The Jewel of the Nile ** (1985, Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito) – Classic Movie Review 4564

Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito re-assemble for director Lewis Teague’s entertaining but less sparkling 1985 adventure sequel to Romancing the Stone.

Turner again plays Joan Wilder, the dizzy lady novelist back in trouble when a foreign ruler Sheikh Omar (Spiros Focas) invites her over to his Middle Eastern country as his guest. She is abducted and gets involved with the Jewel of the Nile. Douglas produces as well as stars as Jack Colton, who decides to rescue Joan with his new partner Ralph (DeVito).

Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner’s screenplay is the main problem, with feeble plotting and a heavy burden of rotten lines, and the two nice stars Douglas and Turner are on duller form this time, making it look more like a chore for them than a pleasure. However, when the going gets tough, luckily there is still the funny DeVito as the calculating little Ralph to get it going.

Teague, director of Alligator and Cujo, was a surprise choice at the helm, and maybe not the best choice for this kind of material.

The star trio reunited profitably for The War of the Roses (1989).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4564

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