JohnHowardReid SYNOPSIS: Ex-football player takes a job to hunt down the ex-girl friend of a shady acquaintance. She's hiding somewhere in Mexico. NOTES: Phil Collins was nominated for his title song for both a Golden Globe and Hollywood's most prestigious award.COMMENT: Although the screen credits imply otherwise, Daniel Mainwaring (pronounced "Mannering") had no input into this considerably augmented yet at the same time watered down remake of his Build My Gallows High (novel)/Out of the Past (screenplay), both of which he wrote under the pseudonym, "Geoffrey Homes". True, the new script mirrors the original closely at times, but there are wide divergences at others. Even more annoying, Hughes has added a number of extra scenes which do nothing to advance the plot but tend to dissipate atmosphere and tension. One often has the feeling that the producers' aim was to provide employment for as wide a number of their actor and professional friends as possible. Admittedly, this does result in some agreeable casting. It's always a pleasure to see Richard Widmark snarling away, and a real treat to find Jane Greer, the star of Out of the Past, here cast as her original character's mother! However, when all's said and done, this movie runs a wearying 128 minutes. The original, on the other hand, told us basically the same story in a far more terse and involving 98 minutes!

funkyfry Low expectations are the key to enjoying this movie. Keep in mind that the film is anchored by a dubious ballad by Phil Collins, an even more dubious performance by top-billed actress Rachel Ward, and was directed by a man who has the word "hack" in his name (Taylor Hackford). It is a re-make of Jacques Tourneur's equally stylish but infinitely more cynical 1940s classic "Out of the Past." While Tourneur's film took us on a death-trip that proceeds with cold logic to its blazing suicidal finale, this film is too invested in the romance at its core to allow the characters to be truly bad or truly alive.Let's face it, Jeff Bridges is not a replacement for Robert Mitchum. It says everything about the difference in these two films, that Mictchum's character is a broken-down man who operates a gas station in the high deserts of Nevada, while in this version Bridges plays a football player. That's right, and the plot actually has something to do with football players, coaches (Alex Karras appears prominently), bookies (Dorian Harewood and James Woods), corrupt real estate moguls (Jane Greer, from the original film) and professional fixers (Richard Widmark). The primary weakness of the script is that it spends the first half trying to convince us that Rachel Ward is a femme fatale, and then by the time we're halfway believing it (she deserts Bridges in Mexico after murdering Karras' character), the rest of the movie is spent trying to convince us that she's got a heart of gold. Her character makes no sense, and she doesn't have the screen presence to make us look past that fact.A high speed chase with sports cars that takes place 10 minutes into the film is the highlight of the entire film. We also get to see Kid Creole do his best Cab Calloway impersonation, and other bits of 80s "nostalgia" for things that weren't worth showing in the first place. The director is mostly concerned with having his characters walk through rooms that are stylishly decorated and architecturally moderne. If he had spent more time working on the script and less time scouting locations, it might be worth something. As it is, this film is not only an embarrassment to anybody who is a fan of the original film, but just a poor effort in and of itself. Widmark is the only actor who comes out looking better than he did going into it. Eminently skip-able.

namashi_1 A remake of Out of the Past, 'Against All Odds' is A Passable Noir-Thriller, that isn't power-packed nor is it weak. Its thoroughly watchable, but never gripping enough to leave you awe-inspired. 'Against All Odds' Synopsis: A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and the twists start to appear.'Against All Odds' has an interesting premise, but it never pushes the limits. Its a so-so Noir-Thriller, that does have some terrific moments, but it isn't entirely wholesome. The twists & turns in the narrative do hold an appeal, but they could've been sharper nonetheless.Eric Hughes's Screenplay is passable, but it needed a much stronger punch. Taylor Hackford's Direction is classy. Cinematography & Editing are okay. Larry Carlton's Score is beautiful.Performance-Wise: Jeff Bridges delivers a credible performance, as always. He enacts the protagonist torn between love & conspiracy, with conviction. Rachel Ward is effortlessly seductive, but also heartfelt. James Woods does well as the villain. The Late/Great Jane Greer leaves a mark. On the whole, 'Against All Odds' can be watched once.

eric262003 For those who consider themselves Jeff Bridges fans have never experienced him in this rather obscure film back in the year 1984. Jeff Bridges was definitely eye candy to the female demographic and it doesn't hurt that a romantic story is added to the crime drama that also stars James Woods and Rachel Ward. The gorgeous island landscape will surely inspire you reconsider where you plan to go to for your next vacation. And if the romance and the island paradise are not your cup of tea, there is also a story filled with conniving dirty scoundrels, corruption, greed, money and power that will likely keep the fans of noir intrigued. Jeff Bridges stars as Terry Brogan, a football player trying to make a comeback after being on the shelf with a shoulder injury. But due to a political loophole, Brogan is cut from the team. Suffering from financial debt and nowhere to turn to he is contacted by a sleazy businessman Jake Wise (James Woods) whose reputation has not always been clean. Jake is also not on very happy terms at the moment because his girlfriend Jessie (Rachel Ward) who's the owner's daughter to the team that Brogan played for, betrayed him and left the guy in a perpetual limp. With an act of desperation for money, Brogan arbitrarily agrees to help Wise look for Jessie and sure enough he finds her, but is not sure if he wants to bring her back to Jake Wise as he falls head over heels for her. They soak up sun sun together, they frolic in the sand, which lead to Jake bringing in a hired hand to see what the hell is going on. Things take a turn for the worse and the lovebirds find themselves in a precarious situation that neither of them can escape. Do they have the any chance to escape their fate before it is too late?The love triangle is surprisingly very engaging, even though situations like this has been done thousands of times before. The chemistry between Bridges and Woods is very intriguing and the romantic angle between Ward and Bridges will surely make your heart melt like a snowman in a microwave. The suspense is engaging, the thrills are exciting and the action could get pretty intense at times. But the crime drama can also tend to have its share of awkward moments as well. Brogan has become a man on a mission even through blackmail and is now a man running for his life all on account of just looking for extra money to get him out of debt. The premise can at time be quite surreal at times and the twists and turns are can leave you puzzled thanks mainly to the script by Eric Hughes and Daniel Manwaring. The plot of the story gets lost in the shuffle and the good relaxing time on the beach, well let's just say it wiped-out.Bridges plays his role quite convincingly as a wounded man, a naive guy who put his foot in a place he never should have been in from the beginning. The man has a heavy burden on his shoulder and he succeeds very well in carrying it. I was never a huge fan of Rachel Ward, but she's not sore on the eyes. The dialogue between her a Bridges are well executed, but his attraction to her is well obvious and not very well hidden. Woods is in his usual territory as the slimy, back-stabbing remorseless scoundrel who has no problem dealing with anyone who crosses his path, even if it isn't always pretty. Alex Karras as the head patriarch from the 1980's sitcom "Webster" plays a pivotal supporting role as a coach and sponsor to Mr. Brogan. Though the story has its share of lopsided scenes, it is still one worthy enough to enjoy. For Jeff Bridges fans who have overlooked this one should see him in his prime. He brings his charm and personality here like he's done in almost 45 years he has graced the silver screen.It will surely please everyone who enjoys romance, suspense and action.