Is ''Romancing the Stone'' worth the upgrade?
Robert Zemeckis' croc-infested Colombian adventure was an inspired blend of Butch Cassidy and The African Queen. A new special edition of Romancing the Stone (PG, 105 mins., 1984) promises long-lost gems.
ORIGINAL
Crocodiles must've gobbled all the goods from the 1999 DVD. The only
bonus, the film's original theatrical trailer, is interesting as
evidence of how primitive coming attractions used to be. Danny DeVito
hamming for the camera? You'll find slicker homemade trailers on YouTube.
REISSUE
New interviews with the film's dynamic trio — Michael Douglas and Kathleen
Turner, plus DeVito — highlight a package that also features eight
deleted scenes. ''You could take those three characters and put them
anywhere,'' says Jewel of the Nile co-writer Mark Rosenthal in a
''Favorite Scenes'' featurette. ''They've established this dramatic/comedic
connection with each other that will always be satisfying.''
VERDICT
No contest, though the new SE's absentees leave a conspicuous void.
Screenwriter Diane Thomas' fatal 1985 car accident haunts the four short
featurettes. Zemeckis, who springboarded into Back to the Future, is
simply a no-show. Fortunately, Rosenthal's sharp observation about the
core characters remains true for the SE extras.
