humor necessary. The jokes in their latest revision played like embarrassingly juvenile comic-book gags. (Thomas later took issue with Fleischer’s description, feeling that the attempts at humor in the final film were much more indicative of embarrassingly juvenile humor than anything in their original draft.) Fleischer ended the meeting by requesting copies of Howard’s books and a sampling of issues of the “Conan” comics.
That was the last time the screenwriting team heard from Fleischer. When the shoot began in October of 1983, they were surprised to find Stanley Mann, someone wholly unfamiliar with “Conan,” was listed as the sole screenwriter. Mann did his writing in the director’s living room every day, with Fleischer editing in real-time. Mann restructured the storyline to fit more into the classic three-part narrative while making the characters less dramatic, emphasizing humor, magic, romance, and action.
Thomas and Conway were livid that Mann received sole ownership for the script, arbitrating to get story-by credit. They felt that Mann made cosmetic changes to the plot and character introductions, while 90% of the story remained theirs. The 10% that did change came either from Thomas’s suggestions in their meeting or from material he had given to Fleischer. They speculated that De Laurentiis removed their names to avoid the deal they had with Pressman for back-end money if he used their screenplay. They would eventually release their original script’s story in comic book form in the 1990 Marvel Comics graphic novel, ‘Conan: The Horn of Azoth.’
Fleischer found Arnold Schwarzenegger to be a likable and engaging actor. He wouldn’t shy away from giving Conan more dialogue and emotional moments because he didn’t feel his lead actor’s performance would detract from the adventure. The title changed Conan the Destroyer because Schwarzenegger complained that Conan was not a thief, sneaking around to steal the treasure. Conan takes what he wants without worrying that it will get him into trouble. “Destroyer” seemed more fitting to the naming convention of the books, and because Conan usually leaves rubble in his wake.
The plot involves the power-hungry Queen Tamaris of Shadizar (Douglas), who offers Conan (Schwarzenegger) a bargain. Taramis will resurrect his dead lover Valeria upon completion of a special mission. He is to assist with the protection of her niece, a young virgin princess named Jehnna (d’Abo). Jehnna travels with her bodyguard Bombaata (Chamberlain), to venture into the mystical castle to retrieve a key in the form of a magic jewel called the Heart of Ahriman that, by prophecy, only someone who bears the distinctive mark like Jehnna can touch. This key will unlock a fabled horn that promises to bring the dormant ‘dreamer god’ Dagoth to the mortal realm. The twist is that, at the end of the quest, Jehnna is a sacrificial offering to Dagoth, and Conan and his friends shall die as well. These friends include the great wizard Akiro (Mako, who appeared in the first film), the agile warrior Zula (Jones), and Conan’s comical sidekick, Malak, the thief (Walter).
Schwarzenegger felt it was a mistake to make a PG-rated Conan adventure because, by trying to broaden the film’s appeal, they were taking away the vitality and true nature of the character, who is a warrior who continually engages in violent battles. Fleischer ups the juvenile delivery, wanting to branch the franchise out to kids who read the comic books, love WWF wrestling matches, enjoyed the tomb-raiding adventures of Indiana Jones, and the similar premise of such television fare as “The Masters of the Universe.”
Filming took place at various locations in Mexico, where the peso’s value had been at an all-time low. To further save money, some of the same stagings for De Laurentiis’s Dune were also used for Conan the Destroyer while retaining much of the same crew. As Dune became more expensive, De Laurentiis slashed the budget for Conan several times. In the end, the film carried a modest $16 million budget.
Schwarzenegger is decidedly more defined in his physique in the sequel, reducing body fat and adding more muscle weight, because Fleischer did not hold himself to the commitment to realism that Milius did. Fleischer had been invited to Schwarzenegger’s house to see him train with using a sword. Things went without a hitch, and Fleischer was impressed but had one request. He felt the first movie didn’t utilize Arnold’s physique enough, looking more like a powerful average man. This film would spotlight Arnold’s chiseled frame in all its glory for as much as it can, and Conan is much more powerful. Fleischer felt people would want to look at Arnold’s body as much as possible, so he had Conan wear as little as possible.
