On R List of Movie Reviews

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Romancing the Stone (1984)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 5/04, 12/25

12/25: Having seen Romancing the Stone back in the 80's, I always thought it was the poor man's Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The sentiment still holds true today, but it's not a bad movie for the most part. There's plenty of adventure, and the story makes sense despite the absence of comedy. Most of all, Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny DeVito carry the show, marking their first collaboration of three films.

Speaking of allergies, notice Kathleen Turner's sickly character writing her novel in the apartment and then becoming instantly better when she journeyed to Colombia? That's what elimination of dust can do to a person. On the other hand, Michael Douglas, in the form of Indiana Jones who absurdly comes out of nowhere, is a natural fit for Kathleen Turner.

Alfonso Arau plays Juan. I wouldn't have thought of him going on to be a pretty good director during the 90's by turning in Como agua para chocolate and A Walk in the Clouds. Similarly, Romancing the Stone is Robert Zemeckis' first proven success after a rough start. As a result, his career would take off in a major way via Back to the Future trilogy.

All in all, Romancing the Stone is a quality Hollywood film.

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