Conan the Destroyer
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| Conan The Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Richard Fleischer |
| Written by | Story: Roy Thomas Gerry Conway Screenplay: Stanley Mann |
| Produced by | Raffaella De Laurentiis |
| Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger Grace Jones Olivia d'Abo Mako Sarah Douglas Wilt Chamberlin Tracey Walter |
| Edited by | Frank J. Urioste |
| Music by | Basil Poledouris |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | June 29, 1984 |
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million |
Conan the Destroyer is a 1984 film directed by action/fantasy veteran Richard Fleischer (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Vikings). It is the sequel to Conan the Barbarian, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako returning to resume their roles as Conan and Akiro the wizard, respectively. New characters include Zula, played by Grace Jones; and Bombaata, played by Wilt Chamberlain. This sequel was moderately successful at the box office in the US, and very successful internationally, although critical response was not as strong as the original film.
Plot
While praying at an altar with his traveling companion and fellow thief Malak, Conan is confronted by Queen Taramis of Shadazar, who tests the pair in combat with several of her guards, attempting to capture him. She tells him that she has a quest for him, which he initially refuses. The queen uses her power to learn his greatest desire; to resurrect his beloved Valeria and promises to bring her back to him, and he agrees to the quest. They learn that the queen's niece, Jehnna has been destined, due to a special birthmark, to find a special jewel that only she can touch and with it obtain the jeweled horn of the dreaming god, Dagoth. She tasks Conan and Malak to protect her on this journey, and her captain of the guard Bombaata is secretly asked to betray and kill Conan once the task is complete so they can sacrifice Jehnna to the god without interruption.
Due to the task of confronting a powerful wizard for the gem, Conan seeks the help of his friend, another wizard naked Akiro whom he saves from a tribe of cannibals that were about to eat him to absorb his magic power. Enroute they also meet Zula, a powerful warrior and a bandit whom Jehnna and Conan save from being tortured by a group of villagers she and other bandits tried to raid, she joins the quest indebted to Conan for saving her life. They find their way to the wizard's icy castle, Toth-Amon upon a lake. When they camp, however, the wizard transforms into a bird of smoke and takes Jehnna during the night. The travelers make their way into the castle and Conan is able to defeat the wizard, destroying the illusion and prompting a hasty escape from the castle. With the jewel now in hand they start to make their way to where the horn is hidden. Jehnna expresses interest in Conan, but he drunkenly rejects her for Valeria. They make their way to an ancient temple, and using the power of the jewel Jehnna is able to find and obtain the horn. Guardians of the horn attack the group and they manage to slip out a back entrance. Bombaata, having failed previously to kill Conan instead blocks their exit and takes Jehnna, after the others escape they make their way back to Shadizar and find their way inside due to a secret route Malak's sister's cousin's brother (or brother's cousin's sister) used to previously escape captivity. They confront Bombaata and Conan bests him in combat, killing him. Meanwhile, Jehnna is prepared to be sacrificed and the horn is placed upon the head of the Dagoth statue. Upon its first signs of life, they attempt to sacrifice Jehnna, but Zula intervenes and kills the priest first. Having received an improper sacrifice, the statue begins to twist and distort into a demonic visage. Queen Taramis is killed and Conan battles the beast, eventually killing it by removing the horn from its head.
After the battle, the newly crowned queen Jehnna offers each of her companions a place in her new court. Zula becomes the new captain of the guard, because she doesn't see any reason why a woman can't do as good a job as any man. Akiro becomes her new wiseman and advisor, and Malak steps forward and nearly trips, almost over qualifying him for position of the court fool. She offers Conan her hand and the opportunity to rule the kingdom together, which he declines; having been promised a kingdom already, and departs on his own for further adventures and to find his own place in the world.
