I gave this 1 star only because I can't give "minus" stars. There's absolutely NOTHING redeeming about this movie. It's not even a travesty of H. Rider Haggard's novel because it has absolutely nothing to do with it beyond the name. If there was still an H. Rider Haggard estate around in 1985, it should have sued.

Based on H. Rider Haggard's novel, King Solomon's stars Richard Chamberlain as adventurer Allan Quatermain, who is enlisted by blonde babe Jesse Huston (Sharon Stone) to help find her father, who has gone missing while searching for the fables mines of King Solomon. Herbert Lom plays Nazi Colonel Bockner, who, with the help of wicked Turk Dogati (John Rhys Davis, sending up his own role in Raiders of the Lost Ark), also hopes to locate the legendary treasure.When I first saw this film (back in the '80s at my local Cannon flea-pit), I thought it was abominable, a shoddy Indiana Jones clone thrown together in a hurry to make a quick buck. I now realise my mistake: instead of being a cheap rip-off, it is in fact a sly send-up that mercilessly mocks the conventions of the genre, which explains the ridiculously hokey script, the incredibly far-fetched action scenes, the cruddy effects, and the camp performances from a cast who are obviously in on the joke. When viewed as such, one's enjoyment of the film is greatly enhanced.Director J.Lee Thompson certainly keeps the bonkers action moving along at a decent lick, with a silly sequence aboard a speeding (NOT!) train, a ridiculous scene that has hero Quatermain hanging onto the wing of a biplane piloted by a petrified Jesse, a tribe that lives upside-down in the jungle, a hilarious moment involving a cannibal tribe's massive cooking pot, and a really unconvincing giant spider attack. The film also boasts a surprisingly decent score from Jerry Goldsmith, who effectively mimics John Williams' famous Raiders theme, and benefits throughout from the appealing sight of the pre-fame Stone in tight shorts (that get shorter and shorter as the movie progresses).

King Solomon's Mines is the third film adaptation of H.Rider Haggard's novel of the same title.It stars Richard Chamberlain as Allan Quatermain together with Sharon Stone,Herbert Lom and John Rhys-Davies.It takes a light and comedic approach of the novel and it parodies Indiana Jones,one of the most popular movies that was released during the decade this film was shown in theaters.In the screenplay,Allan Quatermain was hired by a woman to locate his archaeologist father who apparently has discovered the location of a vast treasure.Despite the fact that it was panned by critics and gaining two Razzie nominations for Worst Supporting Actor for Lom and Worst Musical Score,the movie was entertaining enough as long as one does not intend to take it seriously.Also,the viewer should also not compare with the 1937 and 1950 version for it was made for laughs and an Indiana Jones parody instead of being a critically acclaimed film. Aside from lots of laughter that it presents,it is not short on action and explosive scenes.Overall,try to enjoy and be entertained this movie which should have been titled,"King Solomon's Mines Lite."

The worst action-adventure flick ever made! Totally trying to cash in on the Indiana Jones fever that raged throughout the eighties, as many movies - "Romancing the Stone" - tried to do. This one was frighteningly bad though.Humorless (not for lack of woeful effort), banal, uninspired, laughable and poorly acted. This one really stinks! Ruined Richard Chamberlain and would have done the same for Sharon Stone, had Martin Scorcese remembered she was in it. Also starred Herbert Lom and John Rhys-Davies. Poor composer Jerry Goldsmith wasted his talents on this one.Based upon H. Rider Haggard's classic novel.Friday, April 9, 1999 - Video