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Romancing the Stone (1984) More at IMDbPro »

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86 comments in total

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20 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Hilarious, entertaining, timeless, classic, 7 March 2002
Author: (billybrown41@hotmail.com) from Kimberling City, MO.

I love this movie. I'm sure that it's in my top-ten somewhere, because ever since I was a kid, I've never gotten sick of watching it. The premise is one of those that's just so damn crazy it actually works. It starts with a successful romance novelist, Joan Wilder, who has just finished her last book, but lacks the sort of love-life that she writes about. When she learns that her sister has been kidnapped and is being held hostage, she takes off to South America to help her out. It seems that the kidnappers want a treasure map that is in Joan's possession. Joan is very much a city girl and doesn't fully realize the bind that she and her sis have gotten themselves into. Once in South America, she takes the wrong bus, which breaks down in the South American jungle. When she's held up by a corrupt Police Chief, a very rugged, unshaven, shot-gun toting, Michael Douglas (Jack Colton) shows up and kicks some ass. See, Jack is a bird-trapper who wants nothing more than enough cash to buy himself a yacht. Realizing that Joan is lost in the jungle and fully incapable of surviving on her own, Jack agrees to take her to the nearest town for $300 in travellers' checks, so off they go. By now, we've learned that besides the two goons who've kidnapped Joan's sister (one of which is Danny DeVito in one of his funniest roles EVER) the South American police are after the map as well. Everyone wants what's at the end of the map. What follows for the next hour and a half is one of the most exciting and funny action/adventure movies ever filmed. Michael Douglas is absolutely perfect in the role of Jack Colton and delivers some of the funniest one-liners I've ever heard. Kathleen Turner is equally great as the naive romantic and, as always, she looks great. A great script is brougth to life perfectly by Robert Zemeckis and his direction is air-tight. Please go watch this movie, even if you've seen it a hundred times already......"Oh YEAH!!!! Now that's a campfire!!!!

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20 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Superb adventure-comedy, 6 January 2001

Author: jhaggardjr from Chicago, Illinois

"Romancing the Stone" is argubly my favorite adventure movie of all-time. Yep, in my opinion it surpasses all three movies in the "Indiana Jones" trilogy (which are right behind in terms of greatness). This movie has action, adventure, comedy, drama, and romance all rolled up into one great motion picture. Kathleen Turner stars as Joan Wilder, a romance novelist who flies to the South American country of Colombia to rescue her kidnapped sister. She's ordered by the kidnappers to bring a treasure map that she received in the mail with her to the Colombian city of Cartegna. Ms. Wilder ends up getting on the wrong bus that ends up taking her deep into the jungle where she meets a fortune hunter who saves her life in more ways than one. He also seems to resemble the hero in her books. Jack Colton, the fortune hunter, is played by Michael Douglas (who also produced the film) and he talks her into using the map to find the treasure. But they're not the only ones who are dying to get their hands on the treasure. A couple of bad guys are in hot pursuit of the two adventurers. There's Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), an evil colonel who's on to Ms. Wilder (and is the real nasty bad guy of the bunch); Ira (Zack Norman), one of the crazed kidnappers who's obsessed with crocodiles (he's always saying "Look at those snappers!"); and Ralph (Danny DeVito), Ira's bumbling cousin who goes to the airport to pick up Ms. Wilder, see's at the last second that she got on the wrong bus, and is forced to go into the jungle to find her. Even Ralph and Ira know that Zolo is bad news. There are also minor supporting characters in the film. There's Gloria (Holland Taylor from TV's "The Practice"), Ms. Wilder's publisher; Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor), Ms. Wilder's sister; and Juan (Alfonso Arau), a Colombian native who actually turns out to be a huge fan of Ms. Wilder. In one very funny scene, Ms. Wilder and Mr. Colton go to the house of this man and ask him if they can borrow his car. The Colombian tells them to get lost, until he finds out that the woman is actually Joan Wilder the novelist, and admits that he's one of her biggest fans who has read every one of her books. He proceeds to help the two get out of a jam. "Romancing the Stone" has plenty of exhilarating action scenes, and a load of big laughs. This was director Robert Zemeckis' first hit movie (which he made before the original "Back to the Future"), and I still think this is his best film. Zemeckis is one of our best directors working today, and rarely (like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron) does he make a bad film. "Romancing the Stone" is a great movie. Turner is splendid as the novelist up to her neck in trouble; Douglas is terrific as her sidekick; and Norman and Arau are hilarious in smaller roles. But the one who provides the biggest laughs in the movie is Danny DeVito. He is literally a scream in "Romancing the Stone". I kept falling down on my side because he had me laughing so hard. This is one movie that's a must-see for people who like a mix of action, suspense, adventure, romance, thrills, and lots of comedy. One of the '80s best. Followed by the very good sequel "Jewel of the Nile".

