Harrison Ford's boldest adventure in acting was 1986's "The Mosquito Coast," in which he played Allie Fox, an eccentric inventor who puts his family in peril when he insists it start over in the jungles of Central America where he can introduce the natives to ice.
It was one of his biggest flops.
The problem with the Peter Weir-directed movie, currently streaming for free on Tubi, is that Ford's character deteriorates into madness far too quickly so his downfall can fit neatly into a two-hour time frame. One minute, he's Han Solo; the next, he's a raving lunatic.
The film also goes too far to make sure viewers don't mistake it for a "Raiders" sequel. You feel like you're sitting through a theology class with a hangover.
A new adaptation of Paul Theroux's bestselling book takes care of both obstacles by turning the story into a seven-part chase, but one that's in no hurry to watch the shaky protagonist fall apart.
In the first two episodes, now streaming on Apple TV, the Fox family hasn't even made it across the American border.
But that doesn't mean the Foxes don't immediately face challenges more daunting than running into a jaguar.
They're being pursued, for reasons that aren't initially clear, by law enforcement officials who include a no-nonsense agent portrayed by Minneapolis native Kimberly Elise.
