Rating: 
Summary: A Queen among movies
Review: This terrific film stars Katherine Hepuburn as a prim missionary's sister, stranded in the wilds of Africa when her brother dies, and the Germans are coming. She persuades riverboat man Charlie Allnut (Humphry Bogart) that they should make a torpedo to blow up a German warship, and they travel down the river together in his tatty little boat the African Queen. Their personalities clash painfully at first, but gradually they come to appreciate each other. Katherine Hepburn has the two best lines in the film, after she's travelled down the rapids, Bogart expects her to be terrfied, but she says "I never dreamed any mere physical experience could be so exhilirating!". Then, when Bogart has insulted her and she's poured all his gin away in revenge, he protests that getting drunk now and again is only human nature, "Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above!" A great film. Just to clear up a point that seems to have confused some previous reviewers, this film is set during World War ONE, not Two...
Rating: 
Summary: For youngsters
Review: The story has been recounted here many times over, so I'll just skip straight to my personal comments. I sat down to watch this movie with high expectations, seeing that it had, like certain other "classics", been esteemed very highly by a number of people. To be honest, I'm not sure if it's the just the improvements in scriptwriting and acting since when this movie was done (and also the risen demands), or if this movie split audiences already in the 1950s. In any case, I found the story pretty thin and contrived, and the acting somewhat awkward (this is partly due to the somewhat unnatural and rigid acting style of the 50s).Already during one of the first scenes, where Charlie sits at the dining table with Rosie and her brother, and Charlie's stomach grumbles repeatedly (and with some hokey sound effect), each time followed by an uncomfortable glance from the other two, in a sense hinting that he wants food, I was wrapping my fingers around my eyes and shaking my head. It kinda reminded me of the sort of slapstick humor the Marx Brothers used to do for children in the 1930s, and I told myself that this can't be a good sign - at least for a movie targeted at adults. The rest of the movie fortunately didn't have any more scenes like that in it, but it nevertheless fell somewhat flat. The plot itself, as I previously mentioned, I found quite simplistic and contrived: Missionary and his sister's African village - where the natives are stereotypically portrayed as two-dimensional unintelligent barbarians who have little importance of their own - gets burned down by Germans during WWI, and she escapes with a guy on a boat. Out of the blue, she has an "idea" to build a torpedo out of whatever is on board and use it to sink a German battleship, and she convinces the guy to let his boat be used for that purpose. The apparent hokeyness can be partly forgiven for a movie which is supposed to concentrate on character development and interaction rather than an intellectual plot. Unfortunately, that end didn't hold up very well, either. The characters are developed quite clumsily, in sort of jerks and jumps, and in a pretty simplistic way. An example: At the beginning of the trip, Rosie looks down on Charlie as a crude and uncouth man, while Charlie sees Rosie as a complaining and uptight old maid; the characters are as different as night and day, and the conflict is evident. Later in the movie, without any significant romantic buildup, they suddenly fall in love for each other. No verbal fencing, no cat-and-mouse, no emotional play, no body language, no "moves"; nothing satisfying or even realistic. It just happens. At that point I got the feeling that I must have missed something. I watched part of the movie again to see if there was some development that I didn't catch, but I simply couldn't find any. What also struck me as odd is the certain implausibility of Bogart's character, Charlie. He plays a wilderness-hardened heavy-drinking, partying type who knows how to take care of himself. Yet, when Rosie comes on board and there is obvious conflict between the characters, Charlie just lets himself be pretty much commanded around and goes along with demands to just take his boat anywhere she wants, blow it up (especially since it is both his livelihood and only property), and do what she wants with the stuff on board, such as throwing away boxfuls of his expensive liquor for no other reason than that she doesn't like booze. It's so unlikely and in conflict with the character that it just rubbed me the wrong way. The cinematography is OK, though, and the film and audio quality is generally pretty good for the era. Katharine Hepburn also does quite a convincing job as an uptight missionary, the sort who hasn't really experienced much but secretly longs to. All in all, I'd probably recommend this mostly to children and young teenagers as an adventure movie with a "clean" story, but adults might want to look elsewhere for something more intellectually or emotionally stimulating.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: The African Queen is a movie for all ages, it is a prime example of what "Film Makers" can make, that is fun to watch. You don't have to worry about putting the kids to bed as there is nothing in this movie to hurt them. No sex, no vulgarity, a little violence, but nothing compared with the cartoons of today. I recommend this movie to one and all and I can hardly wait for it to be released on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Adventures with Rosie and Charlie
