This is absolutly one of my favorite movies! But, there's violence and sex. In the end, a man gets his hand bitten off by a crocodile, (and you see the bloody stub with the bloody bone sticking out. After they find the phone, my mom fast forwarded through the sex. Plenty of talk of raping and rapists. Plenty of good humor and unforgettable funny lines, so I reccomend this movie to anyone willing to watch it.
Romancing the Stone
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Action, romance, sharp dialog; best for teens.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 11–13
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Romancing the Stone was written by Randy White
Parents need to know that kids will witness plenty of violence, profanity, sexual situations, and disparaging depictions of and references to Latinos in this otherwise well-written adventure movie. The baddest of the bad guys has his hand bitten off by a crocodile which is then completely devoured (off-screen) by a pit full of crocodiles. There's also plenty of swearing, a couple stabbings and gun fights. Breasts are visible through a wet cotton top, and there is a good deal of sexual innuendo. The two leads end up together in bed, though there's no nudity. Latinos are the swarthy, nasty bad guys. The term "Spico" is used by one character to describe Latin Americans.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about how stereotypes are used in film. Why are Latinos stereotyped as nasty bad guys in this movie? What effect did their stereotyping have on how you perceived them? How are stereotypes useful to filmmakers? How are they harmful to the groups being stereotyped? Even if you are aware that characters are being stereotyped, do you think seeing those portrayals impact how you perceive those groups?
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More on Romancing the Stone
What’s the Story?
In ROMANCING THE STONE, Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a famous romance novelist, starved for adventure and love in her own life. When her sister is kidnapped, Joan heads to Columbia on a rescue mission and meets Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), a gruff adventurer who helps her escape the various bad guys who want her for a treasure map her dead brother-in-law sent her. As they make their way through the jungle, Jack romances Joan, but his intentions are dubious because he wants the treasure for himself. The two find the buried treasure, only to have Ralph (Danny Devito) and corrupt police officials hot on their trail. Joan heads for Cartegena to save her sister and Jack shows up, as promised. A battle ensues between the various factions, and Jack swims off to retrieve the jewel. Joan returns to New York, thinking she'll never see Jack again.
Is It Any Good?
This well-written action-adventure movie is laced with a sharp sense of humor. The score is also fun, if a bit heavy-handed in a 1980s, "Miami Vice" sort of way. With jungle vine swinging and mudslides down mountainsides, this is a rough and tumble action-adventure story in the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark. And for those who want just a little more, Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas generate plenty of sparks. Romancing the Stone also has a delicious tongue-in-cheek quality, with plenty of hilariously incongruous moments.
Kathleen Turner is great as the mousy woman with a hidden spirit of adventure. One 13-year-girl loved her and greatly enjoyed the movie overall. The action kept her glued to the screen and she thought the romance was "fun, not sappy." Michael Douglas is equally strong as the handsome rogue who does the right thing by Joan despite his self-preservationist instincts. It's also nice to see two leads who look great, but don't possess super-human, sculpted physiques.
Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Director: Robert Zemeckis
Run time: 106 minutes
Theatrical release: 3/30/1984
MPAA Rating: PG for mature material.
Run time: 106 minutes
Theatrical release: 3/30/1984
MPAA Rating: PG for mature material.
Our Members Say
See all 7 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Best movie of its time!
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
Some younger children--especially if they have trouble sleeping at night anyway--may be bothered by the stabbing scenes.
My kids, 11 and 8, liked it, but the younger one was bothered by the scenes of stabbing. They loved it when the two main characters were caught in a mudslide.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
exciting adventure movie
My two 11 year olds and I watched this movie,.....we loved it! I only fast forwarded thru the one scene after they get to the pay phone and "celebrate" together. We loved the adventure of Jack and Joan as they go thru the rain forest in search of the treasure. You should rent this movie for both boys or girls of this age group and older.
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I rate this title pause for age 11 and give it
Enjoyable but with caveats
The movie is a fun action-romance with comic elements. The pacing might seem slow at times for 2008. My wife and I saw it again with our daughter (age 16), and I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first time (24 years ago). ISSUES For the violence, swearing, drinking, pot smoke inhaling, and nudity, I'd give this one a PG-13. First, there IS nudity, contrary to the main review--not frontal (or from the rear), but the leads lie in bed for quite a while, talking, man on top of woman and they are quite naked. Second, in one long scene, there is drinking (lots of whiskey) and smoking marijuana (after a fashion), as the leads stay warm by burning bricks of cannabis. They are clearly affected. Third, as others have noted, the chief bad guy's hand gets chomped off by the crocodile and you see the bloody stump for a while. He's clearly in pain. Later he falls into a pit full of crocodiles (his fate is implied). A snake gets decapitated (graphic) and a croc is turned into boots (you don't see the process). In terms of stereotypes, the chief bad guy (competent and cruel) is Latino, but other (more bumbling) bad guys are Anglo, and one very helpful and likable character is Latino. There is a fair amount of Third World local color that can be seen as demeaning (people fight in airports, carry pigs on buses, etc.) and other local color that is neutral or positive, including a colorful festival & dance, The most fleshed out characters are the Anglo leads, and they are attractive but humanized and flawed.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
not very good for kids. Adults may like it.
I watched this movie with my parents because they remember liking it after watching it a while ago. I thought it was kind of pointless and boring. The movie could probably be rated pg-13 because of the language and violence. One man's hand is quite graphically bitten off by a crocodile. Adults may understand the humor, but kids stay away. Spend your money on a different movie at Blockbuster.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
A B movie
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Fun Action Film--not for young kids
A great, funny, action filled movie--but not for younger kids. In fact, the two main characters do end up in bed together--and you see their naked bodies laying on top of each other "after". I suggest covering eyes during that one part, but aside from that, it is the same kind of action/peril as you get with an Indiana Jones film
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