Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-13 11:11:57

Boring - sorry i bought it.

I missed seeing this on TV one evening, so I bought the DVD. I'm a fan of Jeff Bridges, butI can't see how this movie got any praise. Roger Ebert also liked it, in his review, though. Jeff Bridgeswas good, as usual, but otherwise, the script, and acting by the others, resulted in a tedious film, I thought. I wish I had rented it or seen it on TV instead of buying it. I won't even give my DVD to anyone as a gift.

beertjespoes 2013-05-12 19:00:50

rating sounds about right....

this movie came highly recommended by my tv guide. before I went to watch ichecked the imdb, so maybe now I'm prejudiced, but the rating below sixsounds about right to me... Not so good a movie, but watchable, jeff bridgesis ok, but james woods has certainly done better. music is a bit simple, iwould expect a bit more from Taylor Hackford who surprised me with Devil'sadvocate and blood in, blood out.Rachel Ward's character reminded me of the character of Moira she played inon the beach. The song by Phill Collins is great, although it can be a bitof a cliche when you hear it too often....6/10

Dar Star 2013-05-03 11:57:31

Excellent paced film-noir

Taylor Hackford's best film. Jeff Bridges is superb as the cynical TerryBrogan and James Woods is his usual terrific bad guy self as Jake Wise. Weare immediately drawn into Terry's disintegrating world as a pro footballplayer as he becomes enmeshed in the seedy underbelly of sports betting andthe high brow clientele being catered to. Rachel Ward (who I loved in TheThornbirds) brings sizzling sensuality to the film, but the true enjoymentof the film comes from the exposing of the corrupt foundations of the L.A.jet set by one of its own "lost"heroes.

2013-05-02 23:38:56

one of the worst movies of all time

I just saw this movie for the first time and all I can say is, I want those two hours of my life back. Rachel Ward's character gives new meaning to the term "useless female". She was great in the Thorn Birds but she acts exactly the same way here. Jeff Bridges & James Woods do ok here but they're not really likeable, and in the end, nothing seems to change much for the leads. Because of that, I don't understand why the title is "Against All Odds"...

thinker1691 2013-04-17 09:49:54

" What's a better place to commit murder. than a Mayan Ball Court? "

Anyone who has ever read Daniel Mainwaring's 1947 novel 'Out of thePast' will quickly see the connection to Hollywood's newest remakecalled " Against All Odds." In the 47' version it was Robert Mitchumagainst Kirk Douglas, the new release star's Jeff Bridges and JamesWoods. In the original Mainwaring story, the hero plays a detective,the second transforms him into a football player. Both are essentiallyhired to travel South, searching for a run-away girlfriend with stolencash. Both find the girl and then the story becomes more convolutedthan a Bavarian pretzel. The movie is fraught with twists and turns andonce inside the story-line, it becomes difficult to follow who is doingwhat to whom. Following closely, the audience is privy to thehot-off-the-griddle love triangle between the principals. At the sametime, we try as hard as we can to Follow the Money. Those who have itwant more and those who ignore it, willingly trade it for personalinterest. In the end, this is a particular film which warns audiencemembers, don't take your eyes and ears off the screen or else you'lllose your place. Interesting novel, but loses something when transferedto the screen. Alex Karras, Sal Rubinek and the late great RichardWidmark, add to the re-make. But, personally, I like the original movieas the re-make will steam up your glasses. ****

2013-04-17 07:51:34

Jeff Bridges at his best

No actor has ever looked more sexy on film than Jeff Bridges does here. His chiseled physique, his tousled hair, and all his graceful movements and facial expressions kept me riveted to his presence throughout like I've never been with any other actor in any other film.Despite some flaws, Against All Odds is a good film and visually beautiful. Jeff Bridges and James Woods put in great performances, as usual, and Rachel Ward's performance was really not bad for a model-turned-actress. Having Jeff and James to play against helped elevate her performance, I'm sure.Jeff Bridges has always been one of my favorite actors. He was especially stellar in Fearless and The Fabulous Baker Boys, and though I've always considered him to be a handsome man, I never realized just how beautiful and sexy he was capable of being until I rented Against All Odds. It's worth seeing for that reason alone.

johnny_07652 2013-04-15 12:41:33

Horrible...two hours of my life I'll never get back.

