moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (01/07/86)
While certainly not up to Robert Zemarkis's original film, this is
not the piece of excrement that the majority of reviewers seem to
have labeled it. The thing I loved about ROMANCING THE STONE was
the way it lampooned situations that seem to be stock for every
adventure film you've ever seen, and this tradition is carried,
albeit weakly, into JEWEL OF THE NILE. It certainly lacks the great
wit and originality of its predecessor (especially in the opening
and closing scenes); but remember, ROMANCING THE STONE was an
extremely good film, and while the sequel may pale in comparison,
it still is a better-than-average attempt at tongue-in-cheek
adventure (I liked it a good deal more than TEMPLE OF DOOM). I
suspect the majority of credit goes to Kathleen Turner and Danny
DeVito, who seem to play their roles with such relish that you find
yourself smiling through even weak jokes. Also, DeVito's lines are
some of the funniest in the film, and not at all crude (especially
after seeing BEVERLY HILLS COP again). Michael Douglas still
seems a bit mechanical for the character of Jack Colton; but the
fact that he isn't played as some kind of crazed adventurer like I.
Jones is at least a point in his favor. Also, whose idea was it to
place the juggler-comedy team of the Flying Kamarazov Brothers
in this film? They do very well as ghetto-blaster carrying
revolutionaries.
Frankly, for $2.50 on a Friday night, I found this to be solid
entertainment. Give it a C-. By the way, for those of you who've
seen it, two questions: is the fellow playing the Holy Man (i.e. the
Jewel of the Nile) one of the Kamarazov Brothers? And is the
fellow who plays the villain (Abdul?) in this film the same actor
who played the heavy in ROMANCING THE STONE (the crazed Latino
military officer?).
"And that was the end of Grogan, the man who killed my father,
raped and murdered my sister, burned my ranch, shot my dog, and
stole my Bible!"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
<*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>eaf@panda.UUCP (Eric A. Freeman) (01/07/86)
>By the way, for those of you who've >seen it, two questions: is the fellow playing the Holy Man (i.e. the >Jewel of the Nile) one of the Kamarazov Brothers? The "Jewel of the Nile" is played by Avner Eisenberg, a.k.a. Avner the Eccentric, who is not one of the Flying Kamarazov Brothers. Avner is a very talented mime, clown, juggler, etc. who travels around the country doing his act and occasionally giving classes to enthusiastic thespians (translation: hams), one of which I was lucky enough to be in in my college days. By the way, he does great pratfalls in the tradition of Harold Loydd. Eric Freeman