When seen in the 21st century, "Torrid Zone" is a very strange and dated film. After all, it's set in some unnamed Banana Republic where Americans pretty much run things...a colonial style story indeed!
"Torrid Zone" is an odd movie because the star of the film, Jimmy Cagney, doesn't even appear in the film until about 20 minutes into the story. Until then, it mostly involves an incredibly bilious Steve (Pat O'Brien) and Lee (Ann Sheridan) verbally sparring with each other. Later, when Nick (Cagney) arrives. Then, there's some more sparring between Nick and Lee as well as Nick fighting with a local revolutionary wannabe as well as Nick trying, once again, to have his way with another man's wife.
Despite a convoluted pro-colonial plot, the film has some decent scenes, decent acting (aside from O'Brien, who mostly yells and acts grouchy in every scene) and the Warner Brothers style you might expect. Is the story good? Not especially...but it's never dull.
"Torrid Zone" is an odd movie because the star of the film, Jimmy Cagney, doesn't even appear in the film until about 20 minutes into the story. Until then, it mostly involves an incredibly bilious Steve (Pat O'Brien) and Lee (Ann Sheridan) verbally sparring with each other. Later, when Nick (Cagney) arrives. Then, there's some more sparring between Nick and Lee as well as Nick fighting with a local revolutionary wannabe as well as Nick trying, once again, to have his way with another man's wife.
Despite a convoluted pro-colonial plot, the film has some decent scenes, decent acting (aside from O'Brien, who mostly yells and acts grouchy in every scene) and the Warner Brothers style you might expect. Is the story good? Not especially...but it's never dull.