Against All Odds (1984)

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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. I saw "Against All Odds" last night on TV and i gotta say this movie was actually pretty damn good and i did bought on the whole love story between Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward plus the movie had a really good story with the whole Club, Dirty Money and Gangster thing and James Woods did a pretty good job as the villain. The film also had a good soundtrack with some creepy 80's music in the background mostly during the scenes in the Office and even the end credits song AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) which was Written and Performed by Phil Collins. Overall this isn't one of Bridges best films or even the highlight of his career but it's still a fun and enjoyable 80's movie!!

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.

The film is a part remake of 'Out of the Past.' Jeff Bridges is a washed up football player Terry Brogan who to makes ends meet takes a job from a shady pal Jake Wise played by James Woods who seems to be involved in some kind of illegal bet fixing. His girlfriend Jessie Wyler played by a sultry Rachel Ward shot him and ran away with some money to Mexico and wants Terry to track him down which he does hand ends up with a steamy relationship with her instead.Now I am aware that 'Out of the Past' also had a convoluted plot in the film noir tradition. Here the the film comes across as confusing, silly and dull. It seems all of Brogan's former football coaches are involved in some dark deeds, one of them is even sent to wipe out Brogan. The side plot of his football team owners, associates and Brogan's own lawyer being involved in backstabbing him as well as some land development deal comes across as half baked.Still the film is well shot, Bridges and Ward make a sexy couple, Woods at the time was making himself a reputation as a bad guy and the end title song is very good but the film never lifts off.

I expected a cringefest, but actually ended up liking this movie a lot. Befitting its era, it has a sleazy "Miami Vice" atmosphere, complete with Porsches, Ferraris, casual jackets, big hair and a great soundtrack including a live show by the one and only Kid Creole. But there's more. Nice location shoots in Mexico - Cozumel, Tulum and Chichen Itza. Jeff Bridges and James Woods, who play fairly complex characters 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 of Knight Rider, the A-Team or the aforementioned Miami Vice. But is that a bad thing? If you're looking for a real 80s experience, find "Against All Odds" on VHS, pop it in your VCR and soak it in.