Search - Romancing the Stone [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Profanity Movie Release: 1984 DVD Release: 08/29/2006 Format: DVD - Color,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 46 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Adventure, Adventure Comedy, Romantic Adventure See Also: Romancing the Stone [Widescreen], Romancing the Stone, Romancing the Stone [Blu-ray]

Kathleen Turner plays a writer of adventure stories, Joan Wilder, who has been having trouble selling her works of late because they aren't remotely believable. The basic problem is that the mousy Joan has never had any real adventure in her life. All this changes when she receives a frantic phone call from her sister, whose is being held prisoner by evil art dealers in Colombia. It seems that sis has mailed Joan a map leading to a valuable treasure. Nasty but cowardly Ralph (Danny DeVito), cousin of the principal villain (Zack Norman), has been assigned to claim the map from Joan. But upon arriving in Colombia, Joan and Ralph learn that others of a more homicidal bent are also after the map. Joan is rescued by soldier of fortune Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), who isn't quite clear about his stake in the proceedings. Jack and Joan undergo several perilous adventures in the wilds of Colombia. The treasure turns out to be a valuable jewel, which changes hands (one of them severed!) many times before it is swallowed by an alligator. Joan manages to break free from her pursuers, but Jack is presumed dead. Jack returns at the end of the film in Manhattan to surprise Joan. The sequel to Romancing the Stone was 1985's The Jewel of the Nile. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael Douglas - Jack Colton
Kathleen Turner - Joan Wilder
Danny DeVito - Ralph
Zack Norman - Ira
Alfonso Arau - Juan

Fox offers up a more polished version a catalog favorite with this disc of Romancing the Stone. The new video transfer is an improvement over the original DVD of this title, offering a letterboxed transfer that has anamorphic enhancement (the previous disc did not) and a more vivid color scheme. The audio sticks to the original Dolby 2.0 stereo mix used on the prior disc; it lacks the dimensional effects a modern mix would offer but does an acceptable job. Also included is a selection of bonuses. First up is a series of eight deleted and extended scenes; most of them were removed from the first half of the film and are interesting if not essential. There is also a series of four featurettes on the film itself. "Rekindling The Romance" is the most substantial, chronicling the film's history from the standpoint of Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito (oddly, Robert Zemeckis is not involved in any of the bonus material). The other featurettes are all under four minutes in length, and these brief bits tell the viewer a little bit about the film's screenwriter, the actors' favorite scenes in the film, and Douglas sharing some memories of his work on the film as both actor and producer. The package is rounded out by an eight-page text booklet included in the text case. Unfortunately, there are no theatrical trailers included on the disc. In the end, some fans might be disappointed by the lack of a stereo remix or more substantial extras, but it's a solid package for a catalog title price. Those who love the film will most likely find it worth the upgrade (the improved transfer alone makes it worthwhile). ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide