Even though I consider this a childhood favorite up there with FLASH GORDON and THE BEASTMASTER, this film really fails to hold up to adult eyes even as a campy retread. It's not that it's bad or such a pale kid-friendly followup to its CLASSIC original, but CtD is just clunky and boring.
The biggest problem is that Conan is given way too many sidekicks. It seems every significant scene in the first half of the movie only exists to either set up the plot (which is rather thin and lacking), introduce another sidekick to add to the party, or provide for weak comedy relief! There is absolutely no character building, precious little intrigue, no suspense, and even less excitement. Once the second half comes and we near act 3, the film feels so on autopilot that it's impossible to pay attention to.
Richard Fleischer was one of the top action directors from the 50's-70's, but by the mid-80's he had unfortunately been reduced to "hired hand" status and often given family-friendly dreck he seemed to have precious little investment in. This film is pedestrian and uninventive in every way, especially disappointing considering the crew involved. Jack Cardiff's photography is workmanlike, Giannetto De Rossi's makeup rubs off in a few scenes, and Basil Poledouris's score is just a weaker version of his career highpoint score for CtB. Even Carlo Rambaldi's malevolent demigod creature creation is lacking and not very scary at all thanks to poor movement control and the fact that you never see the entire monster in any one shot. It suffers an acute case of "Krakenitis" (in reference to CLASH OF THE TITANS) in that it's the climactic cataclysmic monster but upon introduction it just stands around and doesn't do anything! About the only saving "grace" is the completely wacky cast - with Arnold teamed up with Wilt Chamberlain (in a completely forgettable and pointless role), Grace Jones (as an angry Zulu warrior), Mako (looking half-asleep), Jeff Corey, Sarah Douglas (attractive as usual), Pat Roach (in a rare speaking role), and Sven-Ole Thorson. Thorson's character is given a curiously detailed and important-feeling fight scene with Arnold even though he is just a random low-level nameless villain whose face is never clearly shown. Arnold doesn't seem to care at all that he looks just like one of the villains he killed in the last movie. Perhaps he's meant to be his twin brother? This could have been interesting if the film had done anything with it.
That unfortunately applies to everything else in this film - a lot of missed potential in favor of a cynical attempt to make as much cash as possible with as little style or originality as possible.
The biggest problem is that Conan is given way too many sidekicks. It seems every significant scene in the first half of the movie only exists to either set up the plot (which is rather thin and lacking), introduce another sidekick to add to the party, or provide for weak comedy relief! There is absolutely no character building, precious little intrigue, no suspense, and even less excitement. Once the second half comes and we near act 3, the film feels so on autopilot that it's impossible to pay attention to.
Richard Fleischer was one of the top action directors from the 50's-70's, but by the mid-80's he had unfortunately been reduced to "hired hand" status and often given family-friendly dreck he seemed to have precious little investment in. This film is pedestrian and uninventive in every way, especially disappointing considering the crew involved. Jack Cardiff's photography is workmanlike, Giannetto De Rossi's makeup rubs off in a few scenes, and Basil Poledouris's score is just a weaker version of his career highpoint score for CtB. Even Carlo Rambaldi's malevolent demigod creature creation is lacking and not very scary at all thanks to poor movement control and the fact that you never see the entire monster in any one shot. It suffers an acute case of "Krakenitis" (in reference to CLASH OF THE TITANS) in that it's the climactic cataclysmic monster but upon introduction it just stands around and doesn't do anything! About the only saving "grace" is the completely wacky cast - with Arnold teamed up with Wilt Chamberlain (in a completely forgettable and pointless role), Grace Jones (as an angry Zulu warrior), Mako (looking half-asleep), Jeff Corey, Sarah Douglas (attractive as usual), Pat Roach (in a rare speaking role), and Sven-Ole Thorson. Thorson's character is given a curiously detailed and important-feeling fight scene with Arnold even though he is just a random low-level nameless villain whose face is never clearly shown. Arnold doesn't seem to care at all that he looks just like one of the villains he killed in the last movie. Perhaps he's meant to be his twin brother? This could have been interesting if the film had done anything with it.
That unfortunately applies to everything else in this film - a lot of missed potential in favor of a cynical attempt to make as much cash as possible with as little style or originality as possible.