Rating: Summary: A Joy Ride indeed Review: Paul Walker (The Fast & the Furious) and Stephen Zahn (Happy Texas) star as 2 brothers on a road trip to pick up a friend (Leelee Sobieski), prank a truck driver with their cb radio and soon regret it. Because now he just won't leave them alone. The result is an often very scary thriller that holds your attention from start to finish. There's some minor flaws but none are bad enough to ruin the movie. For instance it's a little silly that he always knows where they are and even knows their names and you're suppose to believe that it's because of the CB radio. The film packs enough of a punch that you don't care though. I read some reviews here and I saw a few complaints about the ending but I must say I really liked it. Well anyway if you don't like that one there's 4 alternate ones on the dvd and I must say that all of them work. Rusty Nail's (the truck driver) fate is a little different in each one. So that's pretty cool.
Rating: Summary: Dang! That was SCARY!! Review: I loved this movie, it unexpectedly scared me half to death. Great, unrelenting suspense! Enjoy!
Rating: Summary: Not your average 'scary movie'... Review: When I first heard about 'Joy Ride' I thought it was going to be your basic teenage 'slice & dice' film. I saw the trailer while in the theater and was instantly impressed! I saw it in October, the first weekend it was released. It was non-stop excitement, fun, suspense, terror, and laughter. It's rare that a film can combine laugh-out-loud comedy with sudden terror that makes your [rear] come off the theater seat at least 5 inches! It was amazingly acted and directed, and I thought the cinematography was truly top notch. Steve Zahn absolutely outdoes himself in this film, as does Paul Walker, but Zahn is a standout. Sobieski doesn't stand out in this film as much as I thought she would, but she's enjoyable as always nonetheless. I rarely purchase DVD's anymore, but I wanted to buy this movie the minute I walked out the theater doors and have been waiting impatiently since October! Regarding it's similarity to 'Duel', I think that's a matter of interpretation. In Spielberg's film Dennis Weaver had no idea why he was being pursued...in 'Joy Ride' our heroes cause their own problems! This film stands on it's own!
Rating: Summary: Entertaining, with a good mix of humor and suspense. Review: What I especially liked about this movie was the lack of gore (there was just a bit toward the end) and keeping the antagonist mysterious. You never get to see what he looks like. Was the movie original? No. It is a crazed trucker who chases down a couple of guys who played a prank on him. Was it entertaining? Yes! It had a good mix of suspense and humor. I saw 'Duel' a long time ago when I was young and I barely remember it, so this didn't spoil the movie for me by comparison. This movie may have struck home with me a little more, because I was chased down by a crazed trucker a few years ago, so I know they're out there. But overall it was very entertaining, psychological thriller. Well worth the money.
Rating: Summary: Road Rage Review: Steve Zahn and Paul Walker are brothers, who go on a road trip, to pick up Leelee Sobieski from college. As they travel to their destination, the two men decide to play a practical joke on a trucker, using a CB radio. The joke backfires on them. All three are stalked by the crazed trucker as a result. I am a big fan John Dahl's 1996 thriller THE LAST SEDUCTION, given that fact, my initial expectations were high. The end result is a hybrid of the films DUEL and THE HITCHER. The script, co-written by the man behind TV's Alias, has some jolts to it. However, as I was watching this, I couldn't help but think of those other two films. As a DVD, JOY RIDE is still solid though, (that's why I rated this product with 4 stars). The extras are above average. The commentaries are fun, espeacially with Zahn, who is always good for a laugh or two. There are four alternate endings (with that many endings--it makes you wonder about the finished product). All I will say about those is that there is one that I thought would have been better. I will let viewers decide which one they like. The voice auditions for the "stalker" were cool. Rounding out the disc are the usual trailer and "making of" stuff. In the end, if you can watch the movie without thinking about its similarities to other flicks of this kind, you should like what you see. The extras make this DVD a keeper
Rating: Summary: Edge of Your Seat! Review: Good suspense/thriller movie (not teen slasher). Leelee is not on my list of better actresses, but the guys pull it off anyways. Of all 4 alternate endings, I liked the original one the best. Hey, a rental is less than [money]; you can't go wrong.
Rating: Summary: 3 Commentaries?? Review: After hearing about how great it was, I finally watched the DVD. Rusty Nail? Candy Cane? C'mon! This film is not a "Modern Duel", not even close! This movie is not Campy, Horror, or Funny. Seriously, what did those 2 Fools think would happen by playing a joke on an obviously strange Trucker? Did you think that guy sounded anything like a girl? Why install a CB? Would you buy a car just to pick a girl you already know well? A nude scene of the 2 guys?(Sorry fellas, Leelee remains fully clothed)And these people are supposed to be in college? All Unexplained. If you liked the film, the DVD is great looking & nice sounding, with alternative endings, and 3 yep, count'em 3 commentaries. Which I think is a shame, as much better Films have 1 or none..
