Conan the Adventurer (1997–1998) User Reviews (22)

He's Back! In his Own TV Series!!

[Mr_Sophistication_Uk · 4/10 · 2 May 2023]

Ralf Moeller prowls the screen like a cut-price Arnold Schwarzeneggar, confusing raggedy extras with his incomprehensible accent and never making contact with his plastic sword against any of the foes he supposedly 'dispatches'.

The (many) women he meets along the way he seduces through bravery, strength and baby oil alone, but most of them either end up dead or abandoned due to his ongoing quest to be some kind of 'king'. Like James Bond, Conan MUST remain single, free & virile.

Lots of slow-motion fights ahoy, some laughably dated CGI monsters and the same 'inspiring' music played again and again. If this sounds like your cup o' char, then REJOICE! There are at least 22 episodes of this standard formula to rock your furry loincloths to.

Sadly, it never made it to a second season. What a shame. I guess people preferred Conan as a 'Barbarian' to an "adventurer'. Philistines. 4/10.

What was so bad about this show?

[kszonew · 6 March 2002]

After watching episodes on tape, thanks to a friend who had taped them, I want to know why Conan fans found this tv series so lame? Now, granted it wasn't the novels, or as bloodly and dark as it should have been...but it had monsters, women, warriors, killing, wizards, and Rolf did a great job as Conan the Cimmerian. Plus, unlike many syndie shows, had an actual storyline going through the season. Episodes like "Lair of the Beastmen" and "Al Sohn-Bar" were nicely done fantasy stories, with a bit of everything. Some episodes were not as worthy, but it was a fun series. Face it: Conan on cable or free TV isn't going to be the Conan a hardcore Conan fan wants. Until HBO can aquire a chance to produce a Conan tv series, the 1997/1998 "Conan: Adventurer" tv series is the best you'll get. And unless Threshold produces a new tv series (which they have yet to do, after fighting hard to get the rights, etc) the Keller Conan series is all there will be.

Good grief!

[action-man101 · 1/10 · 16 March 2010]

Quite possibly the worst television series ever made. I'm a big fan of the 1982 Conan The Barbarian film, thought Conan The Destroyer wasn't very good, but this cheapo show stank all the way. Terrible acting and laughable "action" make this a real turkey. Hilarious continuity errors puncutate every scene. The music is rubbish, the locations are boring. Every episode of this drivel is the same "story". The last episode had Conan and his dumb friends help some people (about 4 of them I think) search for their fish!?! The talking skull-thing looks like it came from a toy shop. Moeller, looks the part but his acting makes Arnie look like Anthony Hopkins. Strictly for the least discriminating viewers only - or people with an IQ lower than their shoe size.

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This is NOT Conan

[evg103 · 1/10 · 17 October 2010]

This series was disappointing on numerous levels, many of which were quite adequately covered by other reviewers. So, rather than dwelling on the obvious cheapness of the series, its apparent lack of writers or fight choreographers, and a soundtrack that, at my most generous, I could only describe as "medieval Yanni," I'm just going to dive head-first into what killed the series for me: it wasn't Conan. Oh sure, they had some loincloth-wearing bodybuilder with an impenetrable accent that everyone kept calling "Conan," but he bore little resemblance to Howard's original character. I recall one scene in particular in which "Conan," having vanquished some foes, raised his sword to the heavens and bellowed some nonsense about being the servant of Crom. Anyone who had ever even skimmed over Howard's stories would realize that this is NOT something that Conan would ever do; he frequently stated that it was useless to call on Crom, for he was a god who hated weaklings. Conan didn't serve Crom, nor did he worship Crom. He swore by him and otherwise made a very conscious effort not to attract his attention. Any idiot claiming to be a "servant of Crom" was more likely to get killed by a bolt of lightning than enjoy any kind of divine blessings. In addition, aside from the name of the titular character and periodic mentions of Cimmeria, there were practically no references to the incredibly detailed world Howard created. No supporting characters from the original stories were included (Karela is a character from the Robert Jordan pastiches, and Red Sonja is comic-book creation only loosely based on a non-Conan Howard character). Why do Conan fans put up with this kind of rubbish? The original material was almost exclusively short stories, with little or no connection aside from all being about Conan; they could have been adapted into television episodes easily. I can only come to one of two conclusions about this series' creators: that they thought they could do a better job with Conan than Robert E. Howard did (and failed miserably), or (more likely) they realized that by tacking Conan's name on their crappy series, they could trick some viewers into actually watching it.

