A likeable old-fashioned comedy thriller with Harrison Ford as the world weary pilot transporting wiry magazine editor Anne Heche to an important assignment in a far flung paradise. Alas, it's a stormy night and our heroes have to turn back. Thanks to a little help from a lightning bolt, Ford and Heche soon wind up on a desert island with a broken landing gear and enough smart one liners to keep this movie ticking over for the duration. Back at the hotel, Heche's fiancee David Schwimmer is tempted by Ford's girlfriend and while the odd couple try and stay alive on one island, Schwimmer tries to stay faithful on the other. Thrown into the mix are some no-good murdering pirates (led by Temeura Morrison from Once Were Warriors) and Heche's growing attraction to Ford.
One of Ivan Reitman's best films for years with some fine casting - Heche is a revelation and Schwimmer surprisingly effective as her nebbish boyfriend. Perhaps the best line has Heche enquiring about Ford's age. When he whispers the answer to her she nodds, admitting he 'still looks good'. "I am good!", grins Ford in reply.
Well worth rewinding and little wonder Harrison is still, after 20 years at the top, the world's most likeable actor. At the time of production, he was a little dubious over the choice of Heche as a leading lady. Her affair with Ellen had just hit the headlines and he questioned the authenticity she would bring to the role as a love interest. An intriguing point, but Anne proves to be far more watchable because of such initial worries. Bird-like, attractive and with a natural gift for comedy, she gets the best from the script and turns this into far more than just a vehicle for Ford. Let's hope for more soon.
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