Great review and I agree with your main points, but I have to stick up for Conan the Destroyer. It's not as good as Barbarian and it's a bit silly, but great cast, soundtrack, special effects and set piece battles.
When I think of Conan the Destroyer as an adaptation of Roy Thomas's Marvel Conan, I think it is a very good adaptation. It's a ton of fun, but the Howard purist in me is still waiting for a film that captures the Howard stories. Even that would be a challenge though because my mental Conan is very different than anything Frazetta or Vallejo painted. He's much more "athletic" and less swoll in my mind's eye.
Destroyer also has a great villain and the god reveal at the end fits with my personal theory about where Conan sits in "alignment" conversations, but that's fodder for another post.
I need to re-watch this one. I recall one viewing and not hating it but it didn't make me want to revisit any time soon there after. Jason makes for a fun watch in most of his stuff.
It's time for a Conan series again. Streaming should be able to get it closer than not.
Great review and I agree with your main points, but I have to stick up for Conan the Destroyer. It's not as good as Barbarian and it's a bit silly, but great cast, soundtrack, special effects and set piece battles.
When I think of Conan the Destroyer as an adaptation of Roy Thomas's Marvel Conan, I think it is a very good adaptation. It's a ton of fun, but the Howard purist in me is still waiting for a film that captures the Howard stories. Even that would be a challenge though because my mental Conan is very different than anything Frazetta or Vallejo painted. He's much more "athletic" and less swoll in my mind's eye.
Destroyer also has a great villain and the god reveal at the end fits with my personal theory about where Conan sits in "alignment" conversations, but that's fodder for another post.
This is the most comprehensive yet balanced review of this movie I've ever read.
I need to re-watch this one. I recall one viewing and not hating it but it didn't make me want to revisit any time soon there after. Jason makes for a fun watch in most of his stuff.
It's time for a Conan series again. Streaming should be able to get it closer than not.