Sulla strada, a mezzanotte

This film has one warning, and one warning only: Do not under any circumstances ever pick up any hitchhikers!! "Midnight Ride"

is a cool action/suspence movie since "Frantic", even though it's practically a forgotten film. Michael Dudikoff is Lawson, a cop who is trying to rescue his estranged wife Lara (Savina Gersak) from a psycho named Justin, played brilliantly by Mark Hamill. Lawson tracks down Justin, who beats up the cop constantly, until the final showdown in a hospital. Hamill is awesome in this film, which is really a change of pace for the former Luke Skywalker. The only problem with this movie is Dudikoff, who has a cardboard-stiff performance that makes you root for the bad guy!

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.

Actor Mark Hamill as a sickly disturbed psychotic killer on the road. No way! The boyishly sweet looking Hamill is obviously trying to break away from that typecast his been associated with and this cheap b-grade Cannon action flick gave him an opportunity to do that. Well he lets it all out in an unconvincingly hammy and spaced-out portrayal with such non-apologetic aplomb. It's quite a sight…. A frightening one too, but not in that threatening way. But there's something random about it that just compels. Starring opposite of him is a surprisingly sound and rugged Michael Dudikoff and coming between the two is a feisty Savina Gersak. Making a brief and all-too tired turn is Robert Mitchum. Who looks like he'd rather be somewhere else and its understandable. I can't deny that I didn't enjoy it, as for an active nocturnal road chase movie with cat and mouse elements it was thrillingly executed. Never did it lose any of that gritty energy and hysterical nastiness from Bob Bralver's assertive direction. Sure it can be laughable, and contrived with its weak psychological front. But it's all about leaving a constant pile of destruction and a workable death toll. Still there's a real creepiness in certain sequences and atmospheric lighting, but it's mostly broken up by some ridiculously over-the-top set-pieces. That also goes for the out-of-nowhere shock ending. The material has actually dreamt up something that's original and could've been tightly menacing (as it has a wife fleeing her committed police husband, while unknowingly offering a ride to a unstable psycho), but how they go about it loses the possibility of gelling the two threats and dissolves into something quite standard with the opening half of the story's motive coming off dispensable. Fair b-grade action romp.

"Midnight Ride" is a film about a psychopath who is picked up while hitchhiking. This alone is very hard to believe. Why would a woman who is running away from her bully husband stop to pick up a strange man? And, when she has the chance to escape once she realizes he's dangerous, why wouldn't she run? And, when she does run, why doesn't she get the police? Yes, I know the husband is also a cop...but at least stop at a fire station, town hall, shopping mall, or McDonald's to get help???? And, why would the husband who is out looking for her bother to stop and then pick up the guy? Sure, he's a cop and the guy in the middle of the road looks like he's in trouble, but the cop is off duty and looking for his runaway wife! And, when two cars collide, why would they explode like the cars are filled with 20 tons of TNT (in real life, cars very rarely explode)? The bottom line is that there is enough plot here to make a 30 minute TV episode...but stretching it out to feature film length just exposes the many, many, many plot problems.

Now I am NOT saying the film is 100% bad. Mark Hamill plays a ridiculous villain....but he plays him well and with glee...almost like when he's voicing the Joker in Batman cartoons! Hamill fans might really enjoy seeing this...and I thought his acting was fun. But the movie, otherwise, makes little sense. My only reason to see it was to see Robert Mitchum in a supporting role but sadly it sure takes a while to see him in the movie. Overall, a really dumb film that manages to entertain even if the writing simply makes little sense.