Rating: Summary: Terrific suspense (DVD REVIEW) Review: "Joy Ride" got many rave reviews when it was playing in theaters, and now I see why. The suspense is unrelenting. I liked the unusual villain, voiced by Ted Levine (unforgettable from Silence of the Lambs). It seemed like he had an almost supernatural hold on the trio of main characters, and his moves were certainly unpredictable. The cat-&-mouse game between the Nail's big rig and the brothers' vintage automobile reminded me of another similarly suspenseful movie called "Duel," the debut three decades ago from a director named Stephen Spielberg. That movie also featured an automobile driver being hunted by a never-seen truck driver. The DVD of "Joy Ride" has a bunch of interesting extra features. One of the alternate endings starts about half-way through the film and was about half an hour long! (And it unfolds in a very different way from the theatrical version.) And the feature that allows a side-by-side comparison of three different voices for the killer (incl. Eric Roberts) was fun.
Rating: Summary: A decent little road thriller that is flawed but fun Review: Joyride is about a young collegiate who suddenly one day finds that his long-distance female friend-hopefully with benefits-has broken up with her current boyfriend because he was getting too "serious" (I like hearing that word out of college students' mouths, I really do). Well, faster than you can say GONE IN 60 SECONDS, our lead male played by Paul (my 'car' movie was way better dude and yes the first 15 mins of it was about a tuna sandwich!) Walker, is embarking on a cross-country journey to pick up his wannabe squeeze Vena, played by Lelee Sobieski. Along the way, our hero picks up his useless brother, who has once again been arrested for an alcohol-related incident. Since they haven't seen each other in some 5 years, you would figure they would do some catching up...but instead decide to alter their fates forever by playing a not-so-original joke on a CB radio. They start a conversation with this man (with the voice of Ted Levine, unbilled; yes that voice u hear is familiar, he played Buffalo Bill in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) who goes by the handle "Rusty Nail". Paul pretends to be a female and starts a flirtation with this Rusty Nail of whom they know NOTHING about, and eventually takes the joke to the extreme of inviting the lonely trucker to meet him/'her' to a hotel in room 17 (while the two brothers stand idly by in room 18 and get to be 'in' on the joke). Well, the movie starts to go in various predictable directions as our two brothers are menaced by the now very peeved and relentless Rusty Nail; giving them a "break" per se, and then eventually menacing all three of our headlining stars in a sometimes frightening and claustrophobic (but predictable) manner. Ok, so what are we dealing with here you ask? Well, I could steer you picky viewers away by telling you that JOYRIDE is anything but, and is merely a rehash of Steven Spielberg's ultimate classic DUEL with a hint of Scream-like humor and pace; with a consummate air of predictability that is consistent throughout. But, taking the film at face value, the film is fun and has some very tense moments. It definitely isn't as funny as it thinks it is, but has a few laughs courtesy of the always-humorous Steven Zahn. JOYRIDE is one of those time-wasters, a movie that wasn't intended to be dissected under a microscope and picked apart like I did in the in the first few sentences of this paragraph (hey I have to appeal to the masses here). It was made to entertain, and does on a few different levels. It succeeds as a good thriller with decent acting (though as good-looking as Paul Walker is, he would DEFINITELY benefit from some acting classes-lets just hope he doesn't go the Keanu route and wing it throughout the rest of his career), a genuine sense of paranoia that lingers whenever we aren't aware of the villains whereabouts, and some well-placed scares throughout. It won't become a classic, but if you are in the mood for a little formulaic thriller with bite, then this just might be the thriller for you.
Rating: Summary: movie is cool, but the DVD is excellent Review: i got this disc, turned out the lights, bumped up the volume on the stereo, and let her rip. i was not disappointed! JOYRIDE is definitely one of the best "road" thrillers i've seen since BREAKDOWN with kurt russell a few years back. it's intense, and really does keep you floored. i totally enjoyed the movie, but the DVD is what really sold me. it has a lot of extra features, putting most current DVD releases to shame and making JOYRIDE a must for collectors (we must remember, the DVD format was intended for real movie fans). the "4 alternate endings" pushed by the ad campaign & box art are pretty cool. the main one is 30 minutes long, and is totally different from what happened in the theatrical version. the 2 others are only slightly different (and shorter), and the last one is only in storyboard form. you also get 3 commentary tracks, which also run thru all the alternate stuff & the one deleted scene. also of note: sometimes, deleted/alternate material is of very reduced and questionable quality. JOYRIDE's extra stuff isn't quite on level with the actual film's presentation, but is a lot better than a lot of others i've seen. the footage is complete w/ sound and fx, and the picture quality is just slightly grainy. also, there are a couple really cool interactive features that are pretty unique. one allows you to view a scene and flip the audio button to hear 3 different actors' versions of the voice of the killer on the CB radio. another allows you to gain access to alternate footage while viewing the actual film. very cool, definitely worth your time and $$.
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