Return to
Polar Blair's Den Menu Page
Sheena
(1984 Film)

Back to
"Live-Action Superheroes" Main Page
Back to
"Tanya Roberts" Main Page
About This Movie
Cast
Fun Facts
Gallery:
Tanya Roberts as Sheena
Cast:
Tanya Roberts as Sheena
Ted Wass as Vic Casey
Donovan Scott as Fletcher
Elizabeth of Toro as Shaman
Sheena (1984):
At the time of its original release, "Sheena" was a flop, and it was
torn apart by critics and other nerds that don't know any better.
"Sheena" was not a terrible film. There were some things that
could have been done better, but it was still a good, entertaining film.
I thought Tanya Roberts as Sheena was a good
choice. She really looks the part and besides that, she just
seems to act like a good Sheena. One complaint a lot of critics
had is that in this movie, Sheena doesn't wear the leopard skin like
she did in the comics. I think that's a pretty stupid thing to
complain about. If her outfit wasn't scant or revealing enough
for you in this movie, then you've got problems.
The action was awesome, the acting was terrific...I
think my only constructive remarks concern the overall dark tone of the
film. I think "Sheena" was a strong story, but it could have been
more light-hearted. The bad guys are really terrible, Sheena's
mother figure gets killed, and everyone's playing for keeps. To
top it all, Sheena's romance with Vic Casey (Ted Wass) is torn apart
when he returns to civilization. There weren't a lot of happy
moments. This was kind of like "Sheena Meets Rambo"; not many
laughs. Ted Wass provided the bulk of the humor in this movie and
he did great. Still, moviegoers tend to like happy endings where
most things go right.
The character of Sheena is well-concepted in this
film. Every version of Sheena has been different. There's
the classic comic book "Sheena" from the Golden Age (1940s), the early
TV version of "Sheena: Queen of the Jungle" played by Irish McCalla,
Tanya Roberts' "Sheena", and the definitely more super-powered TV
version of "Sheena" played by Gena Lee Nolin. All of these
Sheenas are pretty different from each other, with just the basic
concept of a blonde jungle babe that strings them together. This
version of Sheena, while not the superheroine of the later TV series of
2000-2002, does resemble some supernatural traits. For instance,
it's hinted that Sheena might have superhuman strength. We do
know she can communicate telepathically with animals. She also
has a well-defined personality. Sheena is naive, but at the same
time not very trusting. She is quick to make friends, but an
enemy is forever. The word "shy" is not in her vocabulary.
Sheena isn't afraid to show off her body (there are a few nude scenes
in the film) and she's very direct in what she says. I think
Roberts did a wonderful job with her portrayal of the Sheena character.
Fun Facts:
- This movie was finally green-lighted for
production in 1982, but a Sheena movie was in development as early as
1975. Early considerations for the role were Raquel Welch and Bo
Derek. Shortly before Tanya Roberts was chosen, Jodie Foster
turned down the lead role as she was busy studying at Yale University.
- The entire film was shot on location in Kenya,
Africa. The shoot lasted seven months.