Ronald France Movies

This four-hour cable miniseries adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's classic adventure novel King Solomon's Mines dispenses with much of the original story in favor of a standard Indiana Jones-esque melodrama, complete with claim-jumping villains, snarling Russian soldiers, an ancient and deadly curse, and a damsel perpetually in distress. As played by Patrick Swayze, Haggard's hero, celebrated British safari hunter Allan Quartermain, is a born-again conservationist who returns to his former trade only to raise enough money to retain custody of his beloved son. Quatermaine accepts the assignment given him by toothsome Elizabeth Maitland (Alison Doody), to head into darkest Africa in order to rescue Elizabeth's father (John Standing), who had disappeared while searching for the fabled lost gold mines of King Solomon. This time around, the mines harbor another elusive treasure: the mysterious Stone of Power, which functions in much the same manner as the Ark of the Covenant the Indiana Jones pictures. Along for the ride are Quatermain's trusted friend Sir Henry (Ian Roberts), and loyal African guide Umbopa (Sideda Onylulo), who has traditionally been the story's most likeable and admirable character in all previous film and TV adaptations of the novel. The main villain, largely spun from whole cloth for the purposes of the miniseries, is Quatermain's greedy ex-partner Gavin Hood (Bruce McNabb). Debuting June 6, 2004, the two-part King Solomon's Mines posted some of the Hallmark channel's best-ever ratings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The heavy fighting at the turn of the 20th century between the Dutch settlers in modern South Africa (Boers) and the British colonists is featured in this drama about a young British widow who had been married to a Boer. Between 1899 and 1902, the British in South Africa rose up against Dutch rule in certain areas, and after a year of fighting, the victorious British commander left for awhile. In his absence, Boer guerrilla fighters launched new attacks, and soon the British soldiers were back, burning Boer farms and herding the Boers into temporary concentration camps. That is the setting for this story which begins with British soldiers checking Boer farms to see if the people are hiding any guerrillas. When a young officer is told to go search a certain farm, he chooses the wrong one by mistake and not finding any hidden enemy fighters, he torches the place -- leaving the widowed British woman homeless with her two daughters (one daughter is pregnant). The three were meant to be consigned to a concentration camp, though these were normally reserved only for black Afrikaners, but they refuse and go back home where they receive some help from Boer soldiers. As the woman and her daughters resettle into a difficult life, fighting continues and is featured for the rest of this film -- with its effect on the three women. Visually attractive, but with average acting and somewhat anemic drama, Torn Allegiance fits better as a TV movie than a theatrical release. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi