King Solomon's Mines (1985)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

H. Rider Haggard (novel)
Gene Quintano (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Action

Tagline:

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Plot:

Fortune hunter Allan Quatermain teams up with a resourceful woman to help her find her missing father lost in the wilds of 1900s Africa while being pursued by hostile tribes and a rival German explorer.

Plot Keywords:

Africa | Tribe | Jungle | Eaten Alive | Legend

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Allan Quatermain
Sharon Stone	...	Jesse Huston
Herbert Lom	...	Colonel Bockner
John Rhys-Davies	...	Dogati
Ken Gampu	...	Umbopo
June Buthelezi	...	Gagoola
Sam Williams	...	Scragga
Shaike Ophir	...	Kassam
Mick Lesley	...	Dorfman
Vincent Van der Byl	...	Shack
Bob Greer	...	Hamid
Oliver Tengende	...	Bushiri
Neville Thomas	...	German Pilot
Bishop McThuzen	...	Dari
Isiah Murert	...	Rug Carrier

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-14 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Zimbabwe

Company:

Cannon Group

Trivia:

There were rumours that the six month shoot was cursed, so the director J. Lee Thompson had called for a witch-doctor, a N'anga, to lift the curse.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before Dogati fires at Quatermain and Umbopo using Quatermain's own shotgun, the strap on Umbopo's leopardskin is clearly broken. In the next shot it is repaired.

Quotes:

Colonel Bockner: [Fritz enters quicksand] My gramophone; save my gramophone.
Fritz (German enlisted): I'm sinking. I'm sinking!
Colonel Bockner: Stop sinking. That’s an order!
Dogati: I'm happy. No more Wagner.

Movie Connections:

References Marathon Man (1976)

Low Budget Film At Its Finest

If you are rating this low because it doesn't seem realistic or it doesn't compare to Indiana Jones, quit rating these films without watching them.

Again, I find people rating films which they didn't even take the time to watch or try to understand. This is a low budget film and is closer related to fantasy/comedy than to realistic action. This is a B-Movie and directors of this style of film love to pour on the "CHEESE". The cast was great and they actually boosted the movement of the film for the sheer awe of seeing Stone and Chamberlain do some pretty dry humor. You can't even compare Indiana Jones to this as Lucas films are set to make the fantasy world come as close to reality as possible. This movie was completely the opposite. Great creativity. If you're looking for wires and obvious painted backdrops, again, you're not watching the movie. Laugh at those the second time you see the film.

Chamberlain's character is asked to help a young attractive woman to help find her father, who was lost in an exploration looking for King Solomon's mines. Someone else is looking for the mines as well and will do anything to get there and keep others from getting the hidden treasures first.

Find this and set up for a great party night. Definitely worth keeping for classic fun and enjoyment.