Review: Directed by John Huston, this film attracted increased attention following the death of Katherine Hepburn and I fervently hope that it will soon be available in the DVD format. Of course, she is superb as Rose Sayer and her performance may well be her most fulfilled as she (Rose) evolves from a priggish spinster who initially views Charlie Alnutt (Bogart) as something to be scraped from his boat but over time develops grudging respect, admiration, and then even love for him. For whatever reasons, the film was nominated for only five Academy Awards and received just one (Bogart for best actor) but during the 52 years since its release, it has achieved well-deserved stature as a "classic." Back to Katherine Hepburn for a moment. According to her own account, she was unsure how to portray Rose. Huston suggested that she play the role as if she were Eleanor Roosevelt. Throughout much of the film, she faithfully follows that suggestion. In one of the film's most glorious moments, she falls totally in love with the scruffy and sometimes irascible but undeniably courageous Charlie. Of course, by that point in the narrative, he feels the same way about "Rosie." All of her inhibitions and defense mechanisms are overcome by this kind and brave little man with whom she soon faces almost certain death. It is worth noting that Huston enlisted James Agee to help him with the screenplay, based on C.S. Forester's novel. It is also worth noting that the production lasted much longer than expected and the working conditions in Africa were often intolerable. Those who are curious to know about all this are urged to read Hepburn's own account in The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind. It is also worth noting that Robert Morley has a small but pivotal role as Rose's brother, the Reverend Samuel Thayer. His death so early in the film achieves several objectives, notably enabling Rose to depart with Charlie because, had Thayer lived, he would have emphatically refused to leave his mission and she would have insisted on remaining with him. Also, I think, Huston wished to introduce elements of menace and danger as early in the film as appropriate. As a result, he suggests that are many other life-threatening perils through which the small boat and its two passengers must navigate their way. For these and other reasons, I hold The African Queen in highest regard as I impatiently await the film's availability in the DVD format. Presumably the supplementary materials will be of a quality comparable with those now provided with the DVD version of other great films such as It's a Wonderful Life and Singin' in the Rain. I can almost hear Katherine Hepburn adding, "They better be!"
Rating:
Summary: What no other reviewer seems to have noticed.....
Review: African Queen isn't just one of the most beautiful, engrossing, funny, wise, best written, best acted, movies ever made; it's on my short list of the most deeply reverent. Christian missionaries Rose Sayer & her brother are portrayed as decent caring people & not fools &/or scoundrels as they would almost certainly be today. And Rose's prayer when all seems lost could not have failed to touch God's heart. This is one of those movies I've bought to show my grandchildren the America I grew up in.
Rating:
Summary: One of the All-Time Great Adventures
Review: I was a little apprehensive about watching the African Queen. After all, every guy I know loved it - not really something you can say about just any Katharine Hepburn movie, but then again, it does have Bogie in it... But, I am glad I did agree to watch it because after the first time through, I was hooked.
The story is a little cheesy, but fun. Missionary brother and sister live in the heart of Africa before World War I. Bogie is a boat captain that drinks a lot. The German Army comes through and burns the village where the missionaries live and the brother goes crazy and dies. That is where the adventure begins.
Bogie agrees to take K.H. down the Ulanga River to get away from the Germans. What they find is that while they drive each other absolutely nuts, they are in love. Ultimately they are captured by the Germans and are married by the captain before they are to be hanged as spys. Before they can be hanged however, torpedoes they had made end up blowing up the German's boat and they get away singing and swimming together.
While the movie is definately a previous generation's mindset, it is still fun to watch today. K.H. and Bogie are totally natural together have fun with their roles. I would definately recommed this movie to anyone that asks.
Rating:
Summary: Superb movie!
Review: Only one question. Why is this classic not on DVD???
Rating: 
Summary: Bogie, But Not His Best
Review: I have to be perfectly honest. Humphrey Bogart is a screen legend. He illuminates four of my all-time favorite films: "Casablanca," "The Maltese Falcon," "Key Largo," and "Sahara." Here, paired with Katherine Hepburn, I've always felt the film -- overall -- didn't work but is still mandatory viewing for any fan of the cinema arts. Bogie stars as a drinking boat captain stuck in the Congo who reluctantly -- at Hepburn's behest -- joins the fight against the Nazis. He not only loses his boat in the process, but he loses his heart to his young and beautiful screen partner. The chemistry is there, due more to the magnificent script than unforgettable acting, and Director John Huston keeps the tale going at a beautiful pace. Still, "The African Queen" has never been a personal favorite. I guess it's knowing Bogie did some far superior work in other films that's kept it off my list.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic Adventure on an African River
Review: After a somewhat discordant and irreverent beginning we meet a Spinster Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother who are missionaries in Africa in 1914. Charlie (Humphrey Bogart) arrives in his steam-powered boat and after delivering their mail, he delivers news of World War I. Almost immediately the Germans arrive and burn down the entire village. Distraut, Rose's brother dies suddenly from shock and she is left wondering what will become of her. When Charlie arrives back and sees the destruction, his immediate impulse is to save this damsel in distress and the two are thrown together by circumstance in a mission so improbable, it is almost comical. Together they attempt to sail down an African river on "The African Queen" in order to attack the Germans. To do this, they must pass by a German fort and survive the rapids. Charlie: There's only one little thing wrong with your idea. There ain't nothin' to torpedo.
Rose: Oh yes there is.
Charlie: There's what?
Rose: Something to torpedo.
Charlie: What's that?
Rose: The Louisa.