Conan and his partner Malak are brought before Queen Taramis of Shadizar who asks that Conan perform two tasks for her: obtain a special gem — which may only be touched by her niece, Jehnna — and retrieve the magic horn that can awaken Dagoth, god of dreams and nightmares. In exchange, she offers to resurrect Conan's dead lover, Valeria. Conan agrees, and he, Malak, and Jehnna set off on their journey. Along the way, Conan enlists the aid of his old comrade Akiro, and then encounters Zula, a staff-wielding Kush warrior, who joins the party. Bombaata, one of the queen's guards, is sent to check on Conan's progress and joins them on the mission. The gang of six make their way to the castle of Toth-Amon, the wizard who is in possession of the magical gem. However, Toth-Amon kidnaps Jehnna (in the form of a phoenix) before they get to the castle. The gang then breaks into the castle, with Conan fighting products of Toth-Amon's magic before the wizard is mortally wounded and the heroes retrieve Jehnna and the gem.
The group now set off after the magical horn, which is kept inside a mysterious fortress. Jehnna retrieves the horn using the gem. After encountering some difficulty from a cult residing within the fortress, they attempt to make their way back to Queen Taramis. However, the queen already had plans for Bombaata to betray Conan on the journey and return Jehnna back to Shadizar by himself, which he does. Conan and the gang give chase after learning the true nature of Dagoth's rebirth. Upon Bombaata and Jehnna's arrival back to Shadizar, the queen begins preparation for Jehnna's sacrifice. She must be sacrificed at the moment the magic horn is inserted back onto Dagoth to ensure no calamity befalls the city. However, Conan and his friends break in on the ceremony, preventing Jehnna's sacrifice, and killing Bombaata. As the ritual was not completed, Dagoth instead transforms into an uncontrollable monster, killing Queen Taramis. A great battle ensues during which Conan battles the monster. The battle ends when Conan manages to weaken Dagoth by ripping out the horn that gives him life, landing the deathblow when Dagoth kneels over. The movie ends with Jehnna becoming the new Queen of Shadizar and giving each of her former traveling companions a place in her court. Conan, whose heart is still with Valeria, declines an offer of marriage and leaves to search for his own place in the world.
Cast
| Actor | Role | Description | Weapon of Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Conan | Warrior who mourns the death of his lover Valeria from the first film, and is promised her resurrection in exchange for obtaining the magical horn. | Atlantean Sword, Battle-Axe & Daggers |
| Grace Jones | Zula | A raider rescued by Conan, who joins his brigade. | Wooden Spear |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Bombaata | Captain of the Guard in Shadizar, he is sent by Queen Taramis to check up on Conan's progress in the mission and later to betray him. In the end of the film, Zula would replace him as Captain of the Guard. | Mace with modified spike, Axe, Sword and Bolas |
| Olivia D'Abo | Princess Jehnna | Virginal princess who is used to obtain the magical horn which can resurrect the evil god Dagoth. | None, but she is the only one capable of retrieving the magical horn from its holding place. |
| Mako | Akiro | Wizard friend of Conan who narrated the previous film as well as this film. Later accepts position as Chief Wizard of Shadizar. | Sorcery |
| Tracey Walter | Malak | Bumbling thief who rides with Conan. Later accepts position as Court Jester of Shadizar. | Daggers |
| Pat Roach | Toth-Amon | Wizard who is the proprietor of the diamond jewel needed to enter the palace of the magical horn. | Sorcery and Mirrors |
| Sarah Douglas | Queen Taramis | Evil Queen of Shadizar who plans to resurrect Dagoth, the Dreaming God, of whom she herself is a follower. She is also the aunt of Princess Jehnna. | Dagger |
| Jeff Corey | Grand Vizier | Queen Taramis' personal Wizard | Sorcery, and Dagger |
| Sven-Ole Thorsen | Togra | Queen's Guard who tries to kidnap the princess, before he battles Conan who kills him | Sword |
Production
Toning down the violence
When John Milius, director of Conan the Barbarian, proved to be unavailable to direct the sequel, Dino De Laurentiis suggested Richard Fleischer to his daughter Raffaella De Laurentiis, who was producing Conan the Destroyer. Fleischer had already made Barabbas (1961) and Mandingo (1975) for Dino De Laurentiis.
