Reasonably well known box office flop with a reputation for awfulness that is rather undeserved.
The plot: Richard 'The Thornbirds' Chamberlain plays Allan Quatermain, an Indiana Jones style explorer and general adventure who gets caught ip in a search for the legendary King Solomon's Mines when he gets involved with a beautiful stranger (Sharon Stone).
That's all you need to know about the plot, for this is a movie that lives and dies on its action scenes, and they are plentiful.
Getting dragged behind a moving train; hanging on to the wing of an erratically piloted bi-plane; being boiled alive in a giant pot by cannibals?
It's all in a day's work for Quatermain.
Chamberlain is clearly having a whale of a time as the square jawed hero, ably assisted by a youthful Stone, all pretty blonde curls and squealing innocence.
John Rhys Davies makes a welcome appearance as a villain - another link to Indiana Jones - and the chest-thumping score is provided by the always excellent Jerry Goldsmith, here doing his best to channel the essence of John Williams.
Heh, it's as dumb as a sackful of badgers, but it is also relentlessly entertaining, only occasionally straying into the realm of utter nonsense.
Imagine the more comical moments in the Indiana Jones movies, only extended for the duration and you won't be far away.
Silly, then, but engagingly so.
3 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment