Rodas da Morte

That pretty much sums up the film. There's a car without a driver, the aformentioned hotshot, and a "suped-up" yellow schoolbus. The whole 1st half of the movie is set-up for the second half, which is a ridiculous chase between the "driverless car" and our heroine.

One of the few movies I saw twice because I couldn't believe how boneheaded it was the first time! One of the things that bug about movies like this is the need to be "ambiguous" without revealing too much about the nature of the threat/killer/monster...all the director managed to do was annoy me with ,"So, what the hell was it?" and not even let know just what the hell "it" was! Unless the car really was possessed. Joanna Cassidy was served better in films like "Roger Rabbit" and "The Package", and was totally wasted here. Take a hint: don't even bother watching this snoozer.

I saw this movie at 2 AM late one night in 1997. At first I only kept watching because there was nothing else on, and it looked a little slow for my tastes. As the movie went on, I was drawn into the drama of the girls being kidnapped... but the moment that Laura pulled up to her house, saw the infamous black car moving toward her daughter, and I suddenly remembered the mechanic at the beginning of the movie mentioning that all he had to repair the bus with was a racing engine and transmission, I was glued to my seat. The pacing of the movie was perfect, even when introduced to that sudden twist and chase scene. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes either social dramas or car chases.

Pretty dull thriller. The director chooses an "arty" approach with lots of slow-motion sequences, "poetic" music and minimal dialogue, and it doesn't work. The characters have no personality, the script is virtually non-existent and the suspense is deflated by the fact that the "evil" car's driver (or the evil car itself) has plenty of opportunities to get away from the heroine who chases him, but keeps returning to do battle with her as if he has some scores to settle (we never find out what they might be). While you're watching this movie, don't be surprised if your mind starts going elsewhere, like into thinking what's for dinner or the next day's chores. (*1/2)

A person in a beaten up dirty old Chrysler kidnaps little girls and kills them. When a school bus driver's only daughter is kidnaped right in front of her, she begins a desperate chase to get her daughter back alive. The special effects leave something to be desired, but the the car is a rather scary effect. Entertaining and exciting, but unremarkable made for TV (USA) movie.

Rated R; Violence and Adult Themes.