**** (out of four)

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14 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Great, 7 July 2003

Author: LuboLarsson from Scotland

Great action comedy adventure from the mid 80's starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny De Vito. Douglas and De Vito are great but to me the film belongs to Kathleen Turner, she's fantastic and looks absolutely stunning. Its also very well directed from the future director of Back to the Future and Forrest Gump amongst others. Its often mentioned as a rip off of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but I don't really think it is that apparent, the scenes in the Jungle at the start of the film are really good especially when they find the crashed plane "There's nothing like a good fire"!!!. Danny De Vito is really funny as the comic relief and his cousin has some funny lines "Look at them snappers, would ya". My only small complaint is the romantic stuff is a little corny but I suppose thats for the female audience. They followed this up with "Jewel of the Nile" just a year later! Sadly like most sequels it wasn't nearly as good as this, actually its not really worth bothering about unfortunately, Douglas, Turner and De Vito also teamed up again in another film "War of the Roses" but that film has no connection with this or Jewel of the Nile. So if you haven't seen Romancing the Stone look out for it, it's excellent.

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16 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
The very best "adventure/comedy" of all time, honest!, 1 June 2000
Author: TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth

"Romancing the Stone" came out just 3 years after "Raiders..." and in my mind is cemented as one of the great "watchable" movies. The on-screen chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner is wonderful, both playing their parts flawlessly. It is most likely the movie that made Douglas a big star. I can't tell you how many times, with my children, I watched this movie, and still when I catch it on TV I enjoy it almost like it was the first time. I want to own it when it comes out on DVD. For me it is a "9", only because I rate "Raiders..." better and it is a "10".

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15 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Romance novelist Turner finds real life adventure, 19 September 2000

Author: goya-4 from PA

Kathleen Turner stars as a romance novelist who receives a mysterious map from her murdered brother in law and then must go to Columbia to save her kidnapped sister by giving up the map for ransom.

After getting on the wrong bus she meets up with Michael Douglas and the adventure begins..as Douglas seeks the treasure also..

A fast paced adventure that features great chemistry between Douglas and Turner (they would make two more movies at least after this...including a sequel "jewel of the nile"). On a scale of one to ten...8

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
If you've never read a romance novel, don't. Watch this classic, though!, 9 April 2002

Author: Spider-Lou from Bristol, CT

It's been a while since Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas have done something fun, even separately. We'll have to settle for this classic, which has plenty of positive elements.

Romance novelist Joan Wilder is determined to find her kidnapped sister; the strongest, most important plot point that a lot may not realize. By chance, she meets Jack Colton in Colombia. Jack is an American wanderer with profit on his mind, and even expected it from her.

Douglas and Turner act very well together, and Danny DeVito was one of the funniest actors around, showing his comedy skills here in all their glory. Plus, if you think that movies like "She's All That" or "Princess Diaries" started the reclusive frumpy girl who transforms into a beautiful open minded woman concept, then you never saw Joan Wilder's transformation! Whoo!

When you toss in several great chase and action scenes, a nasty corrupt cop-villain, and flawless comedy, the end result is a living (for lack of a better adjective) romance novel. Now, I've never read one myself, but it wouldn't surprise me if Robert Zemeckis and the writers did.

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A romantic adventure you won't want to miss., 12 July 2002

Author: Cylex from England

This was highly entertaining with humour, danger, romance & likeable leads. Danny De Vito put in a great performance as Ralph and deserved more screen time. The hero and heroine had the right chemistry and were good to watch. The jungle locations were breathtaking and I liked the soundtrack. Never a dull moment. 10/10

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Still the romantic adventure film to measure all others by., 26 June 2000
Author: Mack Bates (mackdady) from Milwaukee, WI

Truth be told: I came a little late to the party when it comes to having seen "Romancing The Stone". I didn't see it for the first time until the Fall of 1993, but had seen it's sequel, "Jewel of the Nile" numerous times since its initial theatrical release in 1985. Normally when it comes to seeing sequels, I almost always prefer the original to the sequel--but for many years I absolutely loved "Jewel of the Nile" not knowing about "Romancing the Stone".

When I finally did see "Romancing the Stone" nine solid years after its theatrical release on some premium cable channel, I was blown away by it. All those years spent raving about "Jewel" should have been spent raving about "Romancing the Stone". The original is leaps and bounds superior to the sequel (even though "Jewel of the Nile" does have its own charms--to a degree upon reflection) and contains what is arguably Kathleen Turner's best on-screen performance. Have we ever seen her better in anything else? Maybe in "Peggy Sue Got Married" or in "Prizzi's Honor" perhaps even in "Body Heat", but, it's safe to say that without her enormously captivating, thoroughly fabulous performance as Joan Wilder opposite Michael Douglas' career best comic performance as Jack Coltin, the movie wouldn't be such the modern-day classic it is and always will be.

