'The Car: Road to Revenge' is a very different kind of revenge movie, as well as a ghost story. Some might compare it to 'Christine', but it is indeed very different. It is, in fact, a spinoff sequel to 1977's 'The Car'.
The film is set in the not too distant future. James is a wealthy, egotistical District Attorney who reinstated the death penalty. While the police methods might seem unorthodox, one has to keep in mind this is set in the future, and who is to know what laws may be implemented in the future to combat crime? Just keep an open mind and it might be acceptable.
I found Grant Bowler likable as the film's hero, detective Rainer. Kathleen Munroe starred as Daria - a very strong character, but I would have liked to know a bit more about her and her background. The love interest between them was cliched, but I somehow wanted - and expected - it from the characters. Unfortunately there is no real payoff apart from being just another cliche.
There are some interesting characters here - from a guy dressed like a character from centuries past, to cyborgs, and futuristic looking characters, to ordinary characters. The gang of bad guys are supposedly aliens, but they are underdeveloped characters and their intentions are not very clear. Were they mortals, it would have made no difference whatsoever. Speaking of intentions, I also didn't really understand James' intentions. He clearly wanted to take revenge on the gang, but he also killed some innocent bystanders in the process, and was obviously insanely jealous of Daria. Was it all about revenge of just a killing spree?
The film features some good visuals, and surprised me with excellent photography, and good action sequences. It got better and better as the film progressed. (This would have been awesome with a big budget.) Be warned, some scenes are brutal and gory. A lot of scenes would have benefited significantly had they been slightly longer. A number of scenes felt like they ended too abruptly.
In general, I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Car: Road to Revenge'. The sound was good, the score was good, the photography was good, and there were lots of action. Don't take it too seriously, don't over-analyze it, and you will have a good time with it. I did.
Would I watch it again? Yes.
