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The Movie:
An old-fashioned adventure tale from director Robert Zemeckis, this 1984 feature still retains a strong following thanks to the fact that it seems like this kind of flick is so rarely made anymore - and, despite not reaching the heights of the "Indiana Jones" series - it's still a good deal of fun more than 20 years after its release. The film opens with romance novelist Joan Wilder (an enjoyably fussy Kathleen Turner) getting a call from her sister, who's been captured in Columbia. If Joan doesn't bring a newly found treasure map to Columbia, she may never see her sister again.
So, she heads off to South America, only to find herself on the wrong bus and find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time before being rescued by Jack Colton (producer Michael Douglas), who quickly becomes her guide. The remainder of the picture has the two being chased, bickering and gradually warming up to one another.
It's nothing too terribly original, but "Stone" works largely due to a number of factors, such as terrific chemistry between Douglas and Turner (who both offer great performances) and a consistently quick pace once the film gets going and jumping between action scenes. A supporting effort from Danny Devito as one of the villains after John and Joan also adds to the fun. It's a breezy, entertaining movie that manages to not take itself seriously and yet not seem so lightweight to be forgettable. Aspects of the picture now feel rather dated, but the movie still has a lot to offer and balances romance and adventure well.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Romancing the Stone" is presented by Fox in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. For a movie from 1984, "Stone" looks surprisingly good. While the picture never appeared razor sharp, it at least looked consistently quite crisp and well-defined, with no noticable softness.
The picture did show a couple of minor marks on the print used, but otherwise looked clean and clear. Some minor shimmering and edge enhancement appeared, but no artifacting was seen. Colors looked natural and bright, with nice saturation and no smearing. Black level looked solid, while flesh tones looked accurate. Overall, this was a very nice presentation that fans should enjoy.
SOUND: The film's 2.0 soundtrack remained rather bland. Sound effects seemed rather dated-sounding, even for a movie from 1984. Effects could also sound slightly harsh/distorted at times, as well. Dialogue fared well, however, sounding clear and clean.
EXTRAS: "Rekindling the Romance" is a 19-minute documentary that features new interviews with Douglas, Turner, Devito and others. The documentary serves as a pleasant "look back", going over the script, production stories and more. It provides some good memories, goes by fairly quickly and should be fun for fans. "Hidden Treasure: The Screenwriter", " Douglas, Turner and DeVito: Favorite Scenes" and "Michael Douglas Remembers" are short featurettes - the first discussing screenwriter Diane Thomas (who tragically passed away not long after the film) and the second having Douglas providing some additional memories. Finally, " Douglas, Turner and DeVito: Favorite Scenes" is just what it says: the three share their favorite moments in the film. Rounding out the package are a set of worthwhile deleted scenes (although unfortunately, no commentary) and a preview for "The Sentinel", the recent Douglas thriller.
Final Thoughts: "Romancing" remains good, old-fashioned fun, with solid performances from Douglas and Turner. Although aspects of it appear dated, it still stands up pretty well. The DVD presentation offers very good audio/video quality, decent audio and some minor supplements. Recommended.
Film Grade
The Film B+
DVD Grades
Video 89/B+
Audio: 83/B
Extras: 75/C
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