The Conan Chronicles 4K:
Conan The Barbarian/Conan The Destroyer
review by Bobby Blakey
There is no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is an action icon with most connecting him with the Terminator franchise, but before he became the killer from the future, he took on the other role he is most known for, Conan the Barbarian. He starred in two outings of Robert E. Howard’s famed character with Conan the Barbarian in 1982 and Conan the Destroyer in 1984. Now Arrow Video is bringing both films together for an all-new 4K release titled Conan Chronicles.
Conan The Barbarian follows the Cimmerian thief and future king who rises up from slavery to become an unparalleled and fearsome warrior, intent on vengeance against the evil snake cult that slaughtered his family long ago, led by the shape-shifting sorcerer Thulsa Doom.
I have always loved this film on every level. There is no denying it was like Schwarzenegger was literally built for the role and does a great job especially for being an unexperienced actor at the time. He brings the strong presence of Conan while still feeling innocent and lost for the first half of the film. I haven’t revisited it in some time and forgot how much building of the
character and his journey are here leading into the sword wielding aspect of the character we remember.
The film does feel a bit dated as expected, but still holds up well enough to the genre. It is a reminder of films that we just don’t get anymore that I sorely miss. The film is filled with everything you could want from the genre and the iconic persona Schwarzenegger brings to life will likely never be outdone, at least physically.
Conan the Destroyer follows Conan who finds himself escorting a young princess on a quest for a mythical horn that will awaken a slumbering god, battling an onslaught of evil beasts, wizards and cannibals along the way.
I personally think this sequel gets a bad rap. Sure, it leans into the comic style and sometimes sillier nature at times, but to me it still brings everything I enjoyed from the first film back to the forefront.
This new 4K cut of both films looks fantastic bringing all the glory of the Cimmerian and his adventures to glorious life. Of course, the effects are not all that great so are more outdated in appearance when enhanced, but also part of the charm of the films of this time.
In addition to the standard release, they are releasing the films separately on 4K as well as in a limited edition set that not only includes all the same bonus content including new and old commentaries, new and old interviews, theatrical trailers, galleries and so much more including double sided posters, collector’s cards and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
Return the world to the Cimmerian when The Conan Chronicles: Conan The Barbarian / Conan The Destroyer hits 4K for the first time on January 30th from Arrow Video.
