Romancing the Stone (1984)

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A lot of fun.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Sheltered romance writer Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) learns her sister has been kidnapped in Columbia. The kidnappers want a map that Wilder has in her possession that supposedly leads to a treasure known as El Corazón. But the kidnappers aren't the only party interested in the map. Colonel Zolo, head of the military police, is also after the map. Through an unfortunate series of events, Wilder ends up lost in the jungle and pins her hopes for survival on an exotic bird smuggler names Jack T Colton (Michael Douglas). Is Colton the dreamy hero of Wilder's books or is he also in it for himself and after the treasure? If I were to use only one word to describe Romancing the Stone, it would be "fun". This movie has been a favorite of mine since I was lucky enough to catch it in the theater way back in 1984. It was fun then and it's just as fun now. I've probably seen it a dozen or more times since 1984. Adventure, comedy, romance, danger, action – Romancing the Stone's got it all. There's a lot here to like. Robert Zemeckis' direction is spot-on. His pacing is near-flawless. The cinematography is often stunning. The jungles of Columbia are beautifully shot. Green never looked so good. While the actual hunt for the treasure doesn't play as big a role as I would prefer, it's clever and enjoyable. The movie also features some terrific acting from Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, and the scene stealing Alfonso Arau. I've always been especially impressed with Turner's portrayal of Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone. She plays against type and it works. Overall, this movie's a winner.

ROMANCING THE STONE is one of those big 1980s blockbuster movies that haven't dated very well as the years have gone by. For some reason, a lot of '80s films seem more dated than their counterparts that were made back in the 1950s. Still, this one is enjoyable enough if you're in a forgiving mood, even if it is a blatant rip off of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (and made without that film's wit, charisma, and style).The story enough is the tried-and-tested romantic-comedy-adventure template: a mismatched duo are on the run from a bunch of nefarious bad guys, who will stop at nothing to get the precious treasure map/jewel/secret treasure/etc. This film wins a lot of charm from the talents of a laid back Michael Douglas, at his charismatic best, and feisty Kathleen Turner, who turns out to be more than a match for the gung-ho hero. Essentially the plot sees them escaping from the bad guys in various South American countries, battling jungle flora and fauna as well as each other. Danny DeVito pops up for some comic relief and the bad guys are suitably sinister.Don't expect much from the script. Sparks fly from the Douglas and Turner characters but that's about it. There's a lot of contrivances and coincidences along the way which you have to take with a pinch of salt. There's nothing particular memorable or surprising here but as a light hearted romp it's fairly watchable and enjoyable.

Romancing The Stone really has it's history in correlation with Back To The Future. This truly was the under-dog movie. Romancing The Stone was originally a book by Diane Thomas. Designed to be her 'version' of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, she pitched the idea for the movie to Steven Spielberg. Having not wanting to repeat the recycled idea, Steven turned her to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, who were his 'interns' at the time. Romancing The Stone has become one of the first in a long run of having a female protagonist as the lead role. Kathleen Turner may have had a defining role in Body Heat, but this picture gave us a more down to earth character for turner to play. It's a brilliant thrill ride from start to finish. All three of the films leads, Douglas, Turner and DeVito have been defined with this movie as a staple for their careers. The start of production of Romancing The Stone would also form a strong bond with each other. They all came back to do the Back To The Future trilogy as well as Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and countless other Hollywood hits. Romancing The Stone definitely comes recommended for fans of action flicks.

A good movie! It is undoubtedly similar to Indiana Jones atmosphere and therefore has a funny script with lots of action which captivated me.Kathleen Turner shows once again her talent for comedy and drama. But I still prefer her performance in "Body Heat". However, i didn't really enjoy the "chemistry" and dynamics created between Joan Wilder and Jack Colton. For this reason, I find important to refer the movie "It Happened One Night," which holds one of my favorite pairs :)Danny De Vito embodies the thousandth time the figure of the street-smart."Romancing the Stone" is a hymn to adventure and is full of twists, etc .... It isn't original you say. So what? Continues to be entertainment at its best. It's one of those movies that should only be watched with popcorn :)