The film's title of "Overdose" was appropriate for a film that included far too many characters and extraneous subplots. It aspired to be a thriller in the tradition of "The French Connection." But it turned out to be a convoluted epic of drug traffickers extending from Spain to France.
The major drug operation included the transportation and exchange of an enormous shipment of cocaine across the Pyrenees and into Southern France. But the traffickers announced their arrival not only with a large convoy of black cars, but also with a leading motorcycle escort!
An improbable romance developed between two of the detectives. At least those romantic sparks offered a pause from the overly violent action, led by a sadistic thug among the traffickers.
It is difficult even to recall many of the characters in this turgid film. The filmmakers were unsuccessful in tying together all of the loose ends with a lengthy confessional speech at the end that offered background on two warring drug families. But that monologue was too little, too late for a film that was bogged down in plot strands that did not allow the audience to genuinely become engaged in the action.
In a film of this nature, there should be an element of redemption. But in "Overdose," there was none. In "The French Connection," the drug mastermind may escape, but "Popeye" Doyle is left to remain vigilante over the mean streets of New York. In "Overdose," the mood remained bleak in this utterly depressing film.
The major drug operation included the transportation and exchange of an enormous shipment of cocaine across the Pyrenees and into Southern France. But the traffickers announced their arrival not only with a large convoy of black cars, but also with a leading motorcycle escort!
An improbable romance developed between two of the detectives. At least those romantic sparks offered a pause from the overly violent action, led by a sadistic thug among the traffickers.
It is difficult even to recall many of the characters in this turgid film. The filmmakers were unsuccessful in tying together all of the loose ends with a lengthy confessional speech at the end that offered background on two warring drug families. But that monologue was too little, too late for a film that was bogged down in plot strands that did not allow the audience to genuinely become engaged in the action.
In a film of this nature, there should be an element of redemption. But in "Overdose," there was none. In "The French Connection," the drug mastermind may escape, but "Popeye" Doyle is left to remain vigilante over the mean streets of New York. In "Overdose," the mood remained bleak in this utterly depressing film.