Against All Odds

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Against All Odds

R,

1984,

2h 1m,

Crime/

Drama/

Action/

Romance

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Watchlist

63%

16 Reviews

Tomatometer

45%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Having been cut from his professional football team, down-and-out athlete Terry Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is in desperate need of money. Crooked nightclub owner and bookie Jake Wise (James Woods) offers Terry a hefty sum to go to Mexico and find his girlfriend, Jessie Wyler (Rachel Ward). 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.

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

May 10, 2021

Hackford has an uncanny flair for thumping a story along at breakneck speed, ploughing through the most unyielding passages of plot exposition and the busiest shoals of plot twists.

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David Robinson

The Times (UK)

May 10, 2021

The potential of the idea is sacrificed to a wild excess of plot and characters whose motives are generally as baffling as they are unpredictable.

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

May 10, 2021

Alas it does not work, though Hackford, who made An Officer And A Gentleman, is the kind of director who always looks as if he is just about to make something interesting.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jul 28, 2026

2.5/4

...a passable endeavor that never quite becomes as gripping or engrossing as one might’ve anticipated...

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Cameron Meier

MeierMovies.com

Jul 6, 2026

2/5

A rushed romance and a meandering, overly complicated plot rob the film of momentum and clarity.

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Philip French

Observer (UK)

May 10, 2021

Despite the longueurs and the underlying callowness, I enjoyed Against All Odds, though I can't see it lasting the way Tourneur's film has.

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Jan 26, 2019

The best movie song ever sung: Take a Look at Me Now!

Anakin G

Apr 29, 2018

The celebrity of the euphonious Oscar-winning theme song by Phil Collins precedes this Taylor Hackford's middling remake of a 1947 film noir with the scene updated to the seedy underworld of football politics, torrid romantic entanglements and sports betting.

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Finn P

Feb 2, 2018

An 80's neo noire that fails to live up to expectations as a remake of the exceptional Out of the Past. The setup lacks conviction even resorting to deploying a prolonged car chase sequence to keep the pulse going. The second act features beautiful scenery complete with Mayan ruins and decent chemistry between Jeff Bridges and his mark, played amiably by Rachel Ward. The third act disappoints with a casual resolution but by then we've lost interest in the plot. James Woods, normally an exceptional actor, needed a villain with more layers, more complexity. The soundtrack and those Mayan ruins are worth one viewing, however.

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Harry S

Apr 14, 2017

I'm sure the original is superior, which I hadn't known existed before I watched this remake.

Theodore R

Mar 7, 2017

Pretty rad little film noir. Great score and buildup of tension. I found it really hard to care for Ward, as she was such a weasel, but I guess that's what makes for some of the best noir; untrustworthy dames.

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Luke R

Sep 20, 2010

Felt like a love novel brought to screen, but the two leads were nice.

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Taylor Hackford

Director

Rachel Ward

Jessie Wyler

Jeff Bridges

Terry Brogan

James Woods

Jake Wise

Alex Karras

Hank Sully

Jane Greer

Mrs. Wyler

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Synopsis

Having been cut from his professional football team, down-and-out athlete Terry Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is in desperate need of money. Crooked nightclub owner and bookie Jake Wise (James Woods) offers Terry a hefty sum to go to Mexico and find his girlfriend, Jessie Wyler (Rachel Ward). 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.

Director: Taylor Hackford
Producer: William S. Gilmore, Taylor Hackford
Screenwriter: Daniel Mainwaring, Eric Hughes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: New Vision Films, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2012
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround

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