User reviews

The movie would be a total waste of time if it had not been for the perfect acting performance given by Zane and Carradine. The latter indisputably has the talent to appear in a successful way in any movie, and apart from that, The Diamond of Jeru does show how incredibly beautiful he is now. Zane is very handsome as well, particularly since he shaved his head bald shortly after the shooting of this movie, which, in my opinion, killed his good looks altogether. The movie on DVD should be purchased by all hardcore Carradine fans - even the smart clothing he wears makes it worthwhile, but to all of you looking for a breath-taking experience - you'd better stick to the good old Indiana Jones tapes or just watch Ren and Stimpy on cable TV.

A great adventure. Felt like an Indiana Jones movie but with lower budget. Could have been more adventure, but i like it and i don't think this movie deserve 5,3 in rating. its more like 6,5 or 7. A good Friday adventure movie.

Talky adventure set in 1955 Borneo takes forever to get the main plot going after a splashy intro. Husband and wife hire adventurer to take them into the jungle in search of diamonds. Ulterior motives exist. Pretty average tv original movie from a story by oldtime pulp hack Louis L'Amour.

It's quite reminiscent, though not nearly as flip and breezy, of the 1987 David Keith vehicle, FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TENNESSEE BUCK -- which also featured a husband and wife team heading into the untracked jungle with a raffish East Indies adventurer. However, this being a USA tv movie, there is no scene involving a hot oil rubdown. (Sigh.)

On a scale of 1-10, a 3 from 12-stringer. Adventure movie for people who've never seen an adventure movie.

In the mid-1950s, a pompous American & his wife (Keith Carradine and Paris Jefferson) hire dubious guides to go up a river in search of diamonds in Sarawak. Meanwhile a haunted Korean War veteran (Billy Zane) keep an eye on them with his native protégé.

"The Diamond of Jeru" (2001) originated from an unfinished 1950s' story by Louis L'Amour, completed by his son Beau and used for this movie (eventually published in audio form in 2015). While I suppose it's comparable to Indiana Jones movies and, especially, David Keith's knockoff "The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck," it lacks the flippancy of those flicks, as well as similar ones, like "King Solomon's Mines" (1985) and "Firewalker." This is a serious jungle adventure with bits of "Apocalypse Now," just on a less-impressive TV-budget and script elements reminiscent of L'Amour's "The Quick and the Dead" with Sam Elliott (1987).

I felt disappointed the first time I watched it, but appreciated it more on my second viewing for several reasons. I liked the realism and was drawn into the characters as I paid closer attention to the dialogue. Like Elliott's "The Quick and the Dead," there's breathtaking cinematography (the jungle in this case) and a mature approach, not to mention Paris' beauty, emphasized in an understated, tasteful way.

There's an undeniable bond between Mike Kardec and Helen Lacklan, which is obvious to the husband (and reminiscent of "Shane"). Perhaps you can relate: You stumble across someone of the opposite sex and instinctively sense a palpable connection, some kind of profound mutual fascination, yet - for whatever reason - pursuing an intimate relationship is not an option. In an entire lifetime you will only experience a handful such 'connections,' or less. These exchanges are permanent because they are so potent they are forever burned into your psyche. The movie showcases this well.

Also, it's nice to see Billy Zane as the protagonist for a change (after his effective portrayals of villains in "Dead Calm" and "Titanic"). He's quite good in the part. As for Keith Carradine as the pompous American husband, I'm glad he wasn't made out to be an over-the-top villain. Instead, L'Amour made him a human being with flaws and attributes. Notice how Mike and John sit on the beach together in the final act, both wounded, having an honest talk and gazing at the woman they both adore.

It runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in Queensland, Australia, including the Old Government House in Brisbane.

GRADE: B-/B.

I saw this on video recently and its a good film and Billy Zane is great and in MY opinion this is his best on to date. The film itself could of been in a theatre easily and this film has action in it and it starts out with a bang. Any Billy Zane fan should check this one out!

Good update of 1950's style jungle films and serials, set in the 50's no less. Though the story is somewhat standard "Jungle Jim" type fare (a bickering couple in search of diamonds goes on a jungle trek, runs into headhunters, and must be rescued by hero and his trusty sidekick), it doesn't disappoint in the adventure department. The actors were very well cast and give lively performances all around and the production values were a great improvement over the studio B-grade pictures of the past. Billy Zane is perfect as the hero and a sequel would be quite welcome. Note: Paris Jefferson, mostly known to United States audiences as Athena in the XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS series, plays the wife.

This rip-snorting adventure starring Billy Zane is indeed a treasure of a film. It's positively packed to the ceiling with action, suspense, and even a hint of romance. There's definitely something for everyone in this picture. NOTE: This film was made by USA Network, but it is definitely not a mere "cable" movie. This could've easily played on the big screen. It certainly beats the pants off of most of 2001's box-office features!

It's very rare that I don't bother waiting to see the end of a movie, no matter how bad. I even sat through all of 'PowerPlay' and 'Critical Mass'. This one, however is the one I gave up on. Just about the worst movie I've ever tried to watch. I couldn't watch it. It's terrible, absolutely terrible.