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Agent Chance's pipsqueak popgun is a Smith & Wesson Model 61 "Escort", an ill-conceived .22 LR jam-a-matic meant to be carried as, believe it or not, a policeman's backup gun! Even after modifications to the design to correct reliability and accuracy issues, Smith & Wesson wisely discontinued them after just two years' production.

When new, the Model 61 retailed for around $60 but have since become a sought-after collectible...for die-hard S&W collectors and possible wannabe H.A.R.M. agents.

Not one of Smith & Wesson's better products, to be sure, though some of these little guns actually function well. I've never met anyone in law enforcement comfortable with using one as an actual back-up piece; most street cops preferred the Smith & Wesson J-frame revolvers for serious work. Many still do.

Why the makers of the film chose to arm Agent Chance with such an oddball pistol is unknown; perhaps they wanted something distinctive for their "hero" and if that was their goal, they achieved it. Poor Chance would be been better served by the issue of an ice-pick which of course is not only inexpensive, but far more reliable in a close encounter. Or perhaps a sharpened cold chisel as a truly memorable "termination device"...

What is it with SciFi, when they produce films as bad as this? Why not concentrate on creating a decent movie for a change, instead of putting out a string of badly-written, badly-acted, illogical, even stupid, CGI crapfests like this one? The director and writer of this BOMB seemingly have nothing but contempt for the intelligence of the audience; the actions of the characters and their dialogue might be clever and entrancing to 6-year-olds, but for everyone else, AVOID THIS SCREAMING TURKEY, which is almost as bad as that other CGI nightmare "Blue Demon"...a film even Ed Wood would have been ashamed to be affiliated with.

There is no need to go into detail regarding this particular farce; just remember every stupid, low-budget, idiotic, horrible film you've ever seen, and you have a good idea of how bad this thing is; the writer and director and most of the actors should be forced to eat their own intestines while viewing it, particularly the Rambo-type who gets his at the entrance to the mine.

The only reason I could not give a lower rating to this BOMB is because no negative numbers were available.

AVOID THIS FILM UNLESS YOU ARE A HARDENED MASOCHIST!

Much has said about the wonderful, original "Vanishing Point"; I finally got to see the TV remake of the 1970 classic...and it was a shame. The original had Barry Newman, who somehow had the unique talent to come across as a guy who'd 'been there and done that'...and survived it all with wit, humor, and integrity as well as fantastic driving skills.

The bozo in this tepid rehash looks like he'd be out of his weight battling a soggy airmail envelope. Most of the time, while driving, he looks as if he's a 12-year-old punk out joyriding his older brother's car...and about to lose control of it, at that.

Even the little technical details were goofy beyond reason. "Jimmy" Kowalski managed to buy a police radio scanner, and somehow it doesn't need an antenna to receive signals. Better yet, since it's a crystal-controlled radio, 'magic crystals' cut for the correct radio frequencies used by cops in FOUR STATES somehow magically install themselves during the asphalt festivities. Better yet, the radio doesn't even stop scanning when a transmission is received!!!

Kowalski was supposed to be a former Army Ranger, and at one point he's in uniform, in front of a Captain who's dressing him down for his being an 'individual'. He's wearing a pair of army jump-wings, which means he's an Airborne Ranger (I guess), but no Combat Infantry Badge, despite being a decorated combat veteran. Interesting.

In short, the numerous flaws of this movie far outweigh its virtues.

On the other hand, the southwestern U.S. looked as lovely as it does in real life. Some nice footage of the area's scenic beauty was most welcome.

They made the point...several times...during this flick that Kowalski wasn't a hero...just an 'ordinary guy' involved in 'extraordinary events'. Well, the REAL Kowalski (Newman) in the original was an extraordinary guy performing extraordinary feats. The big mistake here was trying to give us too much backstory on the mysterious and intrepid Mr. K, instead of letting us fill in the details ourselves.

If you want to see a true American classic...a unique snapshot of early 1970s America, as it were, stay away from this T.V. travesty and watch the original instead.