Jewel of the Nile (1985)

Directed by Lewis Teague. Starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, Avner Eisenberg, Spiros Focás, Hamid Fillali, Daniel Peacock, Paul David Magid, Holland Taylor. [PG]

Romancing the Stone sequel finds the relationship between Joan Wilder (Turner) and Jack Colton (Douglas) growing musty, but adventure and intrigue are on the horizon when North African ruler Focás recruits Joan to write her biography and they get caught up in a conflict with a rebel tribe, all of them fighting to get their hands on the much ballyhooed Jewel of the Nile. The spark of the original is dimmed this time out, with the plot working hard to manufacture ways to insert—and keep—Ralph (DeVito) into the story; a few good set pieces and the occasionally entertaining interplay between the stars hold interest, but it’s not nearly as much fun watching them bicker as a frayed couple than it was when they were falling in love the first time. Eisenberg, as a holy man, has a deft, innocently amused style about him that can be delightful, but DeVito is forced to keep playing the same note over and over. Magid is a member of the juggling and comedy troupe The Flying Karamazov Brothers (also seen in an episode of “Seinfeld”); all of his brothers briefly appear alongside him as his onscreen brothers as well.

63/100