The acting is a liability, which is typical of early Schwarzenegger vehicles. This liability is especially evident whenever former NBA great Chamberlain is on screen, cast solely for his physical stature (he stands at a towering 7’1″) rather than his ability to emote (which he doesn’t even to try to do). A horse tall enough for Wilt wasn’t available in Mexico, so they imported one from Spain. Having claimed to bed over 20,000 women, how can one not find humor that Wilt Chamberlain plays someone protecting the virginity of a princess? An explanatory scene of Bombaata being a eunuch remains in the novelization. Fleischer felt that Chamberlain was a tremendous physical presence, but he was too self-conscious in front of the camera. He decidedly steered against giving Bombaata anything that would require lengthy dialogue or emotional range, leaving the role merely just a physical presence and a plot device to break out in the climax.
Model and avant-garde singer Grace Jones plays the fierce warrior-thief Zula. Zula is a character created by Roy Thomas for the “Conan the Barbarian” comic book, though a man in print form. They used the name “Zula” in the script as a place-holder until they came up with something better. The producers liked the name, so it stuck. Zula represents Jones’ first significant acting role other than obscure Italian films. Jones turned down Conan for six months while pursuing an Italian movie made by the nephew of Dino De Laurentiis before ultimately accepting once the other project fell through. Jones provides a uniquely feral look and physicality, even if the role lacks dimension. Jones became overly enthusiastic during her battle sequences, str them hard with an eight-foot fighting stick causing them to put on extra padding whenever doing any scene with her. She tempered any bruises with a kiss afterward. Jones also bit Wilt Chamberlain’s ear hard enough to draw blood, though not surprising given that she and Wilt bitterly argued the entire time on the set.
Sarah Douglas chews the scenery as the evil sorceress, Taramis. Douglas turned down the role six times before she told De Laurentiis, yes, but only once she learned that her friend Grace Jones would be in the picture. Taramis was a more sympathetic character before all of her redeeming qualities t. Although it seems unlikely to those who view the film in its current state, she did have a steamy love scene with Conan in the film, but it was trimmed out for the final cut to maintain the PG rating. Other scenes cut out for Taramis involve her seducing the Dagoth statue with some stroking, slapping around Bombaata, and performing the sacrifice of her niece.
Thirteen-year-old Olivia d’Abo is fetching as the young princess with an eye for Conan, one of the only men she’s ever laid eyes on in her virginal lifetime. The young actress gives the closest thing the film has toward delivering a nuanced performance. She undeservedly received a Razzie nomination for “Worst Supporting Actress” and “Worst New Star” for the turn as well as in Bolero.
Pat Roach plays three separate roles. The wizard Thoth-Amon, a character of Howard’s who was also the basis for many traits put into Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian. Roach also was in the Carlo Rambaldi-designed caped ape-man suit, which took 5.5 hours of make-up every day for about three weeks. He also donned the Dagoth costume when the uncredited Andre the Giant suffered back pain. It took eight people to get him into the suit, and eight other people to control its mechanized aspects. He wore an astronaut suit inside to stave off dehydration and had a doctor on hand to give him oxygen so he wouldn’t pass out.
The worst casting is Tracey Walter as the cowardly but cunning thief Malak, who fails to provide the intended comic relief. They wanted Danny DeVito for the part, but he was unavailable, so they cast David L. Lander, best known as “Squiggy” from “Laverne and Shirley.” Lander always stepped on Fleischer’s toes, fell ill during the shoot, and reportedly was fired for appearing to stumble drunk. Walter filled in on one day’s notice. Years afterward, Lander discovered his stumbling marked the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.
When Fleischer put together his first cut, it ran more than three hours in length. The director set about working with Raffaella De Laurentiis, who Dino’s daughter, who also produced the first film on his behalf, to chop it down to nearly half of that length while still retaining as much action and thrills as possible.
Conan the Barbarian is a better film because it has passion, based on the savage vision of a director in Milius, who had a lot to say. Fleischer was just a last-minute hired gun for Conan the Destroyer, only expected to package together an entertaining product meant to make money. In contrast to the first entry, this one is too coated with cheese not to find a disappointment overall, but as a standalone piece, it hasn’t aged as poorly as other sword-and-sorcery flicks from the 1980s. It’s very hokey, but not without a particular enjoyment.
