Romancing the Stone: Zemeckis Before He Got TOO Zemeckis?

Okay, so I just finished rewatching Romancing the Stone (1984), and I'm having some director-theory thoughts. YES, I know, Robert Zemeckis didn't direct this. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis. But hear me out! This feels EXACTLY like something he could have directed right before Back to the Future blew up. The humor, the adventure, the slightly over-the-top characters... it's all there. Look at Kathleen Turner's Joan Wilder. She's basically Marty McFly in reverse – thrust into a world she's completely unprepared for, reacting with a mixture of fear and surprising resourcefulness. And Michael Douglas' Jack T. Colton? He's the cocky, charismatic guide who's ultimately a decent guy, much like Doc Brown, but way more ruggedly handsome. Think about the car chases, the jungle settings, the sheer outlandishness of the plot with the emerald and the villains. It’s pure Zemeckis energy, even if it isn't. Does that make sense? I dunno, maybe I just see Zemeckis fingerprints everywhere after studying his filmography so closely. I'm not saying Zemeckis should have directed it or that Robert Zemeckis did a bad job (I genuinely enjoyed it!). I'm just saying there's a definite overlap in sensibility. It feels like a proto-Zemeckis film, a blueprint for the kind of blockbuster adventure he would perfect later. Plus, the score is fantastic! It's so perfectly 80s adventure music and really enhances the silly but thrilling feel. Not every film needs hyper-realism, and this movie does exactly what it sets out to do. Am I crazy? Is this just my director-focused brain making connections that aren't really there? Let me know what you think! I'm always up for a good Zemeckis (or Zemeckis-adjacent) debate :)