Sometimes love is the most dangerous game of all.
1984-03-02
N/A
128 min
Having been cut from his professional football team, down-and-out athlete Terry Brogan is in desperate need of money. Crooked nightclub owner and bookie Jake Wise offers Terry a hefty sum to go to Mexico and find his girlfriend, Jessie Wyler. Terry cannot turn the offer down. When Terry locates Jessie, the two fall in love. Terry reports that he failed to find her, but Jake sends someone else. Terry and Jessie's love must endure unexpected twists.
Yucatan bliss and Los Angeles thrills
An NFL player loses his place on the team in Los Angeles (Jeff Bridges) and is hired by a shady nightclub owner (James Woods) to find his lover who took his money and ran off to the Yucatan coast (Rachel Ward). Richard Widmark shows up as the arrogant owner of the team.
“Against All Odds” (1984) is part island adventure/romance and part big city crime thriller. Woods is great as the smirking antagonist while Bridges and Ward are in their physical prime. The Yucatan section is in ways similar to “The Deep” (1977) while the big city part is sorta akin to “Sharky’s Machine” (1981), but this is better than both. The relationships are convincing and the dialogue is snappy.
The Yucatan sequences are a highlight, especially the mind-blowing Mayan ruins, as is the inventive score that’s sometimes reminiscent of Pink Floyd meets “Apocalypse Now.” Ward never did anything for me, but she’s a’right, and there are several quality females in the periphery, including Swoosie Kurtz. Then there’s a quirky-but-entertaining performance by Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
This is basically a character study of the three principles. The plot is too busy, but I had no problem following it. The well-done ending with the Phil Collins’ song is notable.
The film runs just over 2 hours and was shot in Los Angeles, California, including Manhattan Beach, as well as Yucatan, Mexico.
GRADE: B-/B
