The Griffin family is traveling through Vermont in a 22-year-old RV. Meanwhile, ex-con Rudy Wicker and his partner have arranged for a plane to meet them at a remote quarry near where the Griffins will be going.
Wicker and his partner make a stop in a small town first. The bank will be easy to rob. All Wicker has to do is put on a mask and no one will be able to identify him. But two people die as a result, including the wife of Sheriff Bingham Hunt who was in the wrong place at the wrong time--and it was partly her husband's fault as he shot Wicker's partner who was driving the getaway car.
Sheriff Hunt is out for revenge, and he is impatient and reckless in his judgment. Later on this includes chasing a suspect who is wearing a cop's badge and jacket, because another cop was killed and his car and jacket stolen, apparently by Wicker. And since no one knows what Wicker looks like, this is dangerous for the poor innocent man, especially since Hunt believes it's his job to make sure the robber gets what he deserves.
The Griffins keep running into problems with their RV. On one occasion, as dad Jed fixes the problem with duct tape, determined to do things himself and not ask for help, Wicker shows up in that cop's car and wearing his jacket. But he doesn't try to deceive the family. He just pulls out the gun and says they are going to get him through the checkpoints. He can easily hide in that RV, and they will do what he says or else.
So will Wicker get away with it? Will the Griffins all survive?
While this movie has its problems, it is definitely entertaining at times. Jeff Wincott is very good at being a bad guy. Wicker even has a sick sense of humor which doesn't necessarily make him likable, but he is entertaining. Just remember he thinks nothing of killing people, and at least four people die violently by his actions, most of them innocent. I question the people who decided the V-chip rating needed no V, but when the font used for this movie is there, the content is worse than suggested. When that font includes a V, you know it's bad, and this movie isn't really all that violent.
Michael Madsen's Jed seems kind of wimpy at first, but after Wicker takes his family hostage, he is tough, macho and determined. Victoria Snow is attractive plays a strong woman who seems vulnerable at times but can ultimately handle anything. The two children do a good enough job as well.
Una Kay (I think this is the right woman) stands out as a character who has an unfortunate encounter with one of the suspects. Also Brian Wright, who plays a "gas jockey". He's funny.
Some of the writing is inconsistent, and some situations are "only in the movies". And while Michelle Scarabelli is pretty enough and sometimes seems competent as a cop, she's one of the weak links, though the writing may be the problem. She can't make up her mind whether to call the sheriff by his first or last name, and until I saw the man's full name I was confused. Of course, one scene where she messed up would have ended the suspense and possibly caused harm to the Griffins. Only in the movies.
And I suppose this couldn't be helped if different angles have to be filmed at different times, but whether there was still snow on the ground depended on the angle.
The final scenes include an exciting fall off a cliff by a vehicle. Not quite "Breakdown" but enjoyable enough for me.
It's worth watching.
