I had read somewhere that it was rumored that Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner were having a passionate affair while they were making Romancing the Stone, and I must admit that I thought about Mr. and Mrs. Smith as I was watching it because the leads generate serious chemistry, the sparks are visible in all their scenes together.
The movie is a fast-moving, charming romantic adventure that allows the viewer to go along for the ride without worrying with any kind of major story-line to get in the way. It's about a lonely, but beautiful, romance novelist who must return a treasure map to Columbia, in exchange for her sister's safety. Her sister's husband had been murdered and she kidnapped over a map which leads to a priceless stone. Joan Wilder(Turner)flies to Columbia, is sent towards the wrong direction by a violent revolutionary, Zolo(Manuel Ojeda), where she meets up with a rugged loner, Jack T Colton(Douglas)when the bus she was riding crashes into his jeep. On foot, fleeing Zolo's soldiers, Jack and Joan must evade death or capture in order to save Elaine's life. Elaine, Joan's sister, is played by director Zemekis' then-wife Mary Ellen Trainor. Also in pursuit of the map is the kidnapper's cousin, Ralph(Danny DeVito, an inspired bit of casting). Plus, Jack and Joan make the decision to seek out the priceless stone, using is as a bargaining chip(..or so they plan, but of course other factors prevent this from going as smoothly as they'd like).
Essentially, the movie is about two people falling hard for each other as they move through Columbian jungles, fleeing gunfire and certain death. It's fluff, really, an exciting way to spend 90 minutes. It's no wonder the movie was a blockbuster because the leads all turn in entertaining performances and there's plenty of stunts and nicely orchestrated action sequences(..such as a rope swing from one side of a mountain to another, a lengthly mud slide, and a jump from a vehicle into a river). Romancing the Stone is popcorn fodder that goes down nicely and doesn't hurt. This was a wonderful period for Kathleen Turner, she was sexy and had a presence many actresses could die for. I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with her while watching this movie. Douglas is rarely as likable as he is here.
The movie is a fast-moving, charming romantic adventure that allows the viewer to go along for the ride without worrying with any kind of major story-line to get in the way. It's about a lonely, but beautiful, romance novelist who must return a treasure map to Columbia, in exchange for her sister's safety. Her sister's husband had been murdered and she kidnapped over a map which leads to a priceless stone. Joan Wilder(Turner)flies to Columbia, is sent towards the wrong direction by a violent revolutionary, Zolo(Manuel Ojeda), where she meets up with a rugged loner, Jack T Colton(Douglas)when the bus she was riding crashes into his jeep. On foot, fleeing Zolo's soldiers, Jack and Joan must evade death or capture in order to save Elaine's life. Elaine, Joan's sister, is played by director Zemekis' then-wife Mary Ellen Trainor. Also in pursuit of the map is the kidnapper's cousin, Ralph(Danny DeVito, an inspired bit of casting). Plus, Jack and Joan make the decision to seek out the priceless stone, using is as a bargaining chip(..or so they plan, but of course other factors prevent this from going as smoothly as they'd like).
Essentially, the movie is about two people falling hard for each other as they move through Columbian jungles, fleeing gunfire and certain death. It's fluff, really, an exciting way to spend 90 minutes. It's no wonder the movie was a blockbuster because the leads all turn in entertaining performances and there's plenty of stunts and nicely orchestrated action sequences(..such as a rope swing from one side of a mountain to another, a lengthly mud slide, and a jump from a vehicle into a river). Romancing the Stone is popcorn fodder that goes down nicely and doesn't hurt. This was a wonderful period for Kathleen Turner, she was sexy and had a presence many actresses could die for. I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with her while watching this movie. Douglas is rarely as likable as he is here.