Film

Sheena

Name: Sheena
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Released: 1984
Cast: Tanya Roberts, Ted Wass, Donovan Scott, Elizabeth of Toro, France Zobda

Action

A 1984 action-fantasy about a woman raised by African shamans who communicates with animals and commands the jungle itself. Sheena is pure Saturday-morning energy—colorful, earnest, gloriously weird about its own premise. It's for anyone who finds charm in a film that commits completely to its absurdity without winking at the camera. A genuinely fun relic.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy jungle-pulp adventure played completely straight, the kind of 1980s costume fantasy where a heroine talks to animals and the chases are the point.

Skip it if you want a tight, modern action film; this one is goofy, leisurely in its jungle wanderings, and its effects and dialogue feel dated.

What it asks of you: A little under two hours of light, unfussy adventure, paced for lazy afternoon viewing rather than close attention, its plot easy to follow from the couch.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Conan the Barbarian1982

Muscle-bound fantasy adventure with a similar pulp-magazine sensibility and genuine stakes. Schwarzenegger's stone-faced commitment to the material makes it work as both spectacle and oddly grounded fantasy.

But The violence is relentless and the film moves at a deliberate pace that modern action movies have conditioned you to find slow.

The Blue Lagoon1980

Another Tanya Roberts vehicle with similar fish-out-of-water survival vibes and gorgeous location shooting. It's corny in exactly the same way, and oddly hypnotic to watch despite itself.

But The romance subplot will feel uncomfortable by modern standards, and the pacing is genuinely glacial.

Tarzan the Ape Man1981

An earlier stab at the same formula: jungle hero, fish-out-of-water lover, exotic locations, practical effects that feel handmade. John Derek's direction is earnest to the point of camp.

But It's visibly cheap in places and the gender politics are genuinely regressive, not just retroactively awkward.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Sheena

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Shape of Water2017

Both films are built on the conceit of a woman who bridges the gap between civilization and the wild—but where Sheena plays it as adventure, this plays it as tragic love. Same engine, completely different register.

A woman communicates with a non-human creature in a lush, tactile environment, and the film treats both her and the creature with genuine dignity. It's visually sumptuous, emotionally earned, and proves the archetype can be made beautiful.

But It's a slow-burn romance that privileges mood over plot, and some viewers find the sexual content unexpected for a creature-feature.

The Beastmaster1982

Marc Singer as a man who telepathically commands animals, exactly Sheena's party trick but in a more high-fantasy register. Goofy but endearingly committed to its own world-building.

But The animal effects look like someone's hand puppets, and the story meanders badly in the second half.

Highlander1986

Post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure with an absolutely committed lead performance and gorgeous location cinematography. The sword fights are genuinely thrilling and the film embraces its own ridiculousness.

But The plot is dense and confusing if you're not paying close attention, and Sean Connery's accent is baffling.

Red Sonja1985

Brigitte Nielsen as a warrior woman in a Robert E. Howard adaptation. Shares Sheena's commitment to practical action, adventure-serial plotting, and a female lead who doesn't apologize for being powerful.

But It's slower and more earnest than modern action films, and some of the sword-fighting choreography is stiff.

King Kong1976

A big-budget adventure with a human lead stranded in an exotic location filled with impossible creatures. The practical effects are spectacular and the film genuinely commits to its monster-movie heart.

But It's three hours long and the middle stretch can drag if you don't connect with the romance plotline.

Anaconda1997

A jungle-adventure film where exotic wildlife is the real star and the cast plays it completely straight against impossible scenarios. It's trashy fun that doesn't underestimate its own premise.

But The CGI snake hasn't aged well and the film is content to be silly without admitting it.

Krull1983

A genuinely strange fantasy-adventure hybrid with the same earnest weirdness. It's visually inventive, features actual practical effects, and asks you to buy into its own logic completely.

But The world-building is muddled and the pacing is herky-jerky, which can frustrate viewers who need clearer plot momentum.

Legend1985

A young woman as the key to nature's survival, but instead of action-adventure, this is pure dark-fantasy atmosphere. Same myth, utterly different mood.

Ridley Scott's visually baroque dark-fantasy about a girl who must save a magical forest. It's operatic and surreal, with practical puppetry and painted environments that feel alien and alive.

But The theatrical cut was heavily edited and the pacing is dreamlike to the point of feeling static. The Tom Cruise romance is barely developed.

The Big Boss1971

Both are adventure films about outsiders fighting colonial exploitation using skills the colonizers don't understand. But Sheena is fantasy and spectacle; this is brutal social realism. The same bones, completely different skeleton.

Bruce Lee's debut feature, a pristine action film where every movement is clarity itself. The fighting is genuinely transcendent and the film's structure—wronged outsider, political stakes—echoes Sheena's plot DNA.

But It's from 1972 and the dubbing is occasionally rough. The anti-colonial themes are direct to the point of bluntness.