What if the Hercules & Xena TV series had been produced by the Asylum?

[camerica1978 · 1/10 · 14 April 2016]

What if the Hercules & Xena TV series had been produced by the Asylum? I mean the worst acting, the worst special effects, the worst plots, and the worst characters. You'd get Conan the Adventurer, the TV series! Hercules & Xena may have been B-grade schlock, but at least they were professionally made and very, very entertaining. This series? The exact opposite.

I made the mistake of buying the entire series on DVD, having never watched an episode beforehand. Oh God, was that money down the drain! I forced myself to watch every episode (and believe me, it was torturous) in hopes of finding something, anything, redeeming. Nope, nothing! The more I watched, the more I wanted to smash my head hard enough to develop amnesia, so I could forget this godawful crap. If you're a fan of Conan, don't watch this! Conan the Destroyer is an Oscar-winning masterpiece compared to this! If you're a fan of fantasy roleplaying games, don't watch this! This is the equivalent of playing in a group with an incompetent, simple-minded DM, and a bunch of idiotic, insipid players. No! NO!!

adventure

[gdp-463-106874 · 7/10 · 18 February 2014]

It's low budget, and it's all in the forest. You can not really compare it with Arnold's movies. But Ralf is cool and Danny (the little guy) makes up for a lot ! And Zzeben and Bayu can not be missed. The thief compagnion woman Karella is an interesting returning aspect, not played bad at all. The special effects are not very terrible. They suffice for the stories. I watched an episode every day, and you see the actors (and maybe the writers) grow and improve. It's really very conveniant to watch during exercise. I would buy and watch a second season immediatelly. It's funny to see how they try to give Bayu a little more personality with later-added-in sound effects: growling animals and stuf. They shouldn't have bothered, but it's not very annoying. So please don't take it too serious and get yourself through the first few episodes. It will grow on you. In conclusion, here 's a reviewer waiting for the sequel.

By far the worst series i have ever seen!!

[jonesythemadd · 1/10 · 26 August 2010]

OK, where to start....My roommate made me suffer through this series on netflix and i usually don't say anything about my thoughts on things like this, but this was the worst.

First: Bad acting, the characters acting is absolutely awful, the character of Conan although German, sounds like he's trying to pull off a bad Arnold impression. Bayu (aka tj storm) does this stupid... cat thing or something where he pretends like he is some animal while fighting, the entire cast just sounds like they don't know how to act, even Danny woodburn tanked in this one, and i really like him. Second: the effects, the swords are obviously fake, they are obviously flat and wooden or plastic, the hammers are clearly rubber or foam, they look like poor quality props picked up at the local costume shop. the choreography of the fights poorly done, it doesn't even look like they are trying to hit each other. the magic effects are just sad. Third: the plot: the amount of plot holes in this show is just pathetic. they have flashbacks in one episode of things that clearly hadn't happened yet, because they were shown in later episodes. the series ends making the viewer feel cheated, its like premature ejaculation, over before it even starts. the skull that talks dosen't escape, Conan never sees his daughter, he just pops out of the water, cuts the bad guys head off, and thats the end. overall the entire series was the worst 22 episodes of crap i have ever seen! the one redeeming quality of the whole series was the endless supply of big breasted barely dressed females and the occasional cameo from people from some movies, although sadly even they were only supporting actors in their other endeavors.

Decent Fantasy Series

[funkydvd · 7/10 · 7 May 2006]

Let me start off by saying that I am a big Conan fan. I enjoyed both of the original movies, I've read many of the novels and own a decent collection of comics. I didn't expect much from this series. As far as I know, it was shot in Mexico and is, somewhat low budget. There are kind of primitive (by today's standards) computer generated effects and even computer generated establishing shots.

But, as has been said, Ralf Moeller is a good Conan. At 6'6" or so and 280+ lbs. he makes an impressive warrior. He has been in some of my favorite movies and had a very impressive bodybuilding career in the 80s (not as much in titles, but in achieving an impressive and imposing physique on such a large frame!) So, he is fun to watch on screen. Also, the supporting characters are strong in their roles. Also, there are some characters from the Conan novels such as Karela. Many of the stories are pretty good, some are mediocre (as with any series).

