actually more like Robert E. Howard than the first
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Conan the Destroyer
SealedCargo — 2 years ago(April 10, 2023 10:00 AM)
unpopular opinion, but the first movie, made by a director I like, John Milius, a fanatic of Robert E Howard's original tales, isn't anything like Howard's work, hiring Oliver Stone to write a long one-tiered Spaghetti Western style revenge plot. This movie has Conan (albeit with way too many passengers) going from one battle to the next, and a lot of magic, very Howardish. I always preferred it as I never liked the original. Conan is really about weaving stories through one story. I don't know why they don't (or didnn't) make a movie based on Howard's actual stories, where Conan is actually a kind of Barbarian detective (Howard wrote detective stories too for those pulp magazines)> Anyhow… if anyone ruined this it's Tracey Walter, who is usually pretty good in movies. Forced comic relief.
http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2023/04/CDestroyer.html
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ToastedCheese — 2 years ago(April 10, 2023 10:20 AM)
Not familiar with the style of Howard's comics, but I have always enjoyed
Conan The Destroyer
. Its not as epic or austere as Barbarian, but it certainly has a nice mix of otherworldly magic running throughout its veins and clips along quite nicely. It also still delivers the goods in the action/fantasy violence arena and is quite bloody for a pg rated installment.
A lighter Conan over the darker more ponderous original, but the film-makers knew what they going for and it surprisingly works. The use of miniature foregrounds, matte paintings, optical visual effects and creature makeup effects are excellent. I feel very transported to this mythical, mystical and legendary realm it creates and I would even say the design of the film is sublime in aesthetic.
The support cast is terrific and I never had an issue with Walter. He was a side-kick for Conan, but he knew how to step up to survive when he had too. This film had me begging for more. What we got instead was a step down, with the dry and lacklustre
Red Sonja '85
by the same director and not up to the same quality or standard. Tacky and weak.
Norman! What did you put in my tea?