Green Ice

A poorly developed action adventure film shot largely in Mexico, this affair begins in promising fashion, but after its first of several changes in direction occurs within the plot line, little remains that will interest a viewer. A group of international students (in reality organized supporters of anti-government rebels) is massacred in Colombia by Federales as action opens, while during alternating scenes Joe Wiley (Ryan O'Neal), an American electronics engineer, visiting Mexico to recover from a divorce, meets an affluent socialite, Lillian Holbrook (Anne Archer). When the two become romantically involved, a complicated situation forms since Lillian is being wooed by Meno Argenti (Omar Sharif), a powerful plutocrat who controls the emerald trade for the rotten Mexican government, thus leading to shared distaste between the two men. When Lillian travels to Colombia in quest of her missing younger sister, Joe goes with her, an act not endorsed by Meno who wishes to wed her for personal reasons other than love, and a climactic conflict between the rivals can result only in violence. The screenplay is a hotchpotch with a thread of intended light-hearted romance woven among such disparate themes as murder, torture and sadism, along with grotesquely silly stunts that Joe and his cohorts perform in attempts to foil the evil Argenti. The piece is heavily cut for distribution, and editing is very choppy, increasing the episodic nature of a script that consistently meanders, scenes honouring logic being very rare indeed. The players are somewhat hindered by their cliché laden lines, O'Neal being even more encumbered by a large assortment of electronic and other specialized equipment that is magically available for use in situations requiring derring-do. Camera-work under supervision from cinematographer Gilbert Taylor is strikingly effective and creative but general mistreatment of basic rules of continuity sinks this effort despite its pretty scenic effects.

This is one of those movies with a cult following. The plot might sound like something you heard before. But its the charm of this movie that sets it apart from the rest. I have seen this movie over 30 times since 1981 and I never tire of it. Some movies are just a pleasure to watch and listen to. It's like listening to your favorite song over and over. It's laid back and just plain enjoyable without all the stress we often get from modern movies.

Certainly a lot of the credit goes to Bill Wyman for making the score. Ultimately it is what puts the shine on Green Ice.

10/10

I remember seeing this on HBO and just watching in awe of how well crafted films can be. This film isn't high art in the traditional sense. It came out during the transitional 1970s to 1980s era of one society wanting to be high tech, and another entering the computer age perhaps against its will and without consent. That's important because there's a kind of technological angle that this film uses to further the plot, which was a foretelling of things to come in terms of tech portrayed in films.

But the larger film is a bit long and can be a slog at times, but it's actually quite interesting as the film shows us glimpses of another world. A world where international intrigue shows its seamier side in terms of criminality on both sides of the law; law breakers and those who are supposed to enforce the law.

The film also shows us some of the issues plaguing nations like Columbia, and shows us the extent to which dissident groups will go in order to enable their change for social order. The film shows the truth of such efforts, and the ultimate victors and losers.

I know all of what I wrote sounds kind of high minded, but films in the 70s and 80s were a lot more sophisticated than today's offerings, and more tasteful too. Green Ice has all kinds of tawdry and violent elements that aren't pornographic like a lot of today's media which seem to need to show us, the audience, every sexual act and every bullet striking every body part with every blood splatter.

Green Ice also doesn't rely on a lot of over the top action nor a lot of machine-gun editing nor shaky cam that plagues so much of today's media.

See it once and see what you think.

Green Ice is a caper movie that was made long after the caper movie was in fashion. To say that it is a belated addition to its genre is an understatement. It has an attractive trio of leadings actors in Ryan O'Neal, Anne Archer and Omar Sharif, but they don't seem overly impressed with the material and turn in workmanlike performances at best. The film reeks of indifference.

The story has American electronics expert O'Neal visiting Latin America and being recruited into a scheme to steal emeralds from a Colombian consortium. In true caper movie style, we get to see the plot as it is hatched and the subsequent robbery as it is put into motion.

The attractive locations serve the film well, giving it a pleasant backdrop. However, events in the foreground are less attention-grabbing. The robbery sequence is OK, and there's a half-lively fight at the end, but these are scant pickings compared to the better films in this genre. The story never really builds up to a head of steam. It just ambles along without urgency, and the few enjoyable moments there are come and go all too quickly. The supporting performances are generally bland. This is basically a missed opportunity and a rather dull way to spend your time. If, for some reason, you're absolutely determined to see this film then do; if not, don't go out of your way to find it.

Following a James Bond style opening, with sexy emeralds in place of women, GREEN ICE is a breezy seventies Neo-Noir (although not released till the early eighties) starring Ryan O'Neal as a drifter in Mexico who meets his damsel in distress, rich girl Anne Archer...

Her hippie sister (Tara Fellner) had been slain by the same crooked third world officials she and her gang were hiding emeralds from, and so big sister uses O'Neal to find out what happened: Which turns out it has to do with... guess what? GREEN ICE, which millionaire Omar Sharif collects like loose change while exploiting the locals.

Here's where things wane, considerably, going from an involving suspense chase thriller into a pointless class envy melodrama with the reintroduction of the dead little sister's mentor, Miguel, a whining communist revolutionary with a chip on his shoulder this size of a dwarf planet and the politics of a dreamy sixth-grader...

The break-in at Sharif's glass-building high-rise to get back the emeralds, by very bizarre means of hot air balloons (manned by John Larroquette, and with a song playing that sounds worse than Yoko Ono), is where the film never really recovers...

Hell, even the heist is boring, despite Sharif... as kinda/sorta Archer's beau (get it?)... giving O'Neal an initial tour in an intriguing manner. And what a shame: with such an adventurous premise, this might've been really something. (Bill Wyman, bassist of The Rolling Stones, provides the cooler parts of the soundtrack, including an groovy opening instrumental that, alas, on the Album/LP, has singing on it.)