Duelo No Asfalto

Hey--easy on the low-budge action movies. I saw this movie when I first got drunk--fun and fun to make fun of. It's a cheese-meister, but so much laughable dialogue, direction anyway.

Distraught after the hooligans who killed his mother and sisters avoid conviction thanks to a heartless judge, a young rig driver designs a monster truck to enact revenge in this action film from Canada. The film gets off to a slow start with nearly half the duration elapsing before the trucker designs the machine, but the tension never ceases once it goes into action. The vehicle is a remarkable feat of imagination with flame throwers and a giant drill, plus the wheels of a tractor, and it is startling to watch it crush other cars (like a tank), break through walls and run people over. If all this sounds over-the-top, it is because it is, but no matter, such exaggerations fit in well with the film thematically, which is about a young man reacting in the most extreme way he knows to an adverse situation. Quality supporting turns (from Ned Beatty as the hooligans' father and Lawrence Dane as the protagonist's father) help matters too, and the film has a few acute things to say about the risks of working for scumbags - something that his father tells him is necessary, but something that also leads to the demise of half his family. The film may have worked better with the hooligans being fleshed out in further depth (they are pretty much interchangeable) but no doubt half of the film's audience will come from those in it for the truck, which is indeed great even if it only appears somewhat late.

"Death Wish" like revenge flick with a "monster truck" as the weapon. After most of his family is killed by Ned Beatty and his "knuckle dragging" offspring, the surviving Father and Son seek revenge on Beatty and all out war ensues. The battle is not without casualties on both sides. The Father winds up on his death bed in the local hospital, and our hero's girlfriend is gang raped. Out comes the weapon of choice "monster truck", which flattens Beatty's car lot inventory in short order, and then proceeds to crush four brothers who obviously could barely write their name in the sand with a stick. The final confrontation destroys Beatty's bar and miraculously gives our hero a scapegoat, and a"Death Wish" type ending. - MERK

Under the right circumstances it seems anything can be twisted into an exploitation flick, even trucking. Save for that it's less of a major production, and distinctly more coarse and seedy in its violence and writing, this feels like something Patrick Swayze might have made in his prime (think 'Road house' or 'Black dog'). There are no major surprises here: the protagonist and his allies are very sympathetic, while the antagonists are absolutely despicable and we're glad to see them get their just desserts. From start to finish the drama is extra heavy and drawn out for emphasis, and the action sequences may be extra nasty. We get second-tier rock songs in the soundtrack, gratuitous nudity in the camera's eye, and a love scene, because of course. The somewhat cloudy production values and sound design certainly reflect that this is an 80s flick, as do the special effects - above all the specialized vehicle at the core of the film. 'Rolling vengeance' is pretty much exactly what one expects based on the premise, and all that's left is for the viewer to decide whether or not that's something that meets their tastes in cinema.

No, this isn't necessarily anything special. It fits neatly into the same mold of revenge movies and exploitation flicks as countless others; filmmaker Steven Hilliard Stern and screenwriter Michael Thomas Montgomery have nailed the formula to a perfect T. If not for the protagonist's personalized ride, this could be mistaken for any of its kin. Yet for all that, it's also pretty solidly made across the board. Dialogue, scene writing, characters, and the narrative are all written fairly well, with story beats more measured out than I assumed; I disagree with some specific choices that were made, but shots and scenes are orchestrated well. Laszlo George's cinematography, Ron Wisman's editing, and Phil Marshall's original music are all swell as far as I'm concerned. The acting is nothing remarkable, but the cast all fill their roles well, and I've no notes from one player to the next. And the crew turned in fine work all around, including the production design that dresses up splendid filming locations. Perhaps most importantly for a title such as 'Rolling vengeance,' all the stunts, effects, and action sequences are superbly executed, arguably fostering more earnest excitement than one might suppose. The very design of the vehicular centerpiece is rather clever, for that matter - and hey, credit where it's due, in some small part the climax takes a turn I didn't anticipate, and it's executed well.

There's a certain lack of nuance in the writing and direction, to the point that some instances seem especially over the top or out of place. That includes little character moments, particular scenes, or the acting at large at some points, made more glaring one way or another for the fact of the tried and true narrative mold that the feature fits into. But then again, this is a movie about a monster truck vigilante, so dissecting such minutiae is probably well beside the point. All I can say is that it's suitably well made in all regards, and firmly entertaining, even if it's nothing for which to shout praises from rooftops. Among its kin this is possibly even a tad more mindful; take that as you will. There's probably no huge reason to go out of your way for this, but if you do have the chance to watch 'Rolling vengeance' and appreciate the type of fare it represents, it's a decent way to spend ninety minutes.

Joey Rosso (Don Michael Paul) is a young independent trucker who works with his dad Big Joe (Lawrence Dane) hauling stuff for anybody and everybody. That includes even the wretched Doyle clan, because hey, work is work. But the Doyles feel compelled to show the world what sons of bitches they are. They cause an accident that claims three members of the Doyle family. Then Big Joe is badly injured in a traffic accident that they instigated. All of this, and the law seemingly cannot touch the Doyles. Well, Joey's not going to stand for this. He takes the super-duper monster truck on which he's been working, and metes out some brutal vehicular revenge.

Written by Michael Thomas Montgomery, this routine but enjoyable vengeance saga fulfills its requirements more than adequately. It establishes the Doyles as so completely vile that you are just ACHING to see them get what they deserve. Presiding over these stereotypical redneck cretins is patriarch Tiny Doyle (Ned Beatty), giving us two father figures of differing stripes in the story. Just about everything in Montgomery's script plays out as you would expect it to, if you've ever seen other movies like this. It doesn't just push buttons, but takes a sledgehammer to them.

Of course, the real "star" is the title monster truck, designed and operated by Michael Welch. When it first makes an appearance, it's a cheer-worthy moment. And the relentless onslaught of vehicular carnage is fun, although there's no gore to speak of, and thereby offend some potential viewers.

Paul, who went on to an interesting career as screenwriter ("Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man") and director ("Half Past Dead", "Tremors 5"), is a perfectly serviceable protagonist. You definitely sympathize with this guy. Dane has a warm and wonderful presence, and Beatty (other than Paul, the only token American in the cast) is pretty good. Lisa Howard is appealing as Joey's sweet girlfriend; look for familiar Canadian actors such as Susan Hogan ("The Brood"), Michael J. Reynolds ("Visiting Hours"), and Leslie Carlson ("Videodrome") in supporting roles and bits.

All in all, this is pretty damn good for this kind of action fare. Ideal viewing if you love trucks and just want to put your brain in neutral for just over 92 minutes.

Seven out of 10.