Rating of
2.5/4
This "Stone" is almost flawless
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/02/08
Romance novelist "Joan Wilder" (Kathleen Turner) has received a map in the mail wrapped up in plastic. Later in the day, after finding her beloved cat in her ransacked apartment, she gets a nervous phone call from her sister (Mary Ellen Trainor) who says that she must bring the map to Columbia or "they" (who are listening in) will kill her.
She heads to Columbia (played by Mexico due to real-life threats of kidnapping in Columbia) and gets on the wrong bus thanks to a mysterious man who follows her. When that mysterious man pulls a gun on her following the bus crashing into an abandoned car in the middle of the road, she is saved by a stranger in a scene similar to the opening of the movie which depicts the closing scene of "Wilder's" latest manuscript.
The man eventually identifies himself as "Jack T. Colton" (Michael Douglas, who also serves as producer), an American who has been living in the area so long that he never heard the break-up of the Doobie Brothers until he reads an old newspaper found in a downed plane they seek refuge in.
The two then go on an adventure surrounding the map, and its treasure, as they are chased by the head of the local secret police "Zolo" (Manuel Ojeda) and the cousin of the one who has kidnapped "Wilder's" sister (Danny DeVito).
There is some pretty good chemistry between Douglas and Turner. However, I don't think that the romance that blooms between their characters was done well. To me, there should have been an instant attraction, but there wasn't. "Colton" begins his attraction as they are sitting in the shadow of a key location on the map.
There are some really good performances, especially from Douglas, and to a very minor degree lower, Turner. DeVito was some pretty good comic relief, but I would have liked to have seen him more with more interaction between Turner and Douglas.
I liked how "Colton" slowly transformed in the movie. At the start, he was very gruff and pretty much a sleaze. At the end, he has cleaned-up, shaved and bought new clothes to impress "Wilder" even more.
Ojeda is near perfect in his role, and looks like a villain more than DeVito. However, like Devito's character, I didn't think his character was well developed.
Trainor was not used much except to set up the plot at the start of the movie, and for some amusing comedic bits when she and her "sister" are trying to escape the villains. At one point, she crosses her eyes and faints.
I also like how some of the scenes in the opening segment, where we see the end of "Wilder's" latest novel as she reads it to herself (we hear her in voice over) are referenced in the rest of the movie. In the opening scenes, the heroine (whose face is in shadow) uses a knife to kill her would-be attacker. In the climax of the scene, "Wilder" tries a similar tactic when she and her "sister" are trying to escape the villains, but fails.
There is some good action scenes sprinkled here and there through out the movie, but nothing real spectacular.
As for the music, it's OK, but not really spectacular.
Despite the minor flaws in the movie, I would say put this movie on the lower half of your Top 10 "To See" list in case your first choice is not available.
