Film and Plot Synopsis
After Sheena’s white parents are killed while on Safari, a mystical witch woman from one of the African tribe raises her. Once grown, Sheena finds some one had framed her foster mother for the murder of a political leader. Sheena and a newsman named Vic Casey set out to find the real killer while hired mercenaries pursue them. Sheena’s ability to talk to the animals and knowledge of jungle lore prove to be the only edge they need over this group’s high tech weapons.
‘Sheena’ Movie Summary
Sheena, “Queen of the Jungle,” grows up learning to nap with pythons, bathe with hippos, swing through trees with chimps, pet porcupines, and talk with elephants. She learns all of this while speaking perfect English and galloping through the plains atop her trusted zebra. Shaman teaches Sheena about the ways of the jungle and Tigora, their home nation, which is protected from the civilized world by their King Jabalani, who lives in the big city of Azan.
King Jabalani’s younger brother, Otwani, reveling from the fame he has gained as a Super Bowl winning place kicker, conspires with Jabalani’s fiancée, Countess Zanda, to assassinate the good hearted king and exploit the healing properties of the soil beneath the Zambouli’s lands. Shaman, who is strong with Force, senses King Jabalani’s life’s in jeopardy, so she makes the long trek to Azan to warn the king. Shortly after finding her destination, Shaman is arrested by the police, who are working for Countess Zanda.
The egotistical Otwani brings a sports reporter, Vic Casey, and cameraman, Fletch Agronsky, to Tigora to film a story on the Super Bowl winner. During a celebratory dinner, hosted by King Jabalani, Otwani has Jabalani murdered via a remote controlled crossbow. Zanda and Otwani arrange to have Shaman framed for the murder, since the Zambouli are legendary archers and she just happened to be in the area at the time. Vic Casey and Fletch realize they have accidentally filmed the crossbow shooting the fatal arrow and realize they have stumbled into an African conspiracy.
The sports reporters make their way to interview the imprisoned Shaman, but are held up by a group of mercenaries who work for Otwani. Much to their surprise, Sheena, “Queen of the Jungle,” has come to Azan to free Shaman from the prison. Sheena, an elephant, her trusted Zebra, and two chimps work as a well-oiled machine to, literally, break into the prison and rescue a tortured Shaman. The “Queen of the Jungle,” and her allies, destroy the prison camp and damage the propeller on the attack helicopter owned by the mercenaries. The faction escapes back into the jungle, closely followed by Vic Casey and Fletch. Shortly after finding safety in the jungle, Sheena says goodbye to Shaman, who passes away from the injuries she sustained in the prison.
Otwani’s mercenaries, led by Colonel Jorgensen, relentlessly track Sheena and Vic Casey into the jungle. The heels are aware Vic and Fletch videoed King Jabalani’s execution and want the film. The killers are also charged with eradicating the Zambouli, allowing the newly appointed King Otwani to take control of the sacred soil.
Vic Casey and Sheena hide from the bad guys in a tree, allowing Sheena time to take a nap on Vic Casey’s lap. The next morning, a reinvigorated Sheena takes Vic Casey to a local watering hole, strips naked, and begins to bathe in front of him. In a shocking turn of events, Vic begrudgingly takes off his clothes to bathe with the naked Queen of the Jungle, but the Queen turns Vic away when she learns he has fur on his body. They eventually discover they have “chemistry” and passionately kiss in front of a million birds.
The mercenaries resume their hot pursuit of the couple but make time to burn a Zambuli village to the ground for the new King. Sheena gets mad as hell and tries to blow up the mercenary motorcade with a flaming arrow, but their repaired attack helicopter saves the day by blowing out the fire. Vic and Sheena eventually surrender to the mercenaries, in an attempt to save animal lives and protect the sacred lands. Countess Zanda takes Sheena up into the helicopter, in an attempt to kill the “Queen of the Jungle” in the Zambuli Falls, but Sheena calls out to a local flamboyance of flamingos to attack the helicopter. The Countess falls out of the warship during the battle, falling to her death in the waterfall. Sheena dives out and the helicopter crashes to its fiery end. Sheena rallies her fellow Zambuli and animal family to mount an offensive against the mercenaries and Otwani. Sheena mounts her trusty Zebra and chases down a fleeing Otwani. Sheena gets the opportunity to kill Otwani and successfully shoots him in the heart with her bow and arrow. However, Otwani’s jeep continues to charge at Sheena until Vic Casey saves the day by crashing his jeep into Otwani’s vehicle. Vic Casey suffers severe burns to his body but Sheena vows to save him.
Vic Casey’s burned up body is successfully healed by the magical Zambuli soil, allowing him to live a happy life with Sheena. Vic comes to the realization that he needs to get out of Africa and share his story back in the states. However, he accepts that the outside world could eventually destroy Sheena’s homeland and vows to protect her from afar.Vic Casey records Sheena telling him that she loves him, then boards an airplane to New York. Vic Casey flies over a tearful Sheena, “Queen of the Jungle,” as he leaves. Sheena makes herself feel better by galloping through the Serengeti on her trusted zebra to close out this epic adventure.
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Columbia Pictures released Sheena on August 17, 1984. John Guillermin directed the film starring Tanya Roberts, Ted Wass, and Donovan Scott.