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Amazon.co.uk Review
King Solomon's Mines had been filmed several times before, but this 1985 adaptation of H Rider Haggard's novel is far and away the most absurdly tongue-in-cheek. Making no disguise of riding Indiana Jones's coattails, the adventure starts fast and grows ever wilder. Richard Chamberlain wears Allan Quatermain's fedora and expression of grim determination. Supposedly concerned with the novel's quest for lost gold, the movie is really an excuse to string together numerous sight gags and low-budget attempts to upstage Raiders of the Lost Ark (hardly surprisingly, it fails).
Pursued by a wax-moustachioed and Wagner-obsessed Herbert Lom, Quatermain and a dizzily blonde Sharon Stone escape an avalanche and crocodiles before being boiled in a cauldron with plastic vegetables at the Village of the Upside Down People. Nothing lingers in the memory, though, than the sight of Chamberlain skiing behind a locomotive. Cheap and rudely plagiaristic it may be, but Indy never got to be as (un)intentionally hilarious.
On the DVD: King Solomon's Mines has come up exceptionally well on disc in this widescreen print. Sound is in Dolby 2.0 and is a faithful representation of the effort put into the film's sound design. The only extra is the original trailer. --Paul Tonks
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines is one of those stories where it often feels that only the title and the odd character name have been filmed. If there were a prize for the least faithful version, Cannon's 1985 romp would win hands down. Richard Chamberlain's Great White Hunter Allan Quatermain may be a reluctant guide on a quest for the fabled mines, but this time his only companion is Sharon Stone, eager to save her archaeologist father from Herbert Lom's dastardly and cartoonish Wagner-loving German officer (the plot has been updated to pre-WW1 Africa). No prizes for guessing that this is inspired more by Indiana Jones than H. Rider Haggard (it even co-stars John Rhys-Davies as another Arab, this time on the bad guys' side), with the stunts increasingly outrageous and the tone firmly tongue in cheek.
Shot almost back-to-back with the dire Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold and originally brandishing the how-are-they-ever-going-to-fit-that-on-the-marquees title Allan Quatermain and King Solomon's Mines and the Lost Caves of Death, it's a film almost as overloaded as it's rejected title: for the first half or so it's surprisingly entertaining, but eventually the relentless energy starts to wear you down as you realise that the film's used up most of its best stunts and jokes and is running out of clichés to rehash and lampoon. Certainly there's nothing in the second half to match a comic marketplace chase or a very silly train rescue that sees Quatermain work his way through variations of Indy's truck chase before skiing along the rails as he holds on by his bullwhip... In many ways, DVD is an almost ideal way to see it: a little too much to sit through in one go, a self-created intermission certainly helps.
Chamberlain makes an amiable if overly reliant on dynamite Quatermain, though Stone is an irritatingly screeching heroine and Lom too much of an over the top caricature to provide much threat. J. Lee Thompson keeps it moving, Jerry Goldsmith contributes an enjoyably heroic score and there's enough of a sense of fun to paper over the weak spots.
Shot almost back-to-back with the dire Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold and originally brandishing the how-are-they-ever-going-to-fit-that-on-the-marquees title Allan Quatermain and King Solomon's Mines and the Lost Caves of Death, it's a film almost as overloaded as it's rejected title: for the first half or so it's surprisingly entertaining, but eventually the relentless energy starts to wear you down as you realise that the film's used up most of its best stunts and jokes and is running out of clichés to rehash and lampoon. Certainly there's nothing in the second half to match a comic marketplace chase or a very silly train rescue that sees Quatermain work his way through variations of Indy's truck chase before skiing along the rails as he holds on by his bullwhip... In many ways, DVD is an almost ideal way to see it: a little too much to sit through in one go, a self-created intermission certainly helps.
