User reviews

Although this adaptation of Haggard's book is apparently more faithful to it than the 1982 version (the only other version I've seen so far), it is a much less enjoyable film. "She" doesn't appear until halfway through the film, and she is a beautiful and buxom blonde (Ophélie Winter), but you get the feeling that eternity with her would be boring - I would much rather spend only a normal lifetime with the other major female character, the feisty brunette Roxanne. She is played by Marie Bäumer, who adds the only real spark to the film; her fist-fight with another woman is the first lively scene of a movie that has been, up to that point, boring and meandering. The second half is rendered pointless by an ending that doesn't make much sense, at least in the way it's shown in this version. Not recommended. (*1/2)

The greatest shame in this film is that it is taken from outstanding source material, and doesn't even come close to living up to its breeding. This is mostly because Hollywood audiences can't be counted on to be English Lit and History buffs, nor to have a working knowledge of Greek, Latin and Arabic. What remains is a weak, improbable adventure tale that relies on over-exposition, swagger and sex, those great movie mainstays. Filming is somewhat reminiscent of campy 1970's schlock sci-fi.

"She", "Ayesha" and the prequel "Allan (Quartermain) and She" are, in fact, the stuff of which Indiana Jones was a pale and Americanized Everyman version. Haggard's novels are worth an epic cinematographic gesture, a la Peter Jackson, but this, the ninth attempt, isn't it.

Three flaming mummies out of ten for persistence, though, and some fun scenes.