As far as I'm concerned, Turner was robbed of the Oscar for Best Actress in 1984 for this film. So often the Academy favors dramatic performances over comedic performances when everyone worth their Screen Actors Guild card knows comedy is infinitely trickier to pull off convincingly than drama. How many actresses could have been as perfect as Turner is as Wilder? Only Susan Sarandon comes to immediate mind--she would have been magnificent come to think of it.

Also, there hasn't been a successful romantic adventure film made since that even comes close to comparing with "Romancing the Stone" I believe. And, I've looked long and hard to find one even compatible to this and have failed. There may be many knock-offs but no real diamonds in the rough.

Danny DeVito as always was a hoot to watch and Holland Taylor as Joan's book editor, Gloria, is simply sensational in a brief but memorable turn at the beginning and tail-end of the movie. It's a mystery why she's never really been a bigger star before now, with her groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning work on "The Practice" at least giving us a taste on what we've been denying ourselves by not making a big noise in support of her landing bigger, juicier starring roles.

So 16 years later, "Romancing the Stone" is still unequivocally the best of its genre and makes you wish the Turner would get the chance to work far more than she's been in recent times. The woman is a comic genius and we need to let the powers that be in Hollywood know that we want more of her and quickly.

One suggestion: If Turner, Douglas and DeVito ever do reteam--let it not be in a second sequel. "Romancing" is just too perfect to capitalize on any further. They couldn't do a sequel to "The War of the Roses" for obvious reasons (if you've seen the movie you already know why). Just imagine how great they would have been in "Primary Colors" as Jack and Susan Stantin. John Travolta (on target for sure) and especially Emma Thompson (in a surprisingly weak performance) take note. It's a shame the film's writer, Diane Thomas didn't live long enough to have written any other films of this magnitude. This one produced gem of hers has given millions of people the world over countless hours of fun-filled escapist delight. A true classic in every sense.

GRADE: A

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Adventure and love in the Columbian jungle, 17 January 2003

Author: indigo7699 from seattle, wa

This is an adventure flick that's one hair away from being a chick flick--but a better genre-straddler you may never find. It's lifted out of pure romantic comedy rut by a young and feisty Michael Douglas playing a hard-bitten, coarse adventurer by name of Jack Colton and young, sultry Kathleen Turner playing naive New York romance novelist Joan Wilder. When Joan is stranded in the middle of the Columbian rainforest with a greedy and ruthless military leader, Colton chases him off, accidently playing the role of Joan's romance hero, Jessie. Chased across the country by thieves and corrupt government officials, Joan comes into her own, often getting out of sticky situations with her own talent for words when reluctant hero Jack would have shot his way out of things. Great movie... far better than any romance I've ever had the misfortune to read. Danny DeVito lends the film some of its funniest moments. One of my favorite films!

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Addictive, Slick, Humorous and Entertaining!, 23 November 2005

Author: Stray_Butler_1991 from Australia

Extremely likable and watchable adventure film, which mixes up humour and adventure to make a great film! This film has a great cast, especially Douglas who plays the main character Jack Colton. Colton is both funny and sweet! The number one character that is funny is DeVito! DeVito plays an American, who is part of a plot to kidnap the sister of a romance novelist named Joan Wilder, to lure Wilder to them, and to retrieve a map that was recently picked up by Wilder.

The story follows a romance-fiction novelist (Turner) who finds out her sister has been kidnapped in Columbia, and she must deliver a treasure map to the kidnappers or else awful things will happen to her. When she arrives in Columbia she is lured away by the other team that want the map, and she starts going away from her desired destination. She then escapes and needs to find her way to her sister, and the kidnappers. Along the way she meets shotgun-wielding soldier of fame Jack Colton (Douglas) who comes to her aid. Together they go to face the kidnappers head on, and to try and keep the stone they retrieved!

The story may have been done many times before, but near the end, and during the middle, there are some great stunts and some excellent action!

The beginning of the film is one of the strongest beginnings for a film, it opens with some great action, and of course some humour! Then the ending leaves you wanting some-more, then we get it with 'Jewel of the Nile', which has an awesome beginning as well, but it doesn't beat the opening of this film!

10/10, A must-see landmark film!

Another thing, what on earth is with the DVD? All we get is some bad video and audio quality, and a trailer! This film deserves a heap more! Especially since director Zemeckis usually gives his films great DVD treatment! ('Back to the Future' trilogy, 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' etc.) How can he let 20th Century Fox do this to his great film!

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