Chamberlain makes an amiable if overly reliant on dynamite Quatermain, though Stone is an irritatingly screeching heroine and Lom too much of an over the top caricature to provide much threat. J. Lee Thompson keeps it moving, Jerry Goldsmith contributes an enjoyably heroic score and there's enough of a sense of fun to paper over the weak spots.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I adored this film as a child, seeing it as the (then) fourth Indiana Jones. Watching it now is painfull, the acting and special effects are beyond poor :(
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Vastly superior to its rather lackluster sequel ALLAN QUATERMAIN AND THER LOST CITY OF GOLD (which was actually filmed back-to-back with this production), this entertaining and fun loving tribute (or some might say rip-off) of the Indiana Jones movies benefits (unlike its follow-up) by the sure hand and capable direction of veteran J. Lee Thompson (of the original GUNS OF NAVARONE) and a suberp supporting cast that includes the always entertaining and eminently watchable John Rhys-Davies and Herbert Lom as the two main villains, a Turkish slaver and a World War I era German Colonel respectively.
Based very loosely on the classic H. Rider Haggard adventure novel of the same name, this movie features Richard Chamberlain as adventurer Allan Quaterman who is recruited by the sexy and gorgeous Jessie Huston (played by a pre-famous Sharon Stone) to rescue her father who has fallen into the villains hands in attempt to locate the fabled King Solomon's mines.
What follows is a fast paced, fun and thoroughly entertaining adventure with some eye popping stunts and some truly cheesy special effects.
No matter though, this movie promises high adventure and entertaining escapism. Movie fans will have fun spotting references to other movies of the 1980s from the Indiana Jones adventures to 1983s FOOTLOOSE and that movies game of unintentional chicken.
I was one of the (evidently) few who actually made it to see this movie in the theaters on its release in 1985 and one who instantly picked it up on VHS. Of course when the DVD was released in February of this year I was there to instantly pick it up. Still fun after almost 20 years this DVD comes well recommended.
Based very loosely on the classic H. Rider Haggard adventure novel of the same name, this movie features Richard Chamberlain as adventurer Allan Quaterman who is recruited by the sexy and gorgeous Jessie Huston (played by a pre-famous Sharon Stone) to rescue her father who has fallen into the villains hands in attempt to locate the fabled King Solomon's mines.
What follows is a fast paced, fun and thoroughly entertaining adventure with some eye popping stunts and some truly cheesy special effects.
No matter though, this movie promises high adventure and entertaining escapism. Movie fans will have fun spotting references to other movies of the 1980s from the Indiana Jones adventures to 1983s FOOTLOOSE and that movies game of unintentional chicken.
I was one of the (evidently) few who actually made it to see this movie in the theaters on its release in 1985 and one who instantly picked it up on VHS. Of course when the DVD was released in February of this year I was there to instantly pick it up. Still fun after almost 20 years this DVD comes well recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Classic archaeological drama
King Solomans Mines is amazing. Harrison Ford and Sharon Stone have grate chemistry, it is one of her best. Don't miss it! Also the dwarf from Lord of the Rings is good.
Published 5 months ago by G. Galbraith
Ouch!
Jesse Huston (Sharon Stone) is on a mission to find her lost father, she enlists the help of legendary explorer Allan Quatermain (Richard Chamberlain) and both of them set off on... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Spike Owen
classic
Entertaining but good to watch the 2nd time. It is best to own both dvpart1 & 2.
Published 20 months ago by Jimmy Fung
AWESOME FUN!
I originally watched this as a kid and remembered it as being fun and cool. it did not disappoint. Watching it almost 20 years it still made me laugh. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by Anita King
not worth it
nothing was good about this film.
acting was bad.the action was childish and the comedy was forced in the
film but that was also not funny.
acting was bad.the action was childish and the comedy was forced in the
film but that was also not funny.
Published on 23 Sep 2008 by alz
'Andy' Avid film watcher
I purchased this movie on the advice of the previous reviewer, what a mistake! Wooden acting, pathetic fight scenes, extremely poor and cheesy special effects. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2008 by Mr. A. Smith
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