Charlie: The Louisa! Oh now, don't talk silly, Miss. You can't do that. Honest you can't. I told you before, we can't get down the Ulanga! This is all Rose's idea, more than likely due to her romantic notion of the world. She is determined to have her way and sees Charlie as a way to help save her country. She becomes horrified when he starts to drink gin and the absolute shock she expresses reminds me of the story of Miss Jones and Ginger Ted in The Vessel of Wrath by W. Somerset Maugham. As Rose would say: "Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above." As Charlie is in a drunken sleep, she pours his gin into the river, bottle by bottle. Eventually Rose has to let go of her civilized English ways and starts to rely on her wild natural instincts. Fighting a river becomes the most exciting experience of her entire life and she enjoys this new feeling of being completely unconstrained in her passion for this new adventure. Forced to rely on one another, they start to show their strengths and weaknesses. Fighting the river causes respect to be born and this grows into love. To me, this entire movie is almost a metaphor of marriage. The calm times when you can relax and enjoy the scenery and the stressful times when you are holding hoping for better times. Just like this trip down an African river, marriage takes courage and staying there may in fact test the bedrock of your character. Sometimes you don't want to be sailing down an African river, you'd rather be in Bali. But maybe Bali wouldn't build your character the way an African river could. Adventure, romance, comedy and an unexpected conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest adventure a man ever lived...with a woman!
Review: Pros: Bogart, Hepburn, cinematography, writing.
Cons: A bit stereotypical. Maybe some racist themes. Humphrey Bogart won his first and only Oscar as Charlie Allnut in John Huston's classic adventure "The African Queen". As the captain of the steamboat The African Queen, and regular mail deliverer to Rose Sawyer (Katherine Hepburn) and her brother, he takes Rose along with him after her church and living area is destroyed by Germans and her brother dies of a fever. The two decide to make the most of their predicament by traveling up the treacherous Ulanga and Bora rivers to a large lake patrolled by the German Gunboat Louisa. Here, they plan to prepare a pair of oxygen cylinders with explosive, rig up a detonator and ram the Queen into the ship. It is presumed impossible to travel upriver, but they do it anyway. The experience is a challenge for both, as they have to work together in order to survive rapids, German soldiers, steam boiler troubles, mosquitoes...and leeches ("If there's one thing I hate, its leeches. Filthy little devils"). Though I usually don't use awards to judge films, some have questioned as to whether Bogart deserved this Oscar. Perhaps it could be he poked fun at his usual tough guy image by playing a drunken captain. Nevertheless, he is excellent in the role, being charismatic, romantic, charming and funny. I mean, who would have thought he could do such animal impressions. Hepburn, at first, seems like a stereotype of a proper lady. She is often, during the first half, dressed like a lady, talks and acts like one (Some might also point out her tea drinking). However, she looses that stereotypical image. She knows that in order to survive, she needs to be strong willed. It also helps that she discovers she loves sailing the rapids ("I never dreamed that any mere physical experience could be so stimulating."). (Note: The paragraph reveals plot details. So beware). Eventually, they get to the end of the river, only to find it impossible to get across a marshland to the lake. Both of them are also at the end of their string and predict that death is imminent. However, because of a prayer Hepburn makes, it rains and the boat is floated onto the surface, with Charlie and Rosie being suddenly revitalized. This part, to me, seemed a bit unlikely and maybe even predictable. However, God does act in mysterious ways. As to whether it's possible or not can be debated elsewhere. Anyway, Bogie and Hepburn cross the lake and spot the Louisa. They prepare and ready the torpedoes and the ship, only to have their boat capsize in a storm and the couple is captured and put on trial aboard ship. Fans of "Dr. Strangelove" will recognize Peter Bull as the ship's captain. The captain finds Rose and Charlie to both be guilty and sentences them to be hanged. However, he fulfills one last request by Charlie: He marries them. Little does he know that he's inadvertently bought time for fate to step in. The Louisa is hit by the capsized Queen, with those cylinders jutting out of its bow. I don't think I need to say what happens next. Now, why is the movie somewhat racist? When Charlie makes his first appearance, as his boat sails into the village, an African is seen lighting Charlie's cigar. The man, however, seems happy. Also, later on as the Queen sails past a German fort, there are several blacks around there. Then again, these people were captured and put into slavery like crazy. So the movie might just be trying to be honest. The ending was also somewhat empty-handed. Now I know that not every movie can end in one neat little package, with all the loose ends tied up. In fact, I sometimes prefer if these movies don't. Still, I wonder if Charlie and Rosie survived. Well, they have one thing going for them: Unlike Captain Willard in "Apocalypse Now", at least they're still sane. The photography looks real nice, with a lot of it being shot on location in Africa. Through it, we see the beauty and danger that is the Ulanga and Bora Rivers. The writing is filled with danger and witty dialogue, and the direction is quick to the chase and focused on development of the two leads, who for most of the film are the only ones on screen. This was the fifth film that John Huston made with Humphrey Bogart, with the others before this being "The Maltese Falcon" (Also Huston's debut film), "Across the Pacific", "Key Largo" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre". Bogart and Huston made one more together, "Beat the Devil". Anyone of these movies would look good on your video shelf.
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