I would love to sue the people who made this movie to get my time back,but it's too late, I wasted time out of my life on this atrociousmovie. To help salvage things I will at least use the experience towarn you nice folks to stay far, far away from this movie. It is asdroning and grating and mushy as Phil Collins' theme song, of the sametitle, for it.I normally like Jeff Bridges, but he was lackluster in this film. Orperhaps it was just the horrible character development? Bridges' andWard's characters are loathsome. A bratty spoiled woman who is supposedto be "hot" but is horrible looking, even by 80's standards (I saw themovie in '84 in the theater and remembering she was "ugly" to me) and atraitorous quasi-bum who shirks his responsibility for a sick affairwith the ugly brat. The movie is about this. James Woods' character isthe only sympathetic one at all, and even he is a chump.From what I have read this is based on a "film noir" made in the '40's.I can't tell if they tried to keep it in the "noir" style. I think theyjust slapped together awful characters and tried to make it '80's chic,like Miami Vice, and they ended up with a bomb. And don't think thesecharacters are loathsome in the "noir" sense. Unlike noir wherecharacters are flawed but interesting, these characters are flawed andincredibly pedestrian, common, ugly people. They made a good lookingactor and actress look horrible for this movie, and made them yet MOREunattractive by giving them the most horrible, ugly personalities. Notinteresting "bad", but more like common trash "bad", the kind of peoplewho make you cringe when you see signs of their existence. Even themany sex scenes, which are gratuitous in their frequency, are not atall titillating. Skip this movie. If you want a good movie from 1984, see Revenge of theNerds...at least it's interesting.

lucretiagooch 2013-04-15 05:51:39

Jeff Bridges is gorgeous

This is a sexy love story with a complicated plot. Bridges is a formerfootball star who has secrets that Woods uses to blackmail him intogoing to Mexico to find Ward, whom he claims stole money from him andleft the country. Bridges finds Ward and they become lovers in some ofthe sexiest scenes on cinema, short of porn. James Woods is in lovewith Rachel Ward as Jesse and we feel for him when he realizes that shehas fallen for Bridges, because he truly loves her. There are somecomplicated plot twists, but ultimately, it is about Jesse (RachelWard) and Terry (Jeff Bridges) and how they have been thrown intopolitics, bribery and murder. This is a guilty pleasure type of movie.

trinidadg 2013-04-13 02:06:58

Excellent film

Rachel Ward is gorgeous in this film. I can understand why Jeff Bridgesgoes crazy for her. The car race scene is one of the best. It is astoryof what true love does to people. It also shows that even if you havefoundyour one true love, the rest of the world will not allow your love toflourish.

Mike 2013-04-12 16:31:32

donkey crap

THIS MOVIE SUCKS UP DONKEY CRAP LIKE A HOOVER VACUUM CLEANER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BIGGER PIECE OF MONKEY TRASH IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. SCHLOCKY IN THE WORST TERM. WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS THAT. IT MAKES NO SENSE AND I GIVE IT THE WORST RATING IN THE HISTORY OF THE MOVIE INDUSTRY. THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED IT FOR ME WAS PHIL COLLINS DOING THE AWARD WINNING TRACK OF AGAINST ALL ODDS. MAN THAT'S A GREAT SONG

shanfeldt 2013-04-10 14:49:56

Sometimes it takes more than love...

The single thing that stand out most for me in this film is the verylast shot of Rachel Ward looking at the camera while Phil Collins,singing the title song, says "How can I just watch you walk away, whenall I can do is watch you leave". If you've ever been part of a couple where 2 people loved each other sovery much, but it had to end because circumstances like jobs, school,parents, etc. made it impossible to continue, this movie is for you.If you've lived through a time in your life when you and yourfriends/lovers were immortal-young lions-with the world at your feet,but one day you sense a change of seasons in the air... a change thatfor shadows the coming of the real world you always knew was there butthat you had hoped against hope to avoid, you'll love this movie. Great characters, solid performances, top notch script, beautifulnatural scenery in Mexico, great soundtrack and a real "LA in the 80's"feel. For the most part the film holds up well today and the "look" istimeless. Very few holes in the plot, if any, and a fine supportingcast.

2013-04-10 12:23:29

Good, no. Enjoyable, yes!

When I first saw this movie twenty years ago, I was 18 and awash in hormones. At the time, the steamy sex scenes alone were enough to recommend it. Make that, the sight of an often shirtless (and sometimes pantless) Jeff Bridges was enough to recommend it. Still, I remember thinking the movie was pretty good overall. A more recent viewing reveals this movie to be actually pretty silly. The plot is implausible, the dialogue is wooden and heavy handed, and the love story is incredibly melodramatic. Having said that, I still found this little piece of 80's pap downright enjoyable. It's enjoyable for the nostalgia, it's enjoyable for the beautiful locations, it's still enjoyable for the sex scenes (those few seconds in the sweathouse alone are worth the price of the DVD). But above all, it's enjoyable for the impossible gorgeousness of the protagonists. Rachel Ward is a stunning beauty, and you simply mustn't let anything keep you from seeing Jeff Bridges, in full gratuitous display, at his pinnacle of deliciousness.

