King Solomon's Mines
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Movie Reviews of King Solomon's Mines
Movie Review: Flawed, But Worth a View
Summary: 4 Stars
An entertaining adventure, except for the opening scene with the elephant being shot. As an animal lover I found this scene disturbing. The only minor complaint I have about the movie was with the actress who portrayed Elizabeth. Although a talented actress, I feel that her look was too contemporary for the setting of the movie. Her eyebrows were too thin and her bleached blonde hair too artificial for the time period. In fact in one of the last scenes when she and Patrick Swayze's character were lying on the ground kissing, you can see her obvious very dark grown-out roots. For a Hallmark movie which typically pays extraordinary attention to detail, I'm surprised this obvious point was overlooked. All in all it's a good adventure movie and I recommend it.Movie Review: Great movie; well done
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this movie when I bought the Librarian series of three. This movie reveals what a major difference a good producer and good acting can make in a production. I will be watching this over again and again.Movie Review: More than pleased
Summary: 4 Stars
Another movie ordered as a gift. Recipient said it has more to it than the copy indicated and he is tickled pink with it. Way to go!Movie Review: An okay time filler if you're in an undemanding mood
Summary: 3 Stars
Hallmark's 2004 miniseries version of King Solomon's Mines ain't exactly H. Rider Haggard, but it ain't exactly bad either. As usual with Hallmark (and all other screen adaptations of the book) it pays only lip service to the novel, keeping the trek and the fabled mines but shoehorning in female love interest (a still beautiful Alison Doody in a role that mercifully avoids the silly screaming woman spraining her ankle clichés that this kind of film usually attracts), but for the most part doesn't go the Indiana Jones route. It's a tad more politically correct than the source material, with Allan Quatermain (Patrick Swayze - yes, that's right, Patrick Swayze) a reluctant Great White Hunter only persuaded to go on one more expedition because he needs money to fight for custody of his son in England. What he's doing in England is a moot point, since Swayze is more cowboy than Quatermain, but since Roy Marsden and John Standing are the only members of the supporting cast who don't have to attempt (and fail) to hide their native South African accents behind bad Scottish or Russian ones it's best to let that slide. It never really hits the highs and round the two hour mark you realise it's not going to: it maintains a fairly level pace with no appreciable highs or lows. With Russian agents of the Tsar on their trail and World Music on the soundtrack, it's less a nightmare journey to Hell and back and more a somewhat uneventful leisurely walk through some nice tax-friendly South African scenery with occasional stops for exchanges of badly aimed gunfire until the rootin' tootin' sharpshootin' Quatermain Kid saves the day by fighting a white stuntman in rather obvious blackface makeup and makes it to the rather unimpressively tiny mines in a visibly underbudgeted anticlimax. Never less than, or more than watchable, it's an okay time filler if you're in an undemanding mood.
Movie Review: Passable entertainment
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a fair action/adventure movie, along the Indiana Jones lines - but Quartermain was there long before Indy. It's got something for just about everyone: fatherhood tested, family loyalty, evil pursuers, magical treasures, and a last-minute romantic interest. Swayze does a fair job in the title role. He seems to be maturing as an actor and does a good job here, but certainly won't be taking any new roles that require male beauty.
This appears to be a TV mini-series, with all the pieces strapped together into one feature film. That seems to explain a lot of the slightly discordant notes. There aren't many special effects here, but that works just fine. The pace and action are more subdued than you'd expect in a regular movie, but the it keeps plugging along at a fair pace. It even steps over the jumps between segments without stumbling, mostly. Swayze's "loyal father" role may not be true to a story written so long ago, but is almost a checkbox item for establishing a 21st century male character as a good guy. The romantic interest seems to pop abruptly out of nowhere, as if the scriptwriters got to the last segment and realized they'd forgotten something. Well, I've seen lots worse.
This is longish, almost three hours, but never seemed to drag. It's a bit tame by theatrical standards, but moves along well and won't offend those who prefer chaste flicks. Maybe you could do better than this one, but you could certainly do worse.
//wiredweird