TheHitcher2
07-09-2003, 07:47 PM
*This review contains minor spoilers.
Oh, where to begin?
If you're a fan of the original film, you're bound to be disappointed by this straight to video effort.
The plot goes something like this: Jim Halsey is now a police officer who lives with his crop-dusting girlfriend Maggie (Kari Wuhrer) in rural Iowa. After Jim is discharged from the force for getting a little trigger happy, he and Maggie decide to take a trip down to Texas to visit Captain Esteridge (from the first film). Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (played by Jake Busey) and all hell breaks loose.
The first problem with this film is that Rutger Hauer is missing and Jake Busey has been cast to fill his shoes. Where Hauer was menacing, Busey is just plain goofy. Where Hauer was the ultimate threat to Jim in the original, Busey is just there to be his stupid self (what the hell was up with the cook's outfit and the EMERIL reference? I'm serious, EMERIL!). Without the threat of an evil 'hitcher', the film really has nothing to rely on.
Another issue is the complete lack of logic (someone who got shot in the leg CANNOT run around all day). The opening five minutes of the film are so utterly ridiculous that it's hard to believe they were even included...could have done without that and started after the fact.
I liked that the writers made references to the first film, bringing back Capt. Esteridge (now played by Stephen Hair, a different actor). You'll notice a few things scattered throughout that pay some sort of homage to the original. The last thirty-five minutes are basically copied from the first flick as well. You'll see what I'm talking about. There's a bit of role reversal, but seriously...
Overall, this film is really lacking.
Jim Halsey is no longer a likeable character, he now comes off like a broken psychopath and Howell overplays him a bit in my opinion.
Kari Wuhrer, aside from a few instances of bad line delivery (and when she attempts a Midwestern accent...what the fuck?), is pretty good as the female heroine. I'll eat my words because I thought she'd be so hands down awful. While not perfect, she came out as the best of the bunch.
The other characters are totally incidental and the performances are of low to passing quality. Just wait until you hear the "latino" police chief Castillo pronounce his last name (Cast-Illo). Real nice, bud. Get back to your fucking acting coach!
As I said before, Jake Busey really sucks in comparison to Rutger Hauer...but what could I expect?
Louis Morneau does try to capture a bit of the original's feel (the desert is present and he does cool timelapse shots), but it's just not the same. Morneau has a ton of really choppy and cheesy edits ("Bats" all over again), whereas the first film had smooth, roaming shots of the open road and sky.
Despite the film's faults, I will admit that I enjoyed the finale and the closing shots.
I know I shouldn't have expected much, but this film comes really close to tarnishing my memory of the original. I'll be curious to see what you all think, but for now, I'm off to pop the first "Hitcher" in my DVD player to remember how wonderful it really is.
Oh, where to begin?
If you're a fan of the original film, you're bound to be disappointed by this straight to video effort.
The plot goes something like this: Jim Halsey is now a police officer who lives with his crop-dusting girlfriend Maggie (Kari Wuhrer) in rural Iowa. After Jim is discharged from the force for getting a little trigger happy, he and Maggie decide to take a trip down to Texas to visit Captain Esteridge (from the first film). Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (played by Jake Busey) and all hell breaks loose.
The first problem with this film is that Rutger Hauer is missing and Jake Busey has been cast to fill his shoes. Where Hauer was menacing, Busey is just plain goofy. Where Hauer was the ultimate threat to Jim in the original, Busey is just there to be his stupid self (what the hell was up with the cook's outfit and the EMERIL reference? I'm serious, EMERIL!). Without the threat of an evil 'hitcher', the film really has nothing to rely on.
Another issue is the complete lack of logic (someone who got shot in the leg CANNOT run around all day). The opening five minutes of the film are so utterly ridiculous that it's hard to believe they were even included...could have done without that and started after the fact.
I liked that the writers made references to the first film, bringing back Capt. Esteridge (now played by Stephen Hair, a different actor). You'll notice a few things scattered throughout that pay some sort of homage to the original. The last thirty-five minutes are basically copied from the first flick as well. You'll see what I'm talking about. There's a bit of role reversal, but seriously...
Overall, this film is really lacking.
Jim Halsey is no longer a likeable character, he now comes off like a broken psychopath and Howell overplays him a bit in my opinion.
Kari Wuhrer, aside from a few instances of bad line delivery (and when she attempts a Midwestern accent...what the fuck?), is pretty good as the female heroine. I'll eat my words because I thought she'd be so hands down awful. While not perfect, she came out as the best of the bunch.
The other characters are totally incidental and the performances are of low to passing quality. Just wait until you hear the "latino" police chief Castillo pronounce his last name (Cast-Illo). Real nice, bud. Get back to your fucking acting coach!
As I said before, Jake Busey really sucks in comparison to Rutger Hauer...but what could I expect?
Louis Morneau does try to capture a bit of the original's feel (the desert is present and he does cool timelapse shots), but it's just not the same. Morneau has a ton of really choppy and cheesy edits ("Bats" all over again), whereas the first film had smooth, roaming shots of the open road and sky.
Despite the film's faults, I will admit that I enjoyed the finale and the closing shots.
I know I shouldn't have expected much, but this film comes really close to tarnishing my memory of the original. I'll be curious to see what you all think, but for now, I'm off to pop the first "Hitcher" in my DVD player to remember how wonderful it really is.