Put_Speeders_In_Prison 2013-03-31 09:10:24

Very very eighties movie

Football player (jeff bridges) gets fired from the team and then hiredto find missing heiress (rachel ward). He finds her and they fall inlove and then things get complicated and the shooting starts. Not a badmovie but certainly not great. Bridges looks like a million bucks asthe super-fit but injured football player. OTOH rachel ward who is abeautiful woman, is here given a fright wig for a hairdo and looksalmost homely. Richard Whidmark is great as the all powerful bad guy.Ex football star alex karras has a decent part and i was amazed at howsmall he was. Bridges is listed at 6'1" and he appeared to be 2 inchestaller than alex who was a lineman in the NFL in the 60s!!A very average movie.

Kevin O 2013-03-30 19:10:00

Slow Paced

Things happen but often at a snail's pace which allows plenty of time to show off the real reason the movie was made-Bridge's abs and Ward's nearly but not quite everything. There's a junky plot and the usual improbable action ending and a good theme song. Rachel really is a cutie though so I'd say it's worth it for the guys.

tieman64 2013-03-24 22:12:50

Junk Noir

Jacques Tourneur directed "Out of the Past" in 1947, one of cinema'spremiere film noirs. Taylor Hackford would remake "Out of the Past" in1987 with "Against All Odds", a terrible neo noir which sees JeffBridges playing an injured football player who finds himself searchingthe Yucatan Peninzula for the daughter of a wealthy businessman.The film's noir plot is old news, it oozes the worst trends of the1980s (lots of beaches, fancy cars, naked skin, pop music, MTV editing)and ends with a musical climax which tries, blatantly, to repeat thesuccess of "An Officer and a Gentleman's" ending, another film directedby Hackford.Like many directors in the 1980s, Hackfort spent a lot of time creating"tie-in" music for his films, hiring well known musicians to create"signature songs" to help market his flicks. "Against All Odds" was abig hit in the 1980s thanks largely to a cunningly used Phil Collinssong, its much played MTV music video functioning as a kind ofincessant advertisement for the film."Out of the Past" contains a logistically impressive car chase and afine performance by Jeff Bridges, but is mostly inept. Bridges wouldmake a number of noirish movies in the 1980s (the best of which is"Cutter's Way"), which would lead to the Coen Brother's casting him in"The Big Lebowski".4/10 – Worth no viewings.

krisrox 2013-03-24 09:49:06

Excellent 80s B-Movie

I expected a cringefest, but actually ended up liking this movie a lot.Befitting its era, it has a sleazy "Miami Vice" atmosphere, completewith Porsches, Ferraris, casual jackets, big hair and a greatsoundtrack including a live show by the one and only Kid Creole. Butthere's more. Nice location shoots in Mexico - Cozumel, Tulum andChichen Itza. Jeff Bridges and James Woods, who play fairly complexcharacters well. A dark script that delivers some good moments,especially during the final 30 minutes.Yes, it's a B-movie, and at times it feels like a protracted episode ofKnight Rider, the A-Team or the aforementioned Miami Vice. But is thata bad thing? If you're looking for a real 80s experience, find "Against All Odds" onVHS, pop it in your VCR and soak it in.

2013-03-24 01:20:02

great flim noir..intertwines music and suspense..classic

enjoy every time I watch...sound track dates movie in a good way.....classic actors with style ..I watch every time I can..ending title song haughnting

GlennM 2013-03-23 05:42:25

Not a classic but has elements of one

The idea behind this movie, that two people find each other and bond deeply, is the heart of this film. The music at the end credits is the closest match to the feelings of the characters of almost any movie ever made. Well-photographed and acted, it really soars. What's weak is all the hollywood cliches like a car races, mean dogs, bad people, violence, and plot twists. Overall it grabs a feeling of that pure romance and chemistry lots of people yearn for.

Kathy-70 2013-03-23 01:03:54

One of my all-time favorites!

I give this movie a 10. I'm a longtime fan of Jeff Bridges, and this is oneof his best. Jeff is the only good guy surrounded by bad guys and worseguys. Even the women are treacherous, except Swoosie Kurtz, who plays a kindof pathetic, lonely secretary. "Against All Odds" is a remake of an olderfilm, but they've done a nice job updating it. There are so many twists andturns in the plot, it will keep you guessing right up to theend.I don't want to give anything away, but there's a great car chase scene thatwill have you on the edge of your seat. There are some nice scenes of theruins at Chichen Itza (in Mexico) and the beautiful island of Cozumel beforeit became a tourist trap. The soundtrack is great too.I've seen this movie at least 10 times on video, maybe more. When I firstsaw it in the theater in 1984 I hadn't even heard of James Woods before. Heis truly a plus in this picture, in fact all the cast is really good. Eventhough this is in the category of "Romance" it's not a chick-flick. Guyswill like it too.

2013-03-22 11:11:06

Amazon

This review is from: Against All Odds [Special Edition] (DVD) It was here on Time. The condition was fine. There was NOTHING wrong with it. I have yet to watch it. Thank you. This 20 word thing is very irritating.