Wrong Turn at Tahoe

This is one of those films that flew under the radar... WAY better than I thought it was gonna be .This movie was done well compared to others of similar 'direct-to-video' design. The introduction start dramatic and sets the stage for a action packed gangster flick. The editing was done well with seamless transitions from scene to scene. The story line played out on screen with very few bumps in the road. The cast and crew were impressive especially considering the low budget used to bring this vision to the video store light of day. Honestly, there are times you forget that this is a low budget B flick with consistently great acting by Cuba Gooding Jr

"Vincent" (Miguel Ferrer) is a relatively minor crime boss who is fortunate to have a man like "Joshua" (Cuba Gooding Jr.) looking out for his interests. So, when Joshua learns that a drug dealer has plans to kill Vincent, he relays this information to his boss, and they set out to take care of the problem once and for all. Unfortunately, what they don't know is that the drug dealer just happens to work for "Nino" (Harvey Keitel) who is the biggest crime lord on the East Coast, and he doesn't appreciate having one of his men knocked off. It's at this point, however, that "business" becomes quite personal, and matters get out-of-control very quickly. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this film encapsulated a good story with some excellent performances without expending an unnecessary amount of time in the process. I especially liked the performance of Cuba Gooding Jr., who seemed perfectly cast for this particular role. At any rate, I enjoyed this movie and all things considered I rate it as above average.

If you have kept an eye on Cuba Gooding Jr.'s career over the past few years, you probably know he's been churning out awful direct-to-DVD movies after being branded box office poison. Having seen several of these movies, I initially had no plans to see "Wrong Turn At Tahoe". I only decided to give it a whirl after reading a positive review of it at another web site.

I was surprised by what I watched - this is a pretty decent drama. First, the production values are very strong for what was reportedly just an $8 million budget. It looks slick, while at the same time having a moody look that's appropriate for the nastiness that happens. As for Gooding, he is for once believable in his role, successfully showing a hard edge for his character. However, it is Miguel Ferrer who steals the show as Gooding's boss - he really commands the screen when the center of attention is on him.

The dialogue is good, colorful yet not in a show-off manner. The characters are believable in their actions. And the movie travels at a relaxed pace (though not TOO relaxed). Some younger viewers might find it too slow, but I thought the movie kept interest despite its slow pace.

The movie is not perfect. The decision to show part of the end at the beginning somewhat spoils things. The hand-to-hand combat at the climax seems out of an action movie, not a serious drama. And the "twist" at the last minute is somewhat silly; I could not believe the revelation would have stayed hidden for so long. There are a couple of other flaws I could mention, but overall this is an engaging movie that could have played in theaters.

I'm not a big fan of Cuba's but he was believable in his role. Miguel Ferrer certainly commanded attention and, in my opinion, was a better overall performance, but Cuba pulled off his character well -a loyal, hardened, right-hand man to Miguel "Vincent".

While it is more of a typical gangster style flick, it does offer something a little different; which is what I think makes this movie work.

I would recommend this movie on a rainy day or if someone asked about it, but I wouldn't call someone to tell them to go pick it up... Possibly good enough for the big screen, but certainly not a let down for DVD.

WRONG TURN AT TAHOE is a straightforward low budget crime thriller boasting a decent cast, lots of action and incident, and a familiar but well-worked storyline. It's about a small time crook who accidentally bumps off the wrong person and subsequently finds himself the subject of a vendetta by a big shot crime boss.

Such story lines are ten a penny, but WRONG TURN AT TAHOE does well with the material by focusing on the nuts and bolts action of the piece. There's a whole host of well-shot violence here, and a short running time that means the film never outstays its welcome. Plus, the casting of the underrated Miguel Ferrer (ROBOCOP) in a lead role is an inspired one, as this actor gets far too little screen time given his undeniable talent. Okay, Cuba Gooding Jr. is acceptable at best, but Harvey Keitel has fun with a small but grandstanding role.