Midnight Ride

Not bad action film, with Dudikoff in relentless pursuit of his runaway wife. Seems she has had no trouble giving psychopath Hamill a ride to his Psychiatrist, Mitchum. This movie has plenty of truck size plot holes. Cops are portrayed merely as targets for Hammil's knife or gun. Realism flies out the window early, never to return. Nevertheless, things seem to move along at a frantic pace. If you can forgive the sparse character development, just go along for the ride with your brain in neutral. What Robert Mitchum is doing in this film is a huge question? His part could easily been played by any no name actor. Worth watching for Hammil's over the top performance, but just barely. MERK.

The basic plot, A young Russian woman named Laura (Savina Gersak) leaves her husband who also happens to be a cop, later on she picks up a young hitchhiker Justin McKay (Mark Hamil) who surprise surprise turns out to be a psychopath and takes her hostage while he goes on a killing spree so he can meet up with his Doctor, while her cop husband is in hot pursuit.

Midnight Ride is a bit of a strange movie, as it tries to blend Action and slasher together and it works most of the time, as I found this movie a hell of a fun ride, although it does having plot holes and lacks suspense, but all that can be forgiven. Mark Hamil plays a part a million light years away from Luke Skywalker here playing a psychopath, which I rather enjoyed, although it was a bit hammy and unconvincing at times. Michael Dudikoff plays the cop husband pretty well, I found him very charming and capable as the leading man. But I didn't find Savina Gersak very convincing at all, she's supposed to be the terrified victim, but I found her very weak and disappointing and I think that this movie would have been better if they had a better actress in that part.

The film has some really great action moments. In particular, there's a terrific Mardi Gras Massacre sequence that's one for the books. Some of the action toward the end is hit and miss (Dudikoff's encounters with the Pentangle in the swamp is kinda anti-climatic) but the finale is thoroughly awesome. It also manages to have its share of solid action beats (the bus chase was pretty good). Plus, it moves along at a steady clip, which helps make you forget about the lapses in logic. But overall I found this movie fun and entertaining, the scenes with Mark Hamil are the real highlight even if they were hysterically funny, like when he tries to attack a female victim, But I did enjoy the final scenes between him and Dudikoff in the steam factory and the hospital scene.

So all in all okay Midnight Ride is a copy of the far superior Hitcher, but it's not a bad one and this should get a DVD release, because I enjoyed it.

This movie is GREAT! For anyone who doesn't like it, doesn't get it. And, oh yeah, get a sense of humor (a black one would be best). No matter how many times she escapes, Mark Hamill just keeps showing up. Driving the bus was my favorite. His insane driving is ridiculous, but it's hysterical that his hands are always at 10 & 2! The exploding cars had us rolling. Also, how many cars is her husband, the cop, going to steal? My favorite was off the moving car hauler. Appreciate it for what it is, & you'll have a good time.

Even halfway through this film, I would not have recommended it. Now I would watch it again. It seems like one of those weak plotted, thrown together films with dull and boring driving scenes. And there is plenty of that. But it is not the plot. Nor is it stunning acting. So what is it about this film that works? Strong, pressing acting, without letting up. Each lull in the "action" precipitates more progression towards anticlimax. It gains a hidden rhythm and timing which turns what would seem to me to have been the most boring movie of the month, if not of the year, into something that stands on its own. Incidentally, they must have spent a small fortune on explosive materials. For a film having only four leading actors, Michael Dudikoff, Mark Hamill, Savina Gersak and then finally, Robert Mitchum, who plays this kind of role well, there was more going on than normal observation revealed. It comes out as a strange film and if you appreciate the way these things come together with a good, full cast, then watch it all the way through. After it is over, you'll like it. Then when you think about it, you'll like it a little more. Very odd. In fact, as I consider it now, part of the character of the film borrows from the style of older horror films made in the 50's and early 60's.

Michael Dudikoff stars as Lawson a police officer who tracks down Justin a hitch-hiker who has kidnapped Lawson's wife Lara in this so-so actioner that benefits from some pretty decent actionscenes as well as Mark Hamill's over the top performance make this one mildly diverting. Robert Mitchum also lends some class as Hamill's doctor.