1984's 'Romancing the stone' is a splendid classic, a fun blend of adventure, romance, and comedy that continues to hold up well. Thanks to the tendencies in the 90s of television networks to play certain movies very frequently, I know I saw it several times over the years (albeit not any time recently). This 1985 sequel, on the other hand, I was not even aware of for a fairly long time, and even then it's taken me this long to get around to watching it. To even read about the production, the mess it represented and the disagreements between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, maybe it's not so surprising after all that 'The jewel of the Nile' has been a footnote that's spoken of very little. And once one sits to watch - well, it's not a great start. From the beginning the scene writing and plot development are deeply unconvincing, and the dialogue is tepid at best; the elements of romance, drama, comedy, and adventure all feel woefully forced and flimsy. That's to say nothing of passing racist or misogynist lines and story beats. There is no chemistry between any of the cast members, all of whom are straining to make us believe that THEY believe in their own feature, and the introduction of Danny DeVito's returning character raises a quizzical eyebrow. Of course one hopes that things will improve as the length draws on, and we continue to hope to no avail; the narrative picks up more by about the one-third mark, yet for as limp as this is in all the ways that matter most the growing intrigue counts for nothing. This isn't very good.
It's not all bad. There actually are some aspects to appreciate here, including gorgeous filming locations and sets, excellent stunts and effects, and some nice cinematography. While nothing special in the grand scheme of things, Jack Nitzsche's score can claim some flavorful themes. There are some workable ideas in the shooting script that was ultimately cobbled together, and in the story at large. Fine craftsmanship and "workable ideas" in a screenplay cannot truly begin to carry a full-length picture, however, and for as thin, shaky, and dubious as the most integral facets of the writing and viewing experience are, 'The jewel of the Nile' quickly becomes dull and uninteresting. It's the type of flick one can "watch" without actively engaging, for it neither requires nor inspires significant investment from us. Just as much to the point, it quite comes across that the title falls into the common trap of sequels and embraces outrageous bombast and oneupmanship for their own sake, and the credibility of the whole affair continually erodes as the digital timer advances. For all the high spirits and frivolity of 'Romancing the stone,' the venture felt very earnest and heartfelt in its swirl of elements; here, it takes more than an hour for that same sense to manifest in very select examples. Meanwhile, only three times in 107 minutes did this earn a soft laugh, or something close to it - first around the halfway mark as Joan and Jack argue in front of an audience, then twice heading into the climactic sequence. There are other moments that are amusing, sure, but I don't think mere "amusement" is the reaction that anyone here wanted.
It's not that this film is completely rotten. It's a pale imitation of its predecessor, though, and only in rare fits and starts can it capture the same mood, and evoke the same feelings, as what we got eighteen months before. Just as the heart and humor are sadly sparse, it's only within the last third that the highfalutin adventure promised in the premise is sincerely bearing fruit. The strength simply isn't there in too many instances and in too many ways, and Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner's script, and Lewis Teague's direction, shoulder the preponderance of the blame for these deficiencies. By all means, I'm glad for those who get more out of this lark than I do, and I'll even go so far as to say that while still all too troubled, the last thirty to forty minutes are sufficiently strong to make up for some of the gravest issues that dogged the preceding length. Ah, but would that anything near the same level of care and thought had been applied with more consistency. As it stands the resulting picture is rather tedious and middling, with only irregular glimmers of the charm and ingenuity that made its antecedent such a joy. There are certainly far worse ways to spend your time, yet even if you're a diehard fan of the first movie, or someone involved, it's difficult to offer an especially meaningful recommendation for this. Watch if you like, but heavily temper your expectations; 'The jewel of the Nile' is a sorrily so-so sequel, and I have to wonder if one isn't better off just watching 'Romancing the stone' again instead.
It's not all bad. There actually are some aspects to appreciate here, including gorgeous filming locations and sets, excellent stunts and effects, and some nice cinematography. While nothing special in the grand scheme of things, Jack Nitzsche's score can claim some flavorful themes. There are some workable ideas in the shooting script that was ultimately cobbled together, and in the story at large. Fine craftsmanship and "workable ideas" in a screenplay cannot truly begin to carry a full-length picture, however, and for as thin, shaky, and dubious as the most integral facets of the writing and viewing experience are, 'The jewel of the Nile' quickly becomes dull and uninteresting. It's the type of flick one can "watch" without actively engaging, for it neither requires nor inspires significant investment from us. Just as much to the point, it quite comes across that the title falls into the common trap of sequels and embraces outrageous bombast and oneupmanship for their own sake, and the credibility of the whole affair continually erodes as the digital timer advances. For all the high spirits and frivolity of 'Romancing the stone,' the venture felt very earnest and heartfelt in its swirl of elements; here, it takes more than an hour for that same sense to manifest in very select examples. Meanwhile, only three times in 107 minutes did this earn a soft laugh, or something close to it - first around the halfway mark as Joan and Jack argue in front of an audience, then twice heading into the climactic sequence. There are other moments that are amusing, sure, but I don't think mere "amusement" is the reaction that anyone here wanted.
It's not that this film is completely rotten. It's a pale imitation of its predecessor, though, and only in rare fits and starts can it capture the same mood, and evoke the same feelings, as what we got eighteen months before. Just as the heart and humor are sadly sparse, it's only within the last third that the highfalutin adventure promised in the premise is sincerely bearing fruit. The strength simply isn't there in too many instances and in too many ways, and Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner's script, and Lewis Teague's direction, shoulder the preponderance of the blame for these deficiencies. By all means, I'm glad for those who get more out of this lark than I do, and I'll even go so far as to say that while still all too troubled, the last thirty to forty minutes are sufficiently strong to make up for some of the gravest issues that dogged the preceding length. Ah, but would that anything near the same level of care and thought had been applied with more consistency. As it stands the resulting picture is rather tedious and middling, with only irregular glimmers of the charm and ingenuity that made its antecedent such a joy. There are certainly far worse ways to spend your time, yet even if you're a diehard fan of the first movie, or someone involved, it's difficult to offer an especially meaningful recommendation for this. Watch if you like, but heavily temper your expectations; 'The jewel of the Nile' is a sorrily so-so sequel, and I have to wonder if one isn't better off just watching 'Romancing the stone' again instead.