--- title: "Sheena" year: 1984 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/sheena" fi1m_id: "sheena" imdb_id: "tt0088103" tmdb_id: 24264 wikidata_id: "Q767648" fi1m_score: 40 critics_score: 45 critics_reviews: 5 published: "2026-10-04T18:40:28.022538+00:00" updated: "2026-10-04T18:40:34.023666+00:00" region: "JP" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Sheena (1984) Directed by John Guillermin · 1h 57m · Eirin PG12 · Action, Adventure, Fantasy ## Identity Sheena - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/sheena - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** sheena - **IMDb ID:** tt0088103 - **TMDB ID:** 24264 - **Wikidata ID:** Q767648 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088103/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/24264, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q767648 **Fi1m score: 40** · Critics 45 (early) from 5 reviews *In a sentence:* The animals seem to understand Sheena better than the people making it > We found too little pleasure in this stiff fantasy adventure, despite its animal performers and some capable action. Tanya Roberts needs a lighter touch from John Guillermin, whose seriousness makes the silliness harder to enjoy. ## Synopsis Sheena (Tanya Roberts) is the central figure in this action and fantasy adventure, whose characters include Vic Casey (Ted Wass) and Fletcher (“Fletch”) (Donovan Scott). Elizabeth of Toro plays Shaman, while France Zobda appears as Countess Zanda and Trevor Thomas as Prince Otwani. The royal characters also include King Jabalani (Clifton Jones), with Colonel Jorgensen (John Forgeham) among the other principal figures. Bolu (Errol John), Juka (Sylvester Williams), Grizzard (Bob Sherman) and Phillip Ames (Michael J. Shannon) complete the supporting cast around Sheena. ## Review *Sheena* is a poor adventure with enough enjoyable business to make its failings irritating. John Guillermin appears willing to take the fantasy seriously, which is a reasonable place to start: an adventure need not apologise for itself before it can entertain us. But taking it seriously means giving its characters conviction and its dangers some urgency. Too often, the film simply proceeds solemnly, expecting our interest to look after itself. Tanya Roberts has the difficult job of making Sheena persuasive without making her ordinary. We can see the appeal of a direct, unembarrassed performance here, and the role would hardly improve with constant knowing looks at the audience. Nevertheless, Roberts seems stranded by the tone, unable to make the solemn passages compelling or the lighter ones reliably funny. The character needs a director who can establish how much disbelief we should suspend, then keep us occupied enough to forget the question. The animal performers provide the clearest pleasure. We smiled when the animals took over our attention; their unselfconscious presence gives the film an ease that its human performances struggle to find. These passages also suggest that a more playful approach need not have reduced the adventure to a joke. There is room for delight within this sort of fantasy, and Guillermin allows too little of it elsewhere. The screenplay credits belong to Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Newman, but the comedy never settles into a dependable rhythm. Some moments invite laughter without making it clear what, precisely, we are meant to find funny. That uncertainty can be entertaining briefly, especially when the surrounding action is so earnest, but it becomes tiring across 117 minutes. Ray Lovejoy’s editing does not give the uneven material enough momentum to carry us through the weaker passages. There is capable action here, and it deserves acknowledgement even when the intervening drama feels inert. Pasqualino De Santis’s cinematography offers more visual interest than the performances consistently supply, though attractive images cannot make the stakes matter on their own. Peter Murton’s production design likewise has to support a fantasy whose credibility depends heavily on the people occupying it. We find too little in those surroundings to distract us for long from the uncertain performances and humour. Richard Hartley’s music faces much the same difficulty: the film needs excitement without having its awkwardness underlined. To our ears, the score cannot establish the confidence missing from the drama, although it would be unfair to expect music to repair the script. Against the basic standards of fantasy adventure, *Sheena* falls short on pace and sustained involvement. Its occasional pleasures remain too widely separated to make the waiting worthwhile. Most critics find substantial faults here, and we share their frustration with the uncertain tone. There is effort on screen, and there are stretches where Guillermin’s handling of action briefly supplies the entertainment the dialogue cannot. But anyone hoping that the awkwardness will make a consistently enjoyable comedy should lower their expectations. We would save this one for a determined interest in the stranger corners of fantasy adventure. *Fi1m score 40, published 4 October 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is Sheena worth watching?