The only real complaint I have about this series is its limited shooting locations and generally (too obvious) low budget production values. When every episode takes place in the same forest, it begins to look repetitive. We watch fantasy movies/shows to be taken away to imaginary places and in a series, this means fresh and new places of adventure, not the same ones show after show. The props and sets are another complaint. i.e. many of the weapons used are obviously wood or plastic and have no sharpened edge of any kind. They really made this too obvious. Conan seems to be the only one with any kind of real sword. What? they couldn't get a BudK catalog and order a bunch of $50 swords? And, every village looks like the huts and houses were thrown together in five minutes. I used to make better forts than this as a kid! So, those are the elements that are less than convincing.

The boxed set is reasonably priced and a must have for Conan fanatics like myself. But, the casual fan may get bored quickly with the generic sets and low production values. As a side note, I notice that Teagan Clive has writing credit on this show- she is a long time writer for many muscle magazines and a bodybuilder in her own right. Also, Matthias Hues ( of "I come in Peace" fame) makes a guest role in perhaps the best episode in the collection- mostly because of his great performance. He lends a more authentic "barbarian" quality to the episode and chews the scenery well in this type of role.

Two stars is generous.

[rusnr · 2/10 · 13 August 2020]

I can handle bad acting if the plots are good...enough said.

Should give it a chance

[CHADPLUID · 8/10 · 28 June 2010]

After seeing Ralf Moeller in Gladiator I ever so wanted to see him as Conan. As much to my surprise I completely enjoyed his take on the character.

I went into this series with very little expectations, I didn't set my hopes to high so I wouldn't be let down. I must say I was very disappointed with the way the series started with less then quality script writing and lack of funding, but I always like to give a series a chance to develop, let the actors get comfortable with their characters and allow the writers to develop better stories and I am sure glad I did.

You won't find high quality fight scenes, big budget sets, or award winning scores but they give you a very enjoyable show to watch as long as you continue to watch it.

Ralf Moeller and Danny Woodburn give you such likable characters you have to tip your hat to them, as well as TJ Storm and Robert McRay.

I am sad to see that the series didn't continue and wasn't given a chance to grow. I think if the show was supported with better funding that this show could have had a better following and turned into something quite exceptional. As it is though the show is very enjoyable and worth the time.

Satisfying action, hilarious comedy and a little personal grudge

[moontiger5 · 7/10 · 2 August 2006]

Although this series is only loosely based on Robert E. Howard's stories, and when comparing the two it feels as if the Walt Disney Company was somehow involved, I cannot find any great fault with this work. Ralf Moeller's height and musculature make his Conan an imposing figure, TJ Storm and Robert McRay are fantastic as cohorts Bayu and Zzeben (watch out for perfectly intelligible jokes in sign language), Jeremy Kemp is a hoot as ever-brooding Hissah Zul, and when the series reaches its final episode you wish there was more. I was sorry to see The Skull That Talks vanish without getting to at least throw a blast at Hissah--surely he had accumulated enough rubies to earn the power for it?

My little grudge with this series has to do with the character Karella (portrayed by guest actress Aly Dunne). I had a story in the works featuring a character of the same name and similar physical attributes when this series came out. Imagine my dismay at having to chuck it! Still, I'm glad I sat down to watch this series: Dunne's Karella is enchanting, fiery, indomitable and more than a match for Moeller's Conan--on her very first appearance she catches the barbarian off guard, and it's quite believable! I also cheered when Karella is depicted as having chosen to remain independent over queening it beside Conan, despite her obvious crush on the Cimmerian. All in all, a very entertaining and satisfying series.

A quote from the "Top review"

[dr-cheyno · 3/10 · 6 March 2022]

"Conan the television series was in my opinion every bit as good as the books and the two 1980 movies."

Alright I'm just gonna stop you right there..

No. NO. NO!

This was just as bad as Xena or Hercules. Horrible acting, story and 100% pure braindead tv.

Seriously this even makes Buffy the Vampire slayer almost look good.

Conan the series was worthy of another season.

[gabbyshope · 31 July 2000]

Conan the television series was in my opinion every bit as good as the books and the two 1980 movies. Ralph Moeller portrayed a hero that was likable, smart and a natural leader with his friends. The show ended after only one season, but it ended strong with an interesting season finale that would have easily led into a second year. For those who did not get the chance to see the show, Conan was joined by his friends, the axe-weilding Vulkar, the mute staff-fighting Zzeben, the animal-spirit fighter Bayu, the thoughtful and wise dwarf Otli, and the strong and beautiful female theif Karella. Their main goal for the first year was to defeat the evil sorcerer Hissah Zul and the Skull he summoned with red rubies for advice. All of the actors and actresses deserve credit for putting genuine effort into their characters. Jeremy Kemp was good as an evil sorcerer who attacked Conan directly and at times through those who thought to gain his favor. Otli was another character that was developed well.

