I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Ever in search of adventure, Allan Quatermain agrees to join Jesse Huston on a mission to locate her archaeologist father, who has been abducted for his knowledge of the legendary mines of King Solomon. As the kidnappers, led by German military officer Bockner, journey into the wilds of Africa, Allan and Jesse track the party and must contend with fierce natives and dangerous creatures, among other perils.......The Cannon Group, arguably the finest makers of really cheesy movies that were churned out during the finest decade ever...........The wonderful Eighties.Here was their chance to try and emulate the success of one Indiana Jones, but without the budget, it was always going to be a hard sell, and the fact that it's adapted by such a wonderful piece of art, was going to make it all the more difficult, so they don't even begin to try, and this is why it's just so watchable for all the wrong reasons.The predominant problem with the film is the fact that Chamberlain isn't even trying with the character of Quartermain, he's obviously been told by the producers to do his best Harrison Ford impression, and while he's perfectly average in the film, that's all he is, a poor mans Harrison Ford, and he just doesn't put any effort into the actions sequences or the one liners, he just looks like Ford a bit, and moves like a constipated middle aged man with a hangover.Stone fares little better, but to be fair on her, she was at the beginning of her career, and she just plays the eye candy in peril.But the mind boggles as to why Herbert Lom decided to appear in this. Here is a man who is such a prolific actor in his own right, he didn't need to be in something so absurd. It's like imaging Charlton Heston appearing in a Van Damme movie..................oh wait a minute....But there is a lot of fun to be had. The special effects are so bad that the green screen should have been credited as a main character, and then there's the escape in the large cumbersome cooking pot, and the spider, one of the poorest special effects ever committed to the big screen.See it for all the wrong reasons, it's a film for lovers of bad movies, it's nothing seriously awful, because it's so stupid, but the sight of Chamberlain riding rail tracks like water skis does stay with you.......

Jesse Huston (Sharon Stone) hires adventurer Allan Quatermain (Richard Chamberlain) to find her father who has been captured by German Colonel Bockner (Herbert Lom) and ruthless slave trader Dogati (John Rhys-Davies). They are using her father Professor Huston to translate a map to King Solomon's Mines. Quatermain, his tribesman assistant Umbopo and Jesse go on a quest to rescue her father and find the legendary mines.The quote unquote comedy is so broad and so bad that the workable adventure has no chance to succeed. I would like to see them play this straight with a few jokes to spice things up. Chamberlain is good as Quatermain but Stone is bad as the clumsy Jesse. She's not that wide-eye innocent damsel-in-distress. I do like the adventure part which is similar to Indiana Jones except looks much more inferior. The constant stream of weak jokes border on spoofing the genre.

This new agreeable version from H. Rider Haggard adventure follows again Allan Quatermain played by a likable Richard Chamberlain . However , the original novel took place in the 1880s or earlier, but this film moves Quatermain's adventures to the era of World War I, in an unusual case of a semi-update . This is the adventure of a lifetime starred by a fortune hunter called Allan Quatermain (one of the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) who teams up with a resourceful woman (Sharon Stone , according to her memoirs Kathleen Turner turned down the role of Jesse) to help her find her missing father lost in the wilds of 1900s Africa while being pursued by hostile tribes , a rival German explorer (Herbert Lom) and a slaver Arab named Dogati (John Rhys-Davies who along with Richard Chamberlain starred TV-series "Shogun") . Allan is leading a safari in search of legendary diamond mines and to save the damsel's father . They are pursued by German soldiers and must confront natives , animals and several dangers and risks until they find the King Salomon's mines . The brave hunter and the elegant lady become fast friends, confronting magic rites and cannibals in search of legendary diamonds mines . While a native (Ken Gampu) is reclaiming his rights over throne of an African tribe next to King Salomon's mines .This amusing spoof picture displays exciting action , thrills , humor with tongue-in-cheek , extraordinary adventures and outlandish cliffhanger situations abound . Richard Chamberlain as Quatermain is passable , though Stewart Granger in the classic of the 50s -by Compton Bennett, Andrew Marton and with Debora Kerr- is incredibly missed . Heat and ills affected the crew and main actors but Sharon Stone surprised for her resistance . Polished and colorful production design by Luciano Spadoni , though in low-budget and excessive transparency . The natives are played by a real ethnic people from Zimbabwe . Evocative as well as glowing cinematography by the Mexican Alex Phillips, being shot on location in Harare, Zimbabwe . Special mention to rousing and thrilling musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith . The motion picture was middlingly directed by J. Lee Thompson , though filmmaker Tobe Hooper was attached to direct early in production . This film arrive in theaters in 1985, the year of the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of Allan Quatermain in the novel King Solomon's Mines in 1885. The sequel, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987), adapted the novel Allan Quatermain (1887), it was an impressive accomplishment that Quatermain had two films arrive in theaters for his centenary celebrations .Other versions of this known story are directed by Robert Stevenson, a 1937 version in which the supreme role was performed by the singer Paul Robeson who proved his singing faculties. The best and classic version resulted to be directed by Compton Bennett, Andrew Marton with Stewart Granger and Debora Kerr . Kurt Neumann directed a rendition titled ¨Watusi¨ with George Montgomery and David Farrar . And TV adaptation directed by Steven Boyum with Patrick Swayze and Alison Doody, among others . Furthermore , ¨King Salomon's mines¨ was filmed concurrently with its sequel, "Allan Quatermain and the City of Gold" starred by same duo along with James Earl Jones and Henry Silva directed by Gary Nelson .

I have always been a fan of this film since i was a little kid and even as i reached maturity i still enjoy it. man y people harp on this film because it "rips off" Indiana Jones... I think it has obvious similarities to Raiders of the Lost ark, but certainly not a "rip off" and i am a fan of Indiana Jones to the extreme...but thats another story.. point is... if you like low budget adventure mixed with good old 80's cheesiness, this movie is perfect for you. I recently picked it up at a yard sale on DVD and HAD to pick it up. It's full of amusing jokes and cannibals and of course Sharon Stone is easy on the eyes, though her performance is substandard to say the least, but damn, is it entertaining.