** *Sheena* is worth watching only for a determined interest in odd fantasy adventures; we score it 40 out of 100. We enjoy the animal performers and some capable action, but the stiff performances, uncertain humour and slow pace leave too much waiting between pleasures. **How long is Sheena, and what is it rated?** *Sheena* runs 1h 57m and is rated PG12 by the Eirin in Japan. It is an action and adventure film. **Where can I watch Sheena in Japan?** *Sheena* is not on any streaming or rental service in Japan at the moment. It is available in 19 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does Sheena compare to Flash Gordon?** *Sheena* is the weaker choice beside [*Flash Gordon*](https://film.one/film/flash-gordon), which we recommend for its brighter, more confident handling of extravagant fantasy. Both have uneven performances, but *Flash Gordon* makes its knowing humour and outlandish appearance entertaining despite a wayward final stretch; *Sheena* struggles to find either consistent laughs or much urgency. ### Reviews we read (5) - **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (65/100, inferred): Kael finds the film enjoyable but uneven, with its lead performance and some of its comedy falling short. She singles out the animal performers as the film’s most delightful feature. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1984/09/17/roger-edwina-sheena-and-uncle-jean) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (64/100, inferred): The page identifies a New York Times review of Sheena, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specifically praised or criticized element cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/17/movies/screen-sheena-jungle-romance.html) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (2/5): Jones finds the adaptation dull and unintentionally funny. He faults Tanya Roberts’ miscasting and Guillermin’s failure to embrace the story’s camp potential. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-cl8kgw/sheena/) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (35/100, inferred): The review finds the film tonally inconsistent, with laughs that may not be intentional. It singles out the action direction and Kenya location shooting as positives. [Read](https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/sheena-1200425981/) - **Time Out**, TJ (20/100, inferred): The review is dismissive of the film as an inane jungle adventure. It singles out the Tarzanette premise of an all-American girl raised in the jungle. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sheena) ## Details - **Director:** John Guillermin - **Director:** John Guillermin - **Screenplay:** David Newman, Lorenzo Semple Jr. - **Story:** David Newman, Leslie Stevens - **Cinematography:** Pasqualino De Santis - **Editor:** Ray Lovejoy - **Music:** Richard Hartley - **Production design:** Peter Murton - **Costume design:** Annalisa Nasalli-Rocca - **Producer:** Paul Aratow - **Cast:** Tanya Roberts as Sheena; Ted Wass as Vic Casey; Donovan Scott as Fletcher ("Fletch"); Elizabeth of Toro as Shaman; France Zobda as Countess Zanda; Trevor Thomas as Prince Otwani; Clifton Jones as King Jabalani; John Forgeham as Colonel Jorgensen - **Runtime:** 1h 57m - **Certificate (Eirin):** PG12 - **Release (Japan):** 16 February 1985 - **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Fantasy - **Budget:** $25 million - **Box office:** $58 million ## Where to watch in Japan Not streaming, renting or buying in Japan at the last check. Also available in: AR, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, FR, HR, IE, IN, LT, MX, NL, NZ, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress (nominated) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Musical Score 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Musical Score (nominated) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture (nominated) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Tarzan and His Mate* (1934): For jungle adventure with more confidence, physical energy and romantic conviction. - *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940): A fantasy adventure that understands how readily wonder and danger can coexist. - *The Golden Voyage of Sinbad* (1973): For creature encounters and an adventure that keeps moving between them. - *Flash Gordon* (1980), Fi1m 70: A brighter example of extravagant fantasy played with the necessary conviction. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/flash-gordon.md) - *The Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec* (2010): French fantasy with creatures, period detail and a welcome appetite for absurdity. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/sheena