Vanishing Point
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Movie Reviews of Vanishing Point
Movie Review: Gorgeous Scenery - Missing Depth
Summary: 4 Stars
Back in 1970 - the days of Easy Rider and take-on-the-Man movies, Vanishing Point was a cult classic car chase story. Jimmy Kowalsky is a Vietnam Vet who has seen rough times, and who takes a wild bet to get a Dodge Challenger from point A to B in X hours. It turns into a madhouse chase with cops, hippies, motorcycles and drugs.
Fast forward to 1997 - when computers, cell phones and satellite tracking rule our world. Now it's not so much about The Man as it is simply being free. Now getting Kicks on 66 isn't a compelling enough storyline either - Viggo Mortensen's character has a loving, Catholic wife who has redeemed him. She's sick with Lupus and has gone into premature labor with their first child - and it is his race to be at her side so she doesn't lose the baby that puts him into this incredible cross-country speed chase.
The cops are still portrayed in their stereotypical 70s incredibly-insane-and-bad way, though. There are cops that bad-talk him just for the hell of it, cops that fire shots at him and play head-on chicken. There are FBI guys who invent lies about his right-wing racist past in order to get action taken. Pretty much every single cop is shown as completely without morals. On the other hand, every person Kowalsky meets up with on his quest is a fringe of society type, rejected by the government but a firm friend of other rebels.
I definitely love car chase movies, and I love the cult classic references - even having Kowalsky *still* driving a classic Dodge Challenger. I enjoyed the American Indian scene and the gorgeous scenery that you see scroll by you. It really makes you want to get a car and go out to drive around the western US for a few months. I like the flashbacks showing how Jimmy's life has progressed, and the poignancy of symbolism culminating in his Easter Sunday standoff.
Still, the black and white nature of the characters really bothered me. I realize that car chase movies aren't going to be full of Godfather style drama - but having every single cop be a brain-dead jerk really got to be wearing. Viggo's character is a ranger and a man who lives on his own power - but you don't get that sense of strength in him when you watch the movie. I can name several other movies that Viggo's been in where that inner strength really shines through. I realize he tends to play characters in a "mellow" way - but this time the mellowness was just a little too much.
A fun chase movie, but I would have liked it with more texture - with more good-and-bad surrounding the main character, and with more depth allowed to be expressed in Jimmy himself.
Movie Review: VP II
Summary: 4 Stars
Remaking a film that was a cult classic from the 1970's is not an easy thing to do, and there are a million ways one could screw it up. For all the things that could have gone wrong or angered fans of the original film, this one did okay.
Viggo Mortensen is Kowalski this time around, but this time he has more back-story and a wife waiting at home for him. The whole plot gets tweaked a bit from the original since it changes the whole purpose of why he is trying to get cross-country in a specific amount of time. Using a 1970 Dodge Challenger, Kowalski in the 1997 remake of a 1971 classic becomes much more of a cult hero with a heart rather than a cool guy who likes to drive fast. Doesn't hurt it much, and Jason Priestley is the anti-government DJ who helps stir the fire when Kowalski starts to garner major attention to himself. This film seems to be almost a vehicle of pop culture for the mid-nineties, with two of its major stars being popular from the series "90210" and many references done that spin the anti-government machine that was churning at the time, with many mentionings of Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Oklahoma City.
While the original film had its own raw mystique, this one doesn't do to bad despite giving more depth to the main character, which of course leads to more possibilities and unanswered questions. Fasten a seatbelt if you have one, and watch how a man behind the wheel of a muscle car can become a folk hero, even if he never meant to!
Movie Review: Good remake of a classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Good remake of classic car flick probably more a little more viewable to a larger general audience than the original but that doesn't mean its a better movie.
Film sticks to the basic original storyline but throws a few other elements into the flick eg. sick pregnant wife and FBI in the chase as well to add a little extra to the movie.
The car is awesome gotta love the 70 R/T Challenger with a 426ci Hemi
Movie Review: Great movie, bad price
Summary: 4 Stars
Who the hell pays 30, 40, or 50 bucks for a movie, even a good one, that you will probably eventually catch on TV? If this were reasonably priced it would sell much better because it is a fantastic movie. Brand new it should be no more than about ten dollars. What are the sellers thinking?!!!Movie Review: A Great Film
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a fantastic film, especially if you enjoy car chasing scenes, burnouts and the like. The old Challenger is supercharged in the story and is supposedly VERY fast. Makes for some great action. Highly recommended. I will be buying this DVD.