I think the mark of any good show is if it leaves you wanting more and provides more interesting questions than answers. Conan the series delivered this. The three sorcerers who helped Conan defeat Hissah Zul clearly had their own motives for overthrowing the new king in time. There was the question of why Skull wanted to collect red rubies. A visit to the Black Kingdoms would have been interesting and it would have been interesting to see the details of Karella's army of archers. All things considered, Conan the series is a show that I will miss and would have enjoyed seeing a second season. I am glad to see Ralph Moeller's appearance in the movie Gladiator. I think he did a good job.

So Good It's Bad

[sam_authier · 7/10 · 23 September 2017]

I had no idea what the tone of this show was like till I actually watched it I actually thought it felt more like the movies than the actual book which for some way I kinda like a little bit better Seen the 1982 movie was even popular. It sucks that it lasted only one season but only because me & other people found it very non detail & Cheesy. Even though I Feel a little unplaced with this show I actually really like for what it is in fact I'm a fanon writer but I haven't post any of my work yet I basically I'm doing more seasons for this show I would say about 12 or 11 ones as so I could imagine if this show was something like I doing it would may or may not be as popular as Xena warrior princess was.

great action and look for television

[television23 · 10/10 · 7 October 2001]

I found the series to be very good for television. It has great action sequences and Ralf Moeller is a great Conan. I am sorry it didn't continue because I really liked all the characters, especially TJ Storm as the black warrior. The music also is terrific and very authentic sounding for a fantasy period of time.

I like it too

[lpaigema · 9/10 · 9 July 2006]

I couldn't agree more with the other poster. I found this show totally enjoyable. The DVDs are well worth having. Unlike shows that started out good and went downhill fast, like Xena, this one kept the tone jaunty and fun throughout, as well as steering clear of silly anachronisms. Conan's mostly exposed body is good eye candy for us ladies, too. I wish there were more episodes.

The only things I got bored with were the talking skull and the somewhat one-dimensional bad guys. However, there were some strong women characters (and what a blast to see Mariette Hartley show up as the Queen in "Heir Apparent," season 1). The sidekicks were a little dull in some ways, I guess, but I give the show credit for using "misfits" (a dwarf, a mute, a chubby coward) in action roles and in giving them some dignity and respectability instead of turning them into comic relief in a degrading way (can you say "Joxer"?).

I also liked the lack of gore--maybe I'm a wimp but the Conan movies, though I love them (and the soundtrack is absolutely the greatest), were a little gory for my taste. I prefer to leave that stuff to the imagination. Speaking of the soundtrack, I bought that CD also and it is pretty good. Not exactly Basil Poledouris, but it's thoroughly listenable.

Conan the Barbarian is toned-down for TV as expected, with sidekicks and a moralistic tone that should have been sublimated with erotic and S&M undertones.

[TheVid · 15 March 2004]

All the episodes of this sword and sorcery series simply capitalize on the formula that made the HERCULES or BEASTMASTER TV shows successful; but a couple of these in syndication is enough. What was needed here was something more edgy with a fantasy/noir atmosphere. Bodybuilder Ralf Moeller is ideally cast, but his character is decidedly too friendly and heroic to be taken as a barbarian thug, which is the proper way to develop the Conan character. Where is the stimulating eroticism and fetishistic bondage situations that make a loinclothed hero satisfying. Even on TV, you can push the envelop to reasonable limits in these two critical areas. What we don't need are cutesy, self-righteous sidekicks or a little-man buddy (reminiscent of many a schlocky Italian peplum pic). Another thing that keeps this kind of thing interesting is a cool, sadistic villain, and this series fails miserably here, too. The key wizard villain is far from sinister and his bantering interludes with a "potted skull" slow down the proceedings irreparably. Not nearly enough bang for your buck here.

It died too soon

[lordzedd-3 · 8/10 · 7 April 2007]

Now I got to admit this Conan series wasn't perfect. But if "Prison Break" and "Battlestar Galactica (2004)" can get a second season, then why not Conan. Which is way better then both those above mention crap fests. I tell you why, the Neilson rating, where minority rules. One person gets to be one million people is just wrong. We need to do away with the Neilson rating system to save good shows like Conan. Back to Conan, I think it is just as good as HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS monster wise. But I do think that Ralf Moeller was just a little harder to understand then Arnold was. Which may have been one of the problems and they should have at least stop Zul at least once before the series was over. But that's a shame. Anyway, Conan is a good series and deserves more then it got and I say 8 STARS.

