Romancing the Stone

Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Alfonso Arau
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance, Comedy
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) is stranded when she travels to Colombia to trade a treasure map for her sister's life. She meets a gruff adventurer (Michael Douglas) who reluctantly decides to help her.

Review:

Tim: This movie is a lighthearted action/adventure movie that blends comedy and romance into the mix. The best part is that the film doesn't take itself too seriously. This could have been disastrous, but luckily, the movie never feels preachy- it just feels fun.

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner interact extremely well together. Douglas is so fun to watch, with his self-preservation, care-only-about-himself attitude. His performance is almost Bogart-esque. Turner really captures her role well. She flirts with being too over-the-top, but walks that rope expertly. She's quite good in the role. Danny DeVito is mostly a complete waste. He adds nothing to the film.

There are some great scenes in the film. I love action/adventure movies, and this one is at least a decent entry into that genre. The mudslide, the bridge, and the car chase are all pretty good scenes. However, the real fuel of the movie is the interaction between Douglas and Turner. Everything revolves around this.

The film does have some flaws. The storyline is a bit weak in places, and the plot has a few holes. There isn't too much emotional impact to the movie, and this hurts the film. Romancing the Stone does enough right to be enjoyable. The leads are well cast, and Robert Zemeckis does a good job in the director's chair. This is a movie that has a few weaknesses, but overall, it is an entertaining film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Jewel of the Nile, Forrest Gump, Contact, The War of the Roses