Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

John Glen

Writers (WGA):

Mario Puzo (story)
John Briley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 August 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography

Plot:

Genoan navigator Christopher Columbus has a dream to find an alternative route to sail to the Indies...

Plot Keywords:

Torquemada | Christopher Columbus | Latin America | 1490s | Box Office Flop

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Tomas de Torquemada
Tom Selleck	...	King Ferdinand
Georges Corraface	...	Christopher Columbus (as George Corraface)
Rachel Ward	...	Queen Isabella
Robert Davi	...	Martin Pinzon
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Beatriz (as Catherine Zeta Jones)
Oliver Cotton	...	Harana
Benicio Del Toro	...	Alvaro Harana (as Benicio del Toro)
Mathieu Carrière	...	King John (as Mathieu Carriere)
Manuel de Blas	...	Vicente Pinzon
Glyn Grain	...	De La Cosa
Peter Guinness	...	Fra Perez
Nigel Terry	...	Roldan
Nitzan Sharron	...	Benjamin
Steven Hartley	...	Terreros

Also Known As:

Cristóbal Colón: el descubrimiento (Spain)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK | USA | Spain

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #31900)

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Ocean

Company:

Quinto Centenario

Trivia:

According to "Variety", Marlon Brando was paid $5 million for his cameo as Torquemada. Over 10 years earlier, Brando had set an industry record when producer "Christopher Columbus" producer Ilya Salkind had paid him $3.7 million for 12 days work on Superman (1978) against a percentage of the gross. That deal yielded Brando $14 million, though he had to sue the producer to get it. It was widely suspected that Brando took the role to raise money to pay for the defense of his son 'Christian Brando', who had been indicted on murder charges after shooting his sister Cheyenne's lover 'Dag Drollett".

Quotes:

Christopher Columbus: [to the Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor] I recall our blessed Lord said: here is a new commandment I give to you. That you love one another as I loved you. Surely it is not blasphemy to take that message to the shores of Africa or across the ocean sea.

Movie Connections:

Version of Christopher Columbus (1949)

Really, really bad

Define laughable? Okay, how about Marlon Brando as Torquemado, the Spanish Inquisitor? Not impressed? Well, how about Rachel Ward as Queen Isabella? No, I've got it: Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand. But that's not the whole story. There's a whole lot to laugh about in this is utterly ridiculous retelling Columbus story ham handedly directed by John Glen and poorly written by a number of people included Mario Puzo - time to take back that "Godfather" Oscar. This is a hopeless morass of idiotic subplots and stabs at political correctness. The only consistent thing about the film is the overall quality: Bad. To make matters worse, it is far too cheap and cheesy-looking for an epic story of this scope.