Let's be honest right from the start. This lengthy made for TV special is a very entertaining action/adventure period piece. It's a bit sprawling, but it keeps you interested. And Patrick Swayze brings a certain grizzled macho charm to Allan Quatermain, while Alison Doody is decorative and far from helpless as the leading lady.

But, notwithstanding a couple of nods by way of set pieces in the final act, it ain't Rider Haggard's book. And that's a pity, because the book is a) good and b) film-able. Yet, in a number of attempts, the films have always featured divergences of such significance that what is on screen is essentially a different story.

Maybe one day...

Watched both parts twice. Enjoyed the story and enjoyed seeing an older Patrick Swayze as the hero. He was very believable as the hunter Alan Quartermaine and certainly bested the performance of Richard Chamberlain. I do admit that I would have preferred seeing someone else as the "Lady in Distress". Alison Doody should stick with modern and not period pieces. She didn't have the look of the woman of the 1800's. The rest of the cast were terrific and followed the plotlines very well. I am glad to see that the actors of this generation are not afraid to try on different characters and are not afraid to be seen as getting older. Age is inevitable, but let's not hide from it. A man at 50+ can be much sexier (and , Patrick truly is sexy) then a green youth, no matter how pretty. Hoorah for character lines to go along with a great smile.

King Solomon's Mines is a two-part TV miniseries that features the late Patrick Swayze as Allan Quartermain (not Quatermain as in the credits) together with Alison Doody. It is the fifth film adaptation of the 1885 novel of the same title by Henry Rider Haggard.

In it,Elizabeth Maitland seeks the services of American safari hunter Allan Quartermain to locate her father,Sam whom apparently was kidnapped by the Kukuanas as he has drawn near to the location of the legendary mines.The Russian Tsar was funding Sam to locate it and then he send his people to put away Quartermain and his men.

Patrick Swayze did a marvelous performance as Allan Quartermain.He definitely was great in it.Despite the fact that it definitely isn't the best film adaptation of Haggard's novel,it manages to be enjoyable and entertaining with his performance alone.