Joyride - Spritztour

Relatively a lesser known film which apparently spawned a few straight to video sequels. Joy Ride is a decent thriller with some suspense, although quite predictable at times.

The film moves at a reasonable pace and doesn't drag on too much.

The violence isn't gory or graphic and is quite tame for a film of this genre.

One of the highlights of the film is most definitely the character of the villain trucker "Rusty Nail". Although we don't necessarily see him much (only briefly near the end and for a quick few seconds), it's his voice which strengthens the performance.

Questionable scenes are regarding Rusty are how well he knew the friends. How he knew the roommate and was able to kidnap her. How he was able to pick back up the radio device and put it in their trunk. Nothing was exactly explained in the end.

Paul Walker and Steve Zahn bring in solid performance showing a fun level of chemistry.

Overall Joy Ride is a solid early 2000's teen/young adult type mystery thriller type. Yet expected a little more. It is relatively simplistic and somewhat forgettable.

After KILL ME AGAIN and RED ROCK WEST director Dahl has again made a nice good-looking, really thrilling little B-movie! He must have watched DUEL (which is still better, maybe the best S. Spielberg movie ever, and rates 10/10) and has added something here and there. The Trauma Spielberg handled in his movie is not to be found in here, but it's still and nevertheless a highly enjoyable, also well photographed movie with believable actors and a nice twisted ending (improbable, yes, but still nice). Whereas in DUEL one just had the man (Dennis Weaver is his best movie) and a truck (without the driver ever to be seen), Dahl added more characters and a more visible (actually audible) driver + police, etc, but the basic plot, people running away from mad truck/driver, is left intact. I just wish more such movies would still be made today ...

I went to "Joy Ride" with high expectations -- having enjoyed the work of Steve Zahn and John Dahl immensely in the past. But what I got was a poorly done by-the-numbers thriller with several numbers missing. "Joy Ride" is typical of movies these days that present a few good set-piece scenes but don't make them come together into a satisfying whole.

The problem here is almost exclusively in the script. The villain is a chillingly evil, faceless trucker who is apparently omniscient. He knows everything about his victims -- who they are, where they are at all times, even where their friends are. But how? This omniscience is never even remotely explained and makes no sense. Without even this semblance of logic, the events in the film have little context and carry little punch. If the kids in the film were dealing with a maniac who, bad as he is, has to play by the same rules of reality as everyone else, and thus can be outsmarted, the film would have some point. As it is, it's just a series of scares that quickly becomes ho-hum.

What a disappointing misuse of a great cast and a talented director. Who green lights things like this? I guess audiences are still going to see it, but they deserve much more.

It would be very easy to overlook 'Roadkill' (the title 'Joy Ride' is known by here in Australia), especially considering the leads are mainly known for asinine teen movies. But dig a little deeper and you will see that it is directed by the underrated John Dahl, also responsible for the crackerjack thriller 'Red Rock West' a decade ago. Paul Walker ('The Skulls') is very effective as your average joe college kid, and Steve Zahn ('Out Of Sight') is even better as his smart ass older brother. Zahn is a talented comic often better than the movies he appears in, and he is in fine form here. The chemistry between the two is believable and amusing without becoming tired. Leelee Sobieski ('Eyes Wide Shut') has yet to make much of an impact on me, and there's very little to change that here. She is passable but little more than eye candy as Walker's potential love interest. The real star of the movie is the mysterious and frightening trucker Rusty Nail ('The Silence Of The Lambs' Ted Levine). Of course the whole scenario is hugely indebted to Spielberg's suspense classic 'Duel', but Dahl and co. manage to put a fresh and exiting spin on familiar material. 'Roadkill' won't change your life, but it is a genuinely exciting and effective thriller, a real rarity in Hollywood these days. Hitchcock it ain't but it's a very entertaining popcorn movie with plenty of thrills and twists. Recommended.

I thought it a good popcorn thriller. Suspenseful, and lots of action. I'm no film critic or anything, but I was entertained by this and that's all that matters to me. Plus, I'm secretly in love with Leelee. Marry me!

It's got plenty of suspense, and as long as you're not looking for anything too deep, this will satisfy you. I have the idea that the original review posted was by someone who prefers a more chilling horror movie, which I do not. This is pure entertainment with a scary element thrown in.

I highly respect Steve Zahn as an actor, and Paul Walker isn't bad either. The "unknown" rig driver is properly menacing, and I can completely suspend disbelief and place myself in either of these actors' roles (more likely Walker's role as he originally goes with the prank and then thinks otherwise when the prank starts to get into the "iffy" category but his buddy eggs him on).

Like I said, pop yourself some popcorn, don't expect a deep and mind-bending thriller, turn the lights off and cozy up with your guy or girl and enjoy a satisfyingly entertaining movie with a solid storyline that will not give you nightmares.

Cheers :)