Green Ice

Green Ice

Year: 1981

Runtime: 116 mins

Language: English

Director: Ernest Day

AdventureAction

Desperate for a break, a down‑on‑his‑luck engineer is drawn into a high‑stakes quest when a mysterious woman, driven by revenge, seeks the secret hidden in a priceless emerald. Together they confront a ruthless emerald magnate, hoping the gemstone holds the key to their fates, as danger looms and loyalties are tested.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Green Ice (1981)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Green Ice (1981). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Mexico, Colombia, Miami

The film unfolds across the Mexican coast and luxury hotels before shifting to Colombia, the epicenter of the emerald trade. Its action weaves through a voice-activated vault, coffee plantations used to siphon emeralds, and rebel enclaves behind the scenes. The final stretch returns to a seaside retreat near Miami where a violent confrontation tests all players.

🏖️ Mexican coast 🗺️ Emerald trade 🏝️ Miami coastline

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:55

Main Characters – Green Ice (1981)

Meet the key characters of Green Ice (1981), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Joseph Wiley (Ryan O'Neal)

An American engineer who slides into the emerald underworld after a hotel-room discovery. He relies on technical savvy and quick thinking to navigate danger, survive shootouts, and choreograph the heist against Argenti’s formidable operation. Across Mexico and Colombia, he partners with Holbrook to locate Carrie, escape capture, and secure a path to freedom with the emerald shipment.

🔧 Ingenious 🧭 Resourceful 💥 Risk-taker

Liliana Holbrook (Anne Archer)

A wealthy socialite tied to her missing sister Carrie, Holbrook moves through danger with cool calculation. She plays a central role in steering the plot, leveraging her family’s diamond connections while forming a fragile alliance with Wiley. Her resilience is tested in confrontations with the army and Argenti’s men, and she fights to survive while pursuing the truth.

💎 Wealth 🎭 Cunning 💥 Determined

Meno Argenti (Omar Sharif)

A former diamond trader who now controls the Colombian emerald trade and seeks to reclaim influence through marriage to Holbrook. He runs a high-security vault operation and uses intimidation and manipulation to protect his interests. His empire begins to crumble when Wiley and the rebels expose his schemes.

💎 Diamond trade 🎭 Manipulative 🔥 Power

Miguel

Rebel leader who reveals the emerald-smuggling network funneling funds through a coffee plantation. He aids Holbrook and Wiley for a chance to strike back at the regime, and his willingness to take dangerous leaps ends with a fatal fall during the escape.

🌿 Rebel 🧭 Courageous 💥 Driven

Claude

Wiley’s old confidant who facilitates the vault heist by providing inside information and logistical support. He helps orchestrate the rooftop infiltration with the rebels, using past connections to keep plans moving amidst danger.

🕵️‍♂️ Street-smart 🤝 Ally 🗺️ Planner

Jaap

Argenti’s associate who is revealed to be working for a rival diamond organization. He ultimately shoots Argenti’s scheme by killing Argenti himself, assisting Wiley’s escape and signaling the reach of the broader crime network behind the emerald trade.

🗝️ Secretive 💥 Dangerous 🧭 Calculating

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:55

Major Themes – Green Ice (1981)

Explore the central themes of Green Ice (1981), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💎 Greed

Emeralds drive the plot and lure characters into dangerous alliances. Wealth and the diamond trade corrupt loyalties, blur moral lines, and trigger high-stakes heists across continents. The pursuit of money repeatedly overrides personal safety and legal boundaries.

💘 Romance

A tense alliance forms between Wiley and Holbrook, built on necessity as danger closes in. Their relationship is tested by deception, competing motives, and the threat of betrayal. The romance adds urgency to riskier plans and complicates trust.

🧭 Adventure

The movie sustains a globe-trotting, high-stakes arc—from a beach meeting to a rooftop vault raid. Clever escape sequences and ingenuity drive the mission forward, including cloudhopper hot air balloon inserts. The narrative leans into audacious planning and perilous travel as the rebels and protagonists chase freedom and fortune.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:55

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Explore Movie Threads

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Treacherous Alliance Thrillers like Green Ice

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Narrative Summary

This thread follows characters, often a reluctant hero and a driven partner, who must work together despite mutual suspicion and conflicting goals. The plot is propelled by a series of betrayals and close calls, forcing the protagonists to constantly question who is friend or foe as they move towards a climactic confrontation.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the psychological tension of precarious partnerships. They deliver a specific kind of suspense where the danger comes as much from within the alliance as from external enemies, creating a volatile and unpredictable viewing experience.

Reluctant Hero Adventures like Green Ice

An ordinary person is thrust into a dangerous world for one big score.If you liked Green Ice's story of an ordinary engineer pulled into a dangerous emerald heist, explore these movies featuring reluctant heroes in high-stakes scenarios. These films capture the vibe of a desperate character taking huge risks for a chance at a better life, filled with action and cautious romantic connections.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a down-on-their-luck individual who sees a risky venture as their only way out. They are quickly immersed in a world of wealth and crime far beyond their experience, forced to adapt quickly to survive. The journey is fast-paced, involving a heist or quest against a powerful foe, culminating in a victory that is often compromised or bittersweet.

Why These Movies?

These movies share the compelling arc of an underdog facing overwhelming odds. The appeal lies in the combination of a high-stakes plot, a charismatic but vulnerable lead, and the tension of a romance tested by constant danger, resulting in an exciting yet emotionally grounded adventure.

Unlock the Full Story of Green Ice

Don't stop at just watching — explore Green Ice in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Green Ice is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Green Ice Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Green Ice, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Green Ice Summary

Green Ice Timeline

Track the full timeline of Green Ice with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Green Ice Timeline

Green Ice Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Green Ice that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Green Ice Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Green Ice

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Green Ice: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Green Ice

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