Continuing my plan to watch every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie in order, I come to 1985's Conan The Destroyer.
Plot In A Paragraph: Conan.
As a kid, I was Universal Studio's target audience for this movie. I loved the hell out of this movie as I kid, and I don't mind admitting at the time, I loved this one more, than the first movie. The comedy was a welcome relief, and the lack of blood never bothered me. I was also of the opinion that the first movies, where the characters were introduced and established were always duller affairs, and the sequels were better. I am ashamed to admit two of my favourite movies Rocky and Jaws fell in to that category back then. What did I know?? I still wasn't 10.
Some of Arnie's acting is very improved here, however at times it's still awful. Grace Jones is just Grace Jones in a Conan movie. Olivia D'Abo is stunning, and does well in her first movie, it's no surprise that she had worked steadily through the years. I'm not sure as to why the same never happened to Wilt Chamberlain as he certainly wasn't bad. Sarah Douglas is OK hamming it up, Mako is OK too.
Basil Poledouris score is catchier this time around too. Richard Fleischer does an adequate job of directing too.
In his autobiography Total Recall, Arnie talks about how Universal had E.T on the brain, and were adamant that if Conan The Barbarian was rated PG, they would have sold 50 percent more tickets. John Milius wasn't around anymore, so Universal executives were very hands on. Arnie argued and argued against making a PG Conan. Money talks, and he was still under contract from the first movie (A ten year contract making a Conan every two years) so in his words he was "Stuck with it." That didn't stop him going all out promoting the first movie he received $1,million dollars for. He says he went on every TV show that would book him, and pestered his publicists to line up more appearances and interviews.
Conan The Destroyer grossed $31 million at the domestic Box Office, by alienating the core audience, it was not the success Arnie wanted it to be or Universal expected it to be. It ended the year the 27th highest grossing movie of the year.
A step back for Arnie, but it did out perform Sly's Rhinestone. The first time an Arnie movie out grossed a Sly one.
Plot In A Paragraph: Conan.
As a kid, I was Universal Studio's target audience for this movie. I loved the hell out of this movie as I kid, and I don't mind admitting at the time, I loved this one more, than the first movie. The comedy was a welcome relief, and the lack of blood never bothered me. I was also of the opinion that the first movies, where the characters were introduced and established were always duller affairs, and the sequels were better. I am ashamed to admit two of my favourite movies Rocky and Jaws fell in to that category back then. What did I know?? I still wasn't 10.
Some of Arnie's acting is very improved here, however at times it's still awful. Grace Jones is just Grace Jones in a Conan movie. Olivia D'Abo is stunning, and does well in her first movie, it's no surprise that she had worked steadily through the years. I'm not sure as to why the same never happened to Wilt Chamberlain as he certainly wasn't bad. Sarah Douglas is OK hamming it up, Mako is OK too.
Basil Poledouris score is catchier this time around too. Richard Fleischer does an adequate job of directing too.
In his autobiography Total Recall, Arnie talks about how Universal had E.T on the brain, and were adamant that if Conan The Barbarian was rated PG, they would have sold 50 percent more tickets. John Milius wasn't around anymore, so Universal executives were very hands on. Arnie argued and argued against making a PG Conan. Money talks, and he was still under contract from the first movie (A ten year contract making a Conan every two years) so in his words he was "Stuck with it." That didn't stop him going all out promoting the first movie he received $1,million dollars for. He says he went on every TV show that would book him, and pestered his publicists to line up more appearances and interviews.
Conan The Destroyer grossed $31 million at the domestic Box Office, by alienating the core audience, it was not the success Arnie wanted it to be or Universal expected it to be. It ended the year the 27th highest grossing movie of the year.
A step back for Arnie, but it did out perform Sly's Rhinestone. The first time an Arnie movie out grossed a Sly one.