"Romancing the Stone

The quintessential 80's classic... It has it all Action, Romance, Adventure, Comedy, Suspense. What more could you ask for in a movie...Ok, the first time that we see Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner share the screen. I am the only one who thinks this was a brilliant casting job? When we first were introduced to Kathleen Turner a few years back in Body Heat, She turned every red blooded man on.. Now she's back with the smokey voice, the legs, the comic timing. Michael Douglas is in the prime of his career, branching out to producing his starring vehicles. He and Kathleen envelope the screen as if it were sending a letter to all Adventure seekers and Hopeless Romantics. The supporting cast is not too shabby it's self,, We get the charismatic Danny Devito (in his first time sharing the screen with Michael and Kathleen, he even directed them in War of the Roses). The Latin mega star Manuel Ojeda, Alfonso Arau, Mary Ellen Trainor and Holland Taylor.

Kathleen plays our herione,lonley Romance novelist Joan Wilder. Her books are about women in distress and the "Hero" of her books is the rugged and manley "Jesse". After finishing her latest book, she delivers her book to her editor Gloria (Holland Taylor), while discussing the datepool at the local bar, Gloria asks about her sister Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor), it seems that her husband has been murdered and chopped into parts. Joan returns home to find that her house has been ransacked. She gets a life or death call from her sister to fly to Columbia to bring a map that her dead husband mailed just before he died. With the warnings from her editor, such as "your gonna need something stronger" when Joan reaches for a mini bar size bottle of alcohol, and "do you have all your shot's?" our heroine leaves for the Jungles of Columbia..

While getting on the bus at the airport she is misdirected by the infamous Zolo (Manuel Ojeda) leader of the under ground Militia. While traveling in the wrong direction, the bus crashes. The passengers begin walking and Joan is told by Zolo that there will be another bus. He then pulls a gun demanding her purse. Zolo notices a stranger on the hillside and shoots at him. Jack (Michael Douglas) pulls out his shot gun and the two start a shooting match ending with Zolo running down the road. Joan pays Jack to guide her through the jungle to Cartagena, where her sister is in a life or death situation.

Jack leads Joan on a wild ride through the jungles of Columbia, with Zolo after them, Ralph and his cousin Ira (who are holding the sister ransom for the map) mudslides, crashed planes,the perils of the jungle and Colombian drug dealers, Joan reaches her sister in Cartagena. The film is filled with awesome sights, daring stunts, beautiful locations and well rounded acting on all parts. I would recommend this movie to anyone... young or old.. This is a great date movie or family friendly adventure.

Gourmet Review 10/10