Apple TV Remade A Classic Harrison Ford Movie Into A Thrilling TV Show

Although Apple TV has a higher hit-to-miss ratio with its original shows than most streaming services, it has still dealt with its fair share of disappointment. Case in point: "The Mosquito Coast," a crime drama starring Justin Theroux as a man fleeing the US with his family through Latin America. The show was canceled after two seasons, and holds a technically fresh (but still disappointing) Rotten Tomatoes score of 64%. 

"'The Mosquito Coast' works best when you just follow along with the running and don't think too hard about the rest," wrote Robert Lloyd for the LA Times, "But the running itself becomes tedious after awhile. Not everything makes perfect sense, or seems remotely plausible."

Richard Roeper was even harsher in his review for Chicago Sun-Times, writing, "When an insufferable man is putting his family in danger and spouting philosophy, it's hard to care about his adventures on the run." 

Theroux's main character, Allie, is indeed a bit of a complainer, and someone who definitely stretches the viewers' patience for long periods of the show. But that's an intentional bit of characterization taken from the show's source material, the 1986 movie of the same name. The original "Mosquito Coast" starred Harrison Ford as Allie, and his version of the character is also often portrayed as more of a hindrance to his own family than a protector. 

Allie was a sharp departure from most of the other roles Ford played in the '80s. "Blade Runner," "Indiana Jones," "The Fugitive," and "Star Wars" all generally wanted you to root for Ford's character, while "The Mosquito Coast" wanted you to question him at every turn. This was part of why Ford's own agent reportedly urged him not to take on the role — but Ford ignored her.

Much like how the reviews for the "Mosquito Coast" TV show were worse than you'd expect from a Justin Theroux-led project, the reviews for the '86 movie were worse than normal for Harrison Ford. Vincent Canby at The New York Times described it as, "Utterly flat. Even its exotic melodrama fails to excite the imagination." Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs down, asking, "Why was the hero made so uncompromisingly hateful?"

The movie was viewed more positively over time however, for reasons that might have to do with what Harrison Ford said about it:

"There have been mixed reviews and I think the film has been very unfairly treated in some quarters. I have never seen a serious film treated so badly by the critics. And I think they're wrong. I don't mind saying I'm here trying to counter those negative reviews ... I'm not defensive about the picture, but I want the public to hear another point of view. Critics see a film and then rush to review it. This is the sort of movie that really doesn't sink home for about three days. It is disturbing and makes you think. It stays with you."

Sure enough, it does seem like people have generally come around on the movie once they got over their initial distaste of its flawed main character. The movie now has a 78% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is often cited as one of Ford's most underrated films. "The Mosquito Coast" as a movie eventually received its due; perhaps the reputation of "The Mosquito Coast" the TV show will improve over time as well.