I like this one. It's quite an adventure and there are some fun characters. But The Barbarian just feels like a better made movie. It's got a stronger, more barbaric tone which fits in better with the character of Conan.
So many stories, so little time.

Fans wanted to see more of the same I guess. I was very impressed with the first Conan and it knocked my socks off. Upon repeat viewings, I find it a bit ponderous in parts. It was certainly very tense and epic in nature, it just needed about 15mins shorn off it to tighten it up.
This second instalment lightens the tone, but still delivers in its promise of a top end fantasy adventure. The director wanted to showcase Arnie more and his bulging biceps, pecs and hams and keeps him in a state of undress for the most part. This helped enhance the easier tone of the action sequences and became about Conan the warrior as an image of brawn, muscle and power, rather than straightforward brutality.
The film is so well presented, that one can forgive its cheesiness and the first still had dollops of cheese sprinkled throughout it. Why would one want to see a rehash of the first film anyway?
Norman! What did you put in my tea?

I do love this one but the original is better to me since it's more adult. I wish they would've made this one more adult.

I guess everyone can't have good taste in movies

Too kiddie friendly, the acting is worse than the first one, it's kinda boring and only really shines during two scenes.

Interesting.

conan the destroyer is great but the first one is muuuuuch better

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Agreed. Barbarian was far superior, because the producers obviously had great respect for the source material.
What the actual fu?
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Agreed. Barbarian was far superior, because the producers obviously had great respect for the source material. The producers of Destroyer were obviously simply trying to cash in on the popularity of the original Conan film with no respect whatsoever for the source. Destroyer has people who have no screen charisma and essentially no acting ability (Wilt, Grace, etc. The original had Max Von Sydow and James Earl Jones for crying out loud.
Destroyer is a rancid piece of juvenile crud made by studio suits, not film makers.

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You are both nuts for thinking Destroyer beats Barbarian. Or simply you just have no taste in what makes a film good.

I reckon I'm among the few who will agree with you on this. Perhaps it's because I saw this one first, and so the original one just didn't live up to my expectations but also that the two movies have a different feel to them. This one is fast-paced (mostly), light-hearted and fun. The other one is very dark and kinda slow. Also, I absolutely hated the scene where James Earl Jones morphs into a snake. That just didn't work for me. Not nearly as menacing as I guess it was supposed to be.
Oh yeah, and the sexy women didn't hurt either!