Need more "Conan" book in "Conan" television

[TroyAir · 27 April 1999]

Seems like ever since "Hercules" and "Xena" became chart toppers in the syndicated tv series market, a lot of imitators have come along. "Conan" the tv series is one of them, which is a shame as it had so much going for it, like instant name recognition.

First off, the producers need to get rid of the mute and the Viking sidekicks. "Conan" always has been his own man. Readers of the original "Conan" novels by Robert E. Howard know this. The books were always about Conan's fights against overwhelming odds by himself. He needs friends, but not these two, and not all the time. Let him keep the dwarf, but let Danny Woodburn provide a bit more comedy relief, and let a tall woman fall in love with the dwarf from time to time so that Danny can have that macho-man look on his face. It'd be a great opportunity for physical comedy. A dwarf Don Juan would be funny.

Second, let the female sidekick get more screen time. And change her costume. Save the leather corset for "Xena". Karella should show a belly button from time to time, instead. She's an ex-"Vogue" model, so let us see some trim tummy. We get to see Ralph's don't we?

Third, give the show more sizzle. Let the women be women. Let the female guest stars slip out of their leather outfits and into something more comfortable, such as Conan's arms, or a cool mountain stream, a field of flowers, a dark forest, or even a cold dungeon. A little titillation can go a long way. If the producers want to know how to pull off this act and get around the American censors, let them watch an episode of "Pacific Blue". The books were always about Conan defeating the evil ruler, saving the town, and bedding a fair maiden. It was formulaic, but it worked. So how about more fair maidens?

As for Ralph Moeller, he does a great job as "Conan": big muscles, big sword, limited vocabulary, just as Robert E. Howard had depicted him. And Danny Woodburn could be great with a format change.

Me, I'm still waiting for them to re-do the first dungeon scene from "Conan And The Sword Of Skelos". "Conan" fans will know what I'm talking about. I think that scene was the inspiration for the two "Barbarian Queen" movies, which reminds me: where is Lana Clarkson when we need her?

The best adventure series

[zainoor07 · 10/10 · 8 November 2010]

This is the best adventure series I have ever seen. It's a must watch for people who love adventure movies especially the young. The series has everything including action, comedy, romance, love, thrill and great adventure to sum it up all. Conan (Ralf Mouller) is one of my best movie heroes and he's acting in the series is superb. I wish a sequel of this series is made featuring the same cast. Well done to the cast and crew of Conan, The Adventurer for a wonderful series. This is the best adventure series I have ever seen. It's a must watch for people who love adventure movies especially the young. The series has everything including action, comedy, romance, love, thrill and great adventure to sum it up all. Conan (Ralf Mouller) is one of my best movie heroes and he's acting in the series is superb. I wish a sequel of this series is made featuring the same cast. Well done to the cast and crew of Conan, The Adventurer for a wonderful series.

Not for network TV

[kismit · 14 May 2000]

If you saw the original movie with Arnold and it's less watchable sequel in the theatre and later on TV you will get an idea as to what this series is missing. The censors made mincemeat of these two bloody movies because of a desire not to show blood and killing in a sword movie. The producers of the TV show decided to make him Conan the bloodless for the TV show with predictable results. Rolf Moeller was a perfect choice as Arnold already had us expecting a German bodybuilder in the role but they made him a kinder gentler Conan along with cutting the violence which simply departs too much from the original character. Throwing in full time sidekicks for no clear reason made this no different than Xena or Hercules. It's not quite as silly as the series Highlander which is about decapitation but refuses to acknowledge it but like Highlander, it is an idea for cable or feature films only.

there is nothing about Conan

[bufalomert · 12 September 2005]

i've watched the series, but i couldn't find anything about Conan. Don't tell me about that is good for TV or anything else. First of all, there is nothing about story from Robert E. Howard, Ralf Moeller is not the man for Conan. i didn't enjoy the film as a Conan story, but watchable like a hercules etc. thats all. i'm a real Conan fun and know all about him and the writer R.E. Howard, he killed himself in his early ages because of her mother died. But the story made him undead, someone is trying to earn moneys with stupid things like that using "Conan" name. That is the barbarian thing u know ? there is no barbarian atmosphere in this. Don't try to tell me or anyone else that this is good or something like that. Someone has to change the shows name.