Conan the Barbarian made approximately $40 million at the U.S. box office when it was released in 1982 with an R rating, and an additional $50 million in foreign markets. Because Universal Pictures and producer Dino De Laurentiis thought it would have been even more successful if it had been less violent, they wanted to tone down the violence in the sequel. Conan the Destroyer originally received an R rating like its predecessor, but the film was recut in order to secure a PG rating. Fleischer delivered a movie that was less violent and somewhat more humorous than the first, although some scenes of violence have bloody results.
Casting
Arnold Schwarzenegger put on an extra 10 pounds, at director Richard Fleischer's request, to play Conan in this film. Singer Grace Jones gave a noteworthy performance as the female warrior Zula, the last of her tribe. This would be the first major role for seven-foot, one-inch-tall basketball player Wilt Chamberlain. It would be 15-year-old (at time of release) Olivia D'Abo's first screen appearance, playing the petulant teenage princess. Tracey Walter played the opportunistic thief Malak. David L. Lander was originally cast to play Malak. Due to Lander's deteriorating health from the onset of multiple sclerosis, Lander was forced to quit the project and the part was recast with Walter. André the Giant played Dagoth but was not credited in the film as he was in costume.
Photography
Conan the Destroyer was the fourth film on which the great British director of photography Jack Cardiff worked with Fleischer. Cardiff had already photographed The Vikings (1958), Crossed Swords (1978), and Amityville 3-D (1983) for the director. They would work together twice more on Million Dollar Mystery (1987), and Fleischer’s last film, the short Call From Space (1989), which was shot in the 65mm Showscan process. Cardiff’s other notable films include John Huston’s The African Queen (1951), King Vidor’s War And Peace (1956), and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). However, he is best known for his extraordinary Technicolor photography on three films directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger in the forties — A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947, for which Cardiff won an Oscar), and The Red Shoes (1948).
Locations
Conan the Destroyer was filmed in a number of locations in Mexico — including Pachuca, the extinct volcano Nevado de Toluca, and the Samalayuca Dunes (near El Paso) — as well as in the Churubusco Studios (also in Mexico). Carlo Rambaldi created the Dagoth monster.
Misc.
In the film, a camel is knocked to the ground and, after struggling to get back up, its hind legs are drawn forward with wires so that it is forced to sit down before falling to the ground. This sequence is cut from the UK version, as is a double horse-fall in the opening battle.
Critical and box office response
Conan the Destroyer received mixed to negative reviews by critics. Despite some negative reviews, the film was a box-office success, grossing a respectable $31 million in the U.S., and internationally it grossed an additional $69 million upon its 1984 release. This success led Schwarzenegger, Fleischer, and De Laurentiis to team up again to make Red Sonja a year later, however, Red Sonja would be a critical and commercial disappointment.
Writers Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, who wrote the original story treatment for this movie, were not satisfied with the final screenplay by Stanley Mann and the finished film, so they made their story into the graphic novel Conan: The Horn of Azoth, published in 1990, with art by Mike Docherty. The names of the characters were changed to untie the graphic novel from the movie: Dagoth became Azoth, Jehnna became Natari, Zula became Shumballa, Bombaata became Strabo, Toth-Amon became Rammon, and the characters of Queen Taramis and The Leader were combined into sorcerer Karanthes, father of Natari.
A novelization of the film was also written by Robert Jordan in 1984.
Conan the Conqueror
The third film in the Conan trilogy was planned for 1987 to be titled Conan the Conqueror. The director was to be either Guy Hamilton or John Guillerman. However Arnold Schwarzenegger was committed to the film Predator and De Laurentiis's contract with the star had expired after his obligation to Red Sonja and Raw Deal and he wasn't keen to negotiate a new one. And so the third Conan movie sank into development hell. The script was eventually turned into Kull the Conqueror.