Romancing the Stone is a classic 80s action movie with some comedy and romance sprinkled on top for good measure. This was brought to us by Robert Zemeckis and it really was a career defining movie for him. With its iconic cast of Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito, to this day, Romancing the Stone is a firm favorite with many people.
How to Download Romancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone was released on March 30, 1984. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like Michael Douglas, check him out also in Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992), or Ant-Man (2015).
The Movie Review
I recently did a bit of a deep dive about Romancing the Stone and its sequel, The Jewel of the Nile and I was shocked to see that the studio had no faith in this movie at all and expected it to flop! Not only that, but after a test screening, the studio was so convinced that it would flop, they removed Robert Zemeckis from his duties on Cocoon!
The Plot of Romancing the Stone
Kathleen Turner plays the role of a romance novelist called Joan Wilder. Joan lives in New York and her life is nowhere near as exciting as the characters she writes about. When leaving her New York apartment, she is given a strange package to open, a package that contains a map.
Turns out that her sister has been kidnapped, and her brother in law murdered and she needs to follow the directions on the map to give the ransom for her sister. Which is all the way in Cartegena which is in Columbia. To say that she is not equipped for this kind of excitement is an understatement!
Michael Douglas as Jack T. Colton
On her travels she comes across Michael Douglas’s Jack T. Colton who is kind of like an Indiana Jones type character, only Jack is a bit of a rogue as he is an exotic animal smuggler. Jack agrees to help Joan get her sister back, but he has a great idea, why don’t they go and get the treasure before they hand over the map and that way they get the best of both worlds.
A Journey Filled with Action and Adventure
Turns out, this was not as easy as Jack would said and from drug dealing warlords, surprising fans, and lots of dangerous animals, these two go on one hell of an adventure. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner have amazing chemistry together and when Danny DeVito is thrown into the mix, you truly do get one of the most iconic trios of the 80s.
Romancing the Stone is a fun and action packed romantic comedy that pretty much everyone can enjoy. I think that the movie has something for everyone, you can have fun with the excitement and action, laugh at the wacky stuff that happens, and get swept up in Joan and Jack’s romance that builds all the way until the very end of the movie.
Romancing the Stone vs. The Jewel of the Nile
This and its sequel, The Jewel of the Nile make for a wonderful back-to-back experience. While I do really like Romancing the Stone, I slightly prefer, The Jewel of the Nile, but there is honestly not much between the two. I only have these on an old and crusty DVD double pack which is not a great way to see these movies. There is a Blu-Ray release, but this is a prime candidate for a 4K restoration if you ask me, those exotic locations would look amazing if handled right.