The film nearly comes undone in two scenes, both for the same reasons — battles against villains portrayed in unconvincing rubber suits. One involves a ‘man-ape’ version of the wizard Thoth-Amon in a room of mirrors, added by Mann, who was inspired by a similar character in Howard’s “Rogues in the House.” The other mars the climax with its grotesque and silly-looking Dagoth costume because De Laurentiis wouldn’t pay for stop-motion animation. Fleischer says Dagoth is a metaphor for nuclear energy, something that promises unlimited power, but carries with it the ability to destroy humanity. This may explain why the monster looks like it would fit in more in a Godzilla flick than in something from Conan. These scenes are also dark and gruesome, eroding the tongue-in-cheek tone of the rest of the film.
The photography by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff, set and art design, and the Basil Poledouris score, who returns from the incredible work from the first film, are genuine highlights.
For every attempt to broaden the franchise’s base, Conan the Destroyer disappointed at the box office, making only $31 million in the US, significantly less than the more serious-minded, R-rated original. Some of this is due to its unfavorable competition with other summer blockbusters like Ghostbusters and Gremlins. Nevertheless, it debuted lower than the other notable film released the same day, Cannonball Run II. It did, however, perform slightly better internationally than the first film, which made it a lucrative venture in the end.
As a sequel, Conan the Destroyer is a failure, especially for fans of the original Howard works. It doesn’t deliver on the tone or the promise of its predecessor in broadening its fan base. However, as a standalone adventure, it maintains enough moments of enjoyment for fans of quest adventures featuring faraway lands, exotic locales, and the requisite wizards, warriors, and princesses. If expectations low, this dumb-fun epic makes for a passably escapist guilty pleasure when you don’t watch the two films back to back.
Despite financial success, the film series ended here. Several months before the release of Conan the Destroyer, Schwarzenegger agreed to help De Laurentiis get funding for another film, Red Sonja. The title character also comes from the Robert E. Howard stories, where she is called Red Sonya of Rogatino. That swashbuckling character was altered from her 16th Century setting to the Hyborian Age and popularized in comics by its screenwriter, Roy Thomas, in the pages of the “Conan the Barbarian” comic book for Marvel. For legal reasons, the character would be Conan in everything but the name, relegating it to being an unofficial spin-off.
Plans were for Schwarzenegger to continue to make three additional Conan sequels. Universal seemed all in, adding “The Adventures of Conan” attraction at its theme park and purchasing the film rights to all Conan stories, including those not written by Robert E. Howard. Schwarzenegger felt that they alienated the fan base by trying to broaden Conan’s appeal, and Dino De Laurentiis never understood the character, or fantasy films in general, to care about continuing beyond commissioning a script for Conan III by Karl Wagner that never developed.
In the early 1990s, Charles Edward Pogue suggested to De Laurentiis that they do proper “Conan” story, which Universal greenlit, entitled “Conan the Conqueror.” However, Schwarzenegger’s reticence to return caused Universal to make changes to the main character. Conan became King Kull, another Howard creation. Kull the Conqueror, released in 1997, would star TV actor Kevin Sorbo but they replaced the Pogue script.
John Milius attempted made noise on resurrecting the property as early as 2001 with King Conan: Crown of Iron for the Wachowskis before Robert Rodriguez took it up for a few years. By this time, Arnold was Governor of California and unavailable. Interest in that script died after a Conan reboot in 2011 starring Jason Momoa flopped. In 2012, producer Chris Morgan attempted to bring a project called, “The Legend of Conan” to the big screen, described as a sword-and-sorcery riff on Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. After years of development hell, Universal scrapped the plans in 2017 due to the high budget and questionable relevance of “Conan.”
Qwipster’s rating: C
MPAA rated PG for violence, brief nudity, sensuality, and scary images (would be PG-13 today)
Running time: 103 min.
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olivia d’Abo, Wilt Chamberlain, Grace Jones, Tracey Walter, Mako, Sarah Douglas, Pat Roach, Jeff Corey
Director: Richard Fleischer
Screenplay: Stanley Mann