Perseguição: A Estrada da Morte

Who does not think of this movie every time they pass a roadhog on the highway? How could you possibly not think of this? Like the woman from T2 who asks them if they want fries with their burgers. The tail light scene is priceless. Great chases, great suspense, only until the chick shows up does it start to lull and get boring but Rusty Nail is never far behind with his pink champagne. And of course, Ted Levine as the trucker's voice is unique as we all know. Dad used to watch it when he was alive. He loved it. Sad about Paul Walker. But yeah, nothing to really say except its a good movie and you think of it without fail every time you pass or a roadhog passes you.

I went to "Joy Ride" with high expectations -- having enjoyed the work of Steve Zahn and John Dahl immensely in the past. But what I got was a poorly done by-the-numbers thriller with several numbers missing. "Joy Ride" is typical of movies these days that present a few good set-piece scenes but don't make them come together into a satisfying whole.

The problem here is almost exclusively in the script. The villain is a chillingly evil, faceless trucker who is apparently omniscient. He knows everything about his victims -- who they are, where they are at all times, even where their friends are. But how? This omniscience is never even remotely explained and makes no sense. Without even this semblance of logic, the events in the film have little context and carry little punch. If the kids in the film were dealing with a maniac who, bad as he is, has to play by the same rules of reality as everyone else, and thus can be outsmarted, the film would have some point. As it is, it's just a series of scares that quickly becomes ho-hum.

What a disappointing misuse of a great cast and a talented director. Who green lights things like this? I guess audiences are still going to see it, but they deserve much more.

In "Joy Ride", two brothers (Zhan & Walker) get involved with a big rig driver over the CB radio while on the open road. They set him up as a practical joke and unleash all hell on themselves as the unseen subject of their prank, known only as "Rusty Nail", turns out to be a maniacal killer. "Joy Ride" is a well crafted thriller which methodically builds suspense while avoiding the usual gore and guts of horror flicks. With only a few plot holes, this thriller should keep most on the edge of their seats. Worth a look especially for those who enjoyed "Duel" (circa 1971) which is now circulating on cable.

This turned out to be one the few movies I liked that was geared toward a teen audience. Steve Zahn and Paul Walker weren't natural in the roles as brothers, which embodied the very nature of their relationship. While the story became rather convoluted near the end, Rusty Nail's voice and detached presence brought some actual fear to the heart of the viewer. While the sound editing made this film, the relatively simple yet complex plot really turned this film into a satisfying movie experience.

It would be very easy to overlook 'Roadkill' (the title 'Joy Ride' is known by here in Australia), especially considering the leads are mainly known for asinine teen movies. But dig a little deeper and you will see that it is directed by the underrated John Dahl, also responsible for the crackerjack thriller 'Red Rock West' a decade ago. Paul Walker ('The Skulls') is very effective as your average joe college kid, and Steve Zahn ('Out Of Sight') is even better as his smart ass older brother. Zahn is a talented comic often better than the movies he appears in, and he is in fine form here. The chemistry between the two is believable and amusing without becoming tired. Leelee Sobieski ('Eyes Wide Shut') has yet to make much of an impact on me, and there's very little to change that here. She is passable but little more than eye candy as Walker's potential love interest. The real star of the movie is the mysterious and frightening trucker Rusty Nail ('The Silence Of The Lambs' Ted Levine). Of course the whole scenario is hugely indebted to Spielberg's suspense classic 'Duel', but Dahl and co. manage to put a fresh and exiting spin on familiar material. 'Roadkill' won't change your life, but it is a genuinely exciting and effective thriller, a real rarity in Hollywood these days. Hitchcock it ain't but it's a very entertaining popcorn movie with plenty of thrills and twists. Recommended.