Raiders of Shalimar

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12/18/2013 A thief dying of cancer brings four of the best thieves to his palatial island estate to pass on his prized possession, a $134 million dollar ruby, to the one who is successful in stealing it from him. Liked the theft attempts but thought the tribal guards were a bit hokey. The winners are the people of India, who end up with this fabulous ruby. See more 10/10/2013 Eccentric thief gathers the world's most accomplished thieves on his remote island estate challenging them to heist the largest gem in the world from his collection. Somewhat interesting premise with a rather clever final theft. Indian film that failed at home due to American themes that did not connect with the home audience. See more 03/24/2013 Quite entertaining and a bit different from the usual. With a timeless song and now I realise why it has a tribal tune initially. See more 05/21/2011 This colorful but ill-fated Hollywood meets Bollywood heist caper flopped miserably at the box office. Nevertheless, writer & director Krishna Shad has crafted an above-average movie about intrigue, deceit, and adventure bolstered by a solid cast, including Rex Harrison, John Saxon, and Indian star Dharmendra. RAIDERS OF THE SACRED STONE, as it came to be called, no doubt to take advantage of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, was initially known as SHALIMAR. The film never wears out its welcome and contains some interesting twists. Unfortunately, everything boils down to a status quo law & order opus where the criminals are thwarted and a valuable gem is returned to legal society. Basically, this 90-minute epic amounts to a variation of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME the movie where a big game hunter tangled with human prey on his own island to see who could escape him. The worldâ(TM)s wealthiest jewel thief, Sir John Locksley (a sinister looking Rex Harrison of MY FAIR LADY), is dying from cancer. He invites four of the best thieves in the world to his palatial residence on St. Dismas, a remote, tiny Indian Ocean island where he lives alone with his servants. The thieves include Kumar (Dharmendra), Romeo (O.P. Ralhan), the religious Dr. Bukhari (Shammi Kapoor), nimble German trapeze artist/tightrope walker Countess Rasmussen (Sylvia Miles of MIDNIGHT COWBOY) and Colonel Columbus (John Saxon of ENTER THE DRAGON). Sir John has chosen these thieves because of their notorious reputations. Columbus stole the Catherine the Great emerald. The Countess pinched a Van Gogh painting from a museum. Romeo held up the Bank of Singapore, while Dr. Bukhari substituted a fake for St. Timothyâ~s Cross. Eventually, we learn that Kumar is not the amateur thief that he claims to be. Indeed, he turns out to be an impostor with an interesting background. Sir John lives like a sultan on the island and commands his own loyal army of armed guards. Actually, he saved these natives from a rival chieftain, and they serve him now. Sir Johnâ(TM)s beautiful nurse Sheila Enders (Zeenat Aman) and he escort their guests on a guided tour of his lavish estate and show them his elaborate security system that he has designed to safeguard the jewel. Afterward, Sir John challenges them to see who can steal the legendary Shalimar ruby. It would be sacrilege to allow the ruby to pass into undeserving hands, Sir John explains and adds, The title of the greatest thief will belong to one of you. The Shalimar Ruby has a history similar to The Maltese Falcon, having exchanged hands over the centuries. Its first owner was none other than Alexander the Great who found it when he invaded India in 300 B.C. Briefly; Sir John explains that the Shalimar ruby is the largest single gem in the world. The gem consists of 1, 214 karats and is valued at $135 million. The mute, crippled Colonel Columbus who communicates with sign language takes the first crack at the ruby, but he is shot in the back by a guard as he enters the room where the ruby is housed. As it turns out, Columbus lied about his lame leg and his mute status. Kumar swears that he heard him scream when he was shot and killed. This becomes a refrain throughout the action. âDo dead men scream?â? Countess Rasmussen fares a little better. She knocks off all the guards with her considerable acrobatic skills, but she is blown up when she comes almost within armâ(TM)s length of the gem. Romeo, who tried to rob Sir John initially, dies next and Dr. Bukhari is the last to bite the bullet. Surprisingly, Kumar is the thief who manages to steal the ruby. Although Sir John warned the quintet about the rule against collaborators, it seems that Sheila and Kumar were romantically engaged in a previous relationship. Kumar drove her away when she caught him cheating on her with a blond. Mind you, most of this is designed as a red herring. Sir John, like all criminals, suffers his fate because he forced some many of his guards--approximately 18--to die in an effort to thwart the thieves. The big showdown in the room where the gem is stored is pretty cool. The ruby is housed in a clear, see-through, cylinder constructed of bulletproof glass and Sir John has surveillance cameras stationed everywhere in his mansion. RAIDERS OF THE SACRED STONE qualifies as an interesting potboiler that is done with some polish. Noted British cinematographer Ernst Day handled the second unit. The fireworks and the production design is spectacular to say the least. See more 06/23/2008 A good story idea that was terribly written, acted, directed, light and filmed. On top of all of that it has the most trite, nonsensical twist ending put on film. See more 12/05/2007 A plot with potential that this movie never reaches. See more Read all reviews

Raiders of Shalimar

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