MovieChat Forums > Sheena (1984) Discussion > Sheena is great!

Sheena is great!

posted 19 years ago by palther
7 replies | jump to latest

Watched it last night. As one who loves Tarzan movies(especially the Johnny Weismuller ones), "Ramar of the Jungle" Jungle Jim movies and comics, and the few of the original Sheena TV shows I have seen, it was topnotch! Yeah, I know the reviewers like Leonard Maltin called it a "bomb", yes, it was obviously inspired by Tarzan.But so what? It is a darn good story! One of those where you keep asking "Whats gonna happen next".
Maltin said she had no script. What did he expect, someone raised in the jungle to talk like a Ph.D? She was a doer not a talker.And that scene where she said "an enemy is someone who takes without asking"-unforgettable.
Yeah, there is nudity, but it fits into the structure of the movie-not gratuitous. Besides, the movie " Tarzan and his Mate" featured a skinnydipping scene with Tarzan and Jane. This movie would be offensive to only the most hopeless of prudes. Granted, its quite violent, especially at the end where that slimy band of mercenaries gets wiped out, but again it fits into the context of the story.
The wildlife footage is good too. Unlike some early "jungle" films, all the animals were native to Africa.(Sometimes Ramar and the like would slip Asian and South American animals into a story set in Africa.)
Again, if you like the oldfashioned "jungle adventure" yarn, if you like strong female characters(think Xena and Buffy),or just like to watch something thats just plain fun, then "Sheena" is a good way to spend a couple hours.

[–] dallas532 19 years ago

I like this movie, and I love Tanya Roberts. Besides renting Sheena, the only place I could find to buy it was online. So I did.

Columbia must know there is some kind of following for Sheena or it wouldn't be on DVD. However, from the looks of the DVD, Columbia isn't fond of the movie.

Sheena wasn't remastered or upgraded at all for the DVD, from what I can tell. The only copies I could find were 4x3 ratio with no audio options, except a choice of English or French. It's rather grainy in places, like a video capture or an old western brought to DVD. I guess it was considered a bomb, and a special edition with upgrades is out of the question.

Still, the Sheena DVD is watchable. I am glad that I bought it. If anyone should know where I can buy a widesceen edition, how about a heads up?

*
Klingon bastard, you've killed my son.
Klingon bastard, you've killed my son.
Klingon bastard!

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] duvallerica 16 years ago

Some of the sheena dvds have both the widescreen and fullscreen,try ebay ask the seller if it has widescreen .

[–] transtrac 16 years ago

Sheena is great

[–] cyberpunk-10 14 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly and you have to give her credit she did look the part I mean look at her biceps plus she ran and walked barefoot in the hot soil of the African Savanah and just about everywhere they filmed, and I doubt they faked her raising Vic with her leg up the tree either. They may have had security harnesses but at that time they did not have portable jury rig pulley systems to bring them up or down a tree. They probably did use a crane/harness combo for her swinging down vines scenes though.

Is too bad that the script did not allow her to get more physical as in actual hand to hand combat considering she did had those in the Charlie's Angels TV series.

And Vic was a fool leaving her, I would have stayed had I been offered the same choice. Civilization or hot jungle babe, I take the babe any day of the week, especially one as yummy as Tanya.

[–] anotherworld4u2002 12 years ago

Funny, touching, serious, magical, beautiful movie. Africa has beautiful nature, and Tanya Roberts was great and very convincing in this movie. I could sense that she was the queen and guardian of the Africa's nature and people - it was in her eyes.

And great thing in this movie was that althought Tanya was almost nude, there was no stupid sexist jokes or innuendos at her. Pure spirit movie, and that's how it should be.

Why the IMDB score is so low?

http://www.anvianet.fi/fingames/

[–] RavenGlamDVDCollector 10 years ago

Let them rant against it as much as they like, the detractors against SHEENA being a swarm of buzzing flies around a golden honeypot. This movie was great! Thoroughly enjoyable! A classic! Little bits and pieces here and there needed shaving off, yeah, but overall, a gem, and Tanya Roberts, wow, let them criticize her all they want, I sure as hell would not. She played the part with a certain regal haughtiness which was perhaps 'just Tanya herself', I wouldn't know, but it does after all fit in with a character raised as a Golden Goddess.

I also loved her voice and the way she talked.

At the risk of offending readers I now announce that I am about to reveal the reason for the multiple nasty critters buzzing about.

So don't read further if exposed dirty shames might upset you. Good night, timid folks.

Okay, so all that's left now, are us bears. And among us it can be said out loud: Men watch SHEENA 'cause they're looking to get their jollies off. Ain't no nothing wrong with that. But a certain kind of bear turns grumpy afterwards and has to lash out... Guilt complex and all that... Sour grapes...

Hell, you know I'm right, dontcha, fellow bears?
RavenGlamDVDCollector