King Solomon's Mines (2004)

An adventurous quest for a treasure hidden in King Solomon's mines, based on H. Rider Haggard's timeless tale.

Director:

Steve Boyum

Writers:

H. Rider Haggard (novel), Steven H. Berman (television story),

Stars:

Patrick Swayze, Alison Doody, Roy Marsden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Swayze	...	Allan Quatermain
Alison Doody	...	Elizabeth Maitland
Roy Marsden	...	Captain Good
John Standing	...	Dr. Sam Maitland
Gavin Hood	...	Bruce McNabb
Sidede Onyulo	...	Umbopa
Ian Roberts	...	Sir Henry Curtis
Nick Boraine	...	Ivan Fleekov
Hakeem Kae-Kazim	...	Twala
Lesedi Mogoathle	...	Gagool
Godfrey Lekala	...	Khiva
Mesia Gumede	...	Ventvogel
Langley Kirkwood	...	Sergei
Morne Visser	...	Petre
Robert Whitehead	...	Bitter

Storyline

An adventurous quest for a treasure hidden in King Solomon's mines, based on H. Rider Haggard's timeless tale.

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Plot Keywords:

hero | hero for hire | violence | professor | soldier | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

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Details

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Minas do Rei Salomão

Filming Locations:

Western Cape, South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enigma Pictures, Hallmark Entertainment, Larry Levinson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

173 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The warrior that Quatermain fights towards the end of the movie was really a white man who was digitally painted black.

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Goofs

About 45 - 60 minutes into the movie, Oombapaa is talking to Alan Quatermain on a cliff. Oombapaa is standing with his side to the camera. Between his back and the inside of the back of his tunic, you can clearly see the battery pack and cable connection to his microphone pack

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Connections

Referenced in The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)

User Reviews

Beautiful.

The problem with the 1985 version of this movie is simple; Indiana Jones was so closely modeled after Alan Quartermain (or at least is an Alan Quartermain TYPE of character), that the '85 director made the mistake of plundering the IJ movies for dialog and story far too deeply. What you got as a finished product was a jumbled mess of the name Alan Quartermain, in an uneven hodge podge of a cheaply imitated IJ saga (with a touch of Austin Powers-esquire cheese here and there).

It was labeled by many critics to have been a "great parody," or "unintentional comedy." Unintentional is the word. This movie was never intended to be humorous; witty, yes, but not humorous. Unfortunately, it's witless rather than witty.

With this new M4TV mini-series, you get much more story, character development of your lead, solid portrayals, and a fine, even, entertaining blend. This story is a bit long; much longer than its predecessors, but deservedly so as this version carries a real storyline and not just action and Eye Candy. While it features both action and Eye Candy, it also corrects the mistake made in the 1985 version by forgetting IJ all together and going back to the source materials for AQ, making for a fine, well - thought - out plot, and some nice complementing sub-plots.

Now this attempt is not the all out action-extravaganza that is Indiana Jones. Nor is it a poor attempt to be so. This vehicle is plot and character driven and is a beautiful rendition of the AQ/KSM saga. Filmed on location in South Africa, the audience is granted beautiful (if desolate) vistas, SA aboriginal cultures, and some nice wildlife footage to blend smoothly with the performances and storyline here.

Steve Boyum totally surprised me with this one, as I have never been one to subscribe to his vision. In fact, I have disliked most of his work as a director, until this attempt. I hope this is more a new vein of talent and less the fluke that it seems to be.

This version rates a 9.8/10 on the "TV" scale from...

the Fiend :.