Customer Reviews

King Solomon's Treasure

5 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie was hilarious! Not because it was a comedy, but because of the terrible mishaps of a low-budget film. Several times the background moved because someone jarred the backdrop, oh and those "dinosaurs!" And for such well known actors (many are in the 007 movies), I was appauled at the acting, maybe because they were quite young when this movie first came out (1977). Apparently they didn't practice their parts in advance, or the directing was bad. And the ending, well, after all that work to get there, and all they had been through, no one even TRIED to get the treasure? There were so many places that this movie could have been improved. So I only rated this with two stars. Only worth getting if you like to giggle over the older classics, with fake scenery, stiff clay animals, and old style acting. Also, could easily have a Quatermain cult following.

No, the title is not "King Solomon's Mines." The 1977 production "King Solomon's Treasure" is very loosely based on Henry Rider Haggard's books "King Solomon's Mines" and "She." It is an interesting combination - Allan Quatermain and "She-who-must-be-obeyed" - but the end result is just another B-movie with some (unintentionally) hilarious moments.

The film follows the adventures of the expedition team led by Allan Quatermain (John Colicos), a young aristocrat Sir Henry Curtis (David McCallum) and his friend Captain John Good of the Royal Navy (Patrick Macnee). Wilfrid Hyde-White (Colonel Hugh Pickering of "My Fair Lady") also appears in the "frame" story as oldest club member.

The story is a standard one. A team of explorers are looking for the lost city and the treasures hidden somewhere in the "mysterious depth" of Africa. Well, that's what the DVD cover says. The "mysterious depth" is actually a series of inept action sequences including attacks of cheesy-looking "prehistoric monsters" (in fact a dragon and giant crustaceans moving awkwardly).

Britt Ekland ("The Man with the Golden Gun") appears as Queen Nyleptha (name borrowed from the original "Allan Quatermain"), the least impressive part of the film because of the cheap production designs. Strangely, our hero Allan Quatermain looks quite bored throughout the film. The adventurer does nothing memorable in the 87-minute film, except occasionally shooting or punching someone.

One good thing about "King Solomon's Treasure" is its location. According to the end credit, they really shot the film in Africa (Swaziland). The background scenery looks more authentic than the film's adventures.