Against All Odds (1984)

The noted author of 5 Unlucky Days, Diego Kelly, recommended this as an inspiration to him so I pulled it up on Amazon video.  A very 80s movie, I must say, as the misfit in L.A. solving a mystery with larger and darker forces behind it reminded me of Beverly Hills Cop and even Lethal Weapon.

Jeff Bridges is Terry, a soon to be washed up football player.  With no career prospects he takes a flyer on his shady friend Jake (James Woods) to go down to Cozumel, Mexico to look for his girlfriend who has run away from him and disappeared.

The historical quirk of being able to disappear is going the way of the Dodo Bird.   Movies with plots like these  have to be set in a certain period now.  GPS, security cameras, social media are make that obsolete.

When Terry finds Jessie (Rachel Ward), they fall in love (of course) setting up a showdown back in the USA with the shady boyfriend and her parents who of course own Terry's football team, and his soul, they would say.

Great scenery in Chichen Itza and Tulum.  Having just been to Chichen Itza, it was really cool to see the areas that I had just walked.

A nice bit of film noir, reminiscent of some other good 80s mysteries, Body Heat and No Way Out.  It even made me think a bit of the underrated Sharky's Machine, which also starred Rachel Ward.  I told you it was very 80s!  And a great soundtrack with Phil Collins' first number one hit.


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1 comment:

  1. Cool post. Yeah that Phil Collins is awesome. Man, he had some of the greatest 80s music ever. God how I miss that music. I never got to see the man in concert, but did see Power Station, Michael Jackson (victory tour) and Def Leopard, Metallica.
    www.ufosightingsdaily.com

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