Review of The African Queen (1952) by Danielle K — 21 Dec 2009

Synopsis: A great adventure film with just the right mixture of action, plot, and romance.

Plot: 3/3.

A great plot that's constantly engaging. There wasn't a dull moment in this film from the minute they stepped into the boat.

Music: 3/3.

Not much of a music film, but whatever music is there serves its purpose and doesn't detract from the film.

Cinematography: 3/3.

As soon as I found out that this was filmed in central Africa, I was astonished. The cast and crew suffered from malaria and dysentery. Bogart almost got killed while on the set. Hepburn had dysentery weeks afterward. This was not an easy movie to make, but the result was a great film.

Acting: 3/3.

Acting couldn't have been better. These two had excellent chemistry. It was kind of annoying hearing Hepburn say "Mr. Allnut" every ten seconds though. ;).

Ending: 3/3.

Ending was a bit rushed, but it accomplished the job. I felt the film was wrapped up beautifully with excellent acting, script, and plot. A great family film that's worth seeing at least once, but you'll probably want to see it again. I can certainly see why it's considered a classic.