Conan the Destroyer (1984)

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Conan goes on a quest to find a magical horn in exchange for Valeria's reincarnation.


Genre

Sword and Sorcery

Characters/Groups

Conan - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Zula - Grace Jones

Bombaata - Wilt Chamberlain

Akiro The Wizard - Mako

Malak - Tracey Walter

Queen Taramis - Sarah Douglas

Princess Jehnna - Olivia d'Abo

Man Ape/Toth-Amon - Pat Roach

Grand Vizier - Jeff Corey

Togra - Sven-Ole Thorsen

Village Heckler - Bruce Fleischer

The Leader - Ferdinand Mayne

Tribal Cannibals

Temple Guards

Taramis' Soldiers

Dagoth - Andre the Giant

Character thumbnails with links to profiles

Detailed Synopsis

"Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas there was an age undreamed of. When shining kingdoms lay spread across the world. Hither came Conan, a Cimmerian sword in hand. It is I his chronicler who knows well his saga. Now let me tell you of the days of high adventure."

A group on horses including Queen Taramis and Bombaata ride along carrying nets and escorting a wagon with a cage attached to it. Elsewhere, Conan kneels before a stone shrine, while Malak looks through a bag of gold and jewels. Taramis' Soldiers search the area near Conan and Malak. Once the soldiers find Conan and Malak they surround them and attack them with nets. Malak is captured while Conan kills many of the soldiers before Queen Taramis orders her soldiers to stop. She and Bombaata then ride up to Conan and she introduces herself. She makes him an offer, if he will do something for her then she will reincarnate Valeria. Conan and Malak ride to Taramis' castle in Shadizar where she bows towards her Grand Vizier, who returns the bow. Taramis drinks with Conan to Dagoth, the dreaming god. Taramis tells Conan of the legend from the Scrolls of Skelos about a woman child being born with a certain mark that will go on a perilous journey and how she wants Conan to accompany her on that journey. She tells him they must take a key from the wizard Man Ape/Toth-Amon and then use the key to unlock a treasure. Princess Jehnna cries out from a nightmare and Bombaata and Taramis comfort her. Taramis tells Bombaata he must make sure Jehnna is returned with her virginity intact so she can be sacrificed. She also tells him that once they find the treasure he is to kill Conan.

Conan, Malak, Bombaata and Jehnna leave the castle the next day, and some time after they leave another group led by Togra also leaves the castle. As they are heading to Toth-Amon's tower, Conan argues with Jehnna that they must take a detour to get the help of Akiro the Wizard so that they will have magic to counter that of Toth-Amon. They continue to ride and find Akiro tied to a long branch being put over a fire by a group of Tribal Cannibals. Conan attacks the cannibals and Malak frees Akiro. Jehnna tells Conan about the key which is actually a jewel called the Heart of Ahriman. They ride into a small village where Zula is tied by a rope from her ankle to a stake. She is being taunted by the locals, including Village Heckler, who killed the rest of the bandits she rode with. Jehnna implores Conan to do something to help Zula and Conan rides through the crowd and cuts the rope holding Zula. Now free, Zula is able to beat back the villagers and ride away. Zula rides towards the others and Bombaata rides to meet her. She tells him she wants to join them, but Bombaata tells her to go away. Zula and Bombaata fight and after Conan intervenes, Zula joins the group. They arrive at the castle of Toth-Amon and decide to camp for the night. Toth-Amon transforms into a large translucent pterodactyl like creature and kidnaps Jehnna and brings her to his tower. Akiro wakes up and notices Jehnna is missing and wakes up the others. They take a boat to the tower and then swim to a set of stairs that they climb to the top of the tower. Conan enters the chamber where the Heart of Ahriman is displayed and is cut off from the rest of the group by a clear door. Toth-Amon enters the chamber and transforms into a Man Ape. Conan and Toth-Amon fight and Toth-Amon appears to be invulnerable until Conan figures out that by breaking the mirrors surrounding the chamber that Toth-Amon receives corresponding damage. Conan throws his sword at a mirror and then an impaled Toth-Amon walks out. As Toth-Amon is dying, he touches the Heart of Ahriman and explodes into light rays. Jehnna takes the Heart of Ahriman and the group continue on their quest after escaping from the now crumbling tower.

As they are riding, Jehnna is grabbed by Togra and his men who have set up an ambush. Conan rides after Togra and the two of them fight. Conan kills Togra and is attacked by Bombaata, who after Jehnna intervenes, says that he thought Conan was going to hurt her. The next day, Jehnna asks Zula how to get men and she tells her to grab them and take them. They arrive at a temple and after reading a series of pictographs Akiro tells Conan that in order for the magic to work, Jehnna must be sacrificed. Jehnna places the Heart of Ahriman onto a pedestal and the mouth of a large statue opens and she enters the flaming mouth. She retrieves the horn of Dagoth and the group start to leave the temple. As they are leaving, they are confronted by The Leader and his Temple Guards. The Leader demands Jehnna come with him and a fight erupts. After escaping back to the crypt, Akiro and The Leader have a wizard duel in which Akiro wins. With the others trailing behind, Bombaata hits the ceiling and walls of the exit tunnel trapping the other members of the party in the tunnel as he and Jehnna ride away. After digging out of the tunnel, Conan realizes that Taramis was lying to him and the group rides back to Shadizar to stop Jehnna's sacrifice. With guards patrolling the entrance to Shadizar, the group must climb through the underground storm drain tunnels beneath Shadizar. Jehnna is given a glass full of drugged wine and then the ceremony begins. In Jehnna's bedroom, the group find Bombaata guarding it and Conan stays behind to fight Bombaata while the others save Jehnna. Right before the Grand Vizier is about to cut Jehnna's throat, Zula throws her pointed staff, impaling and killing him. With the time of sacrifice passed, Dagoth begins to transform into a monster. Conan kills Bombaata and joins the others. Dagoth stabs and kills Taramis with his horn and attacks the remaining people in the castle. Akiro tells Conan that Dagoth's power lies in his horn and Conan rips it off, killing Dagoth. Later in court Jehnna, who is now the queen, promotes her companions to positions in court. Zula is made the Captain of the Guards, Malak is made the court fool, and Akiro is made the court magician. Jehnna asks Conan to stay and rule with her, but he tells her he will have his own kingdom and queen and he leaves.

"So it was that Conan mourned his lost Valeria. At length he sought adventure in distant lands and trod the jeweled thrones of the earth beneath his sandaled feet. Until at last he found his own kingdom and wore his crown upon a troubled brow...but that is another story."