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Overall Rating : 7.5/10
Directed By : Dave Meyers
Sean Bean (Silent Hill)
Sophia Bush (John Tucker Must Die)
Zachary Knighton (Cherry Falls)
Neal McDonough (The Guardian)
Supplied By : Rouge Pictures / Universal Studios
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Apr. 25, 2007
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| PLOT Collegiate couple Grace Andrews and Jim Halsey hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break , but their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare after encountering the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher. The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are truly blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them. The open road becomes a battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears. |
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| THE REVIEW In 2007's THE HITCHER, it's a little different this time around. This time we find Jim Halsey and his Girlfriend Grace Andrews as they head for Spring Break in Lake Havasu. Well, in classic Horror story fashion, their plans for a fun time come to an abrupt halt when a mysterious man who calls himself "John Ryder" comes into the scenario. When Jim offers Ryder a lift, that decision proves to be potentially deadly as the man tries to attack He and Grace. Once Jim and Grace throw Ryder from the moving vehicle all their troubles are assumed lost. But what the couple doesn't know is that their frightening adventures have just begun as Ryder would follow and many of his actions will have state law enforcements in pursuit of Jim and Grace, who believe the two to be at fault for Ryder's acts of violence across the state of New Mexico. Before seeing this the 2007 remake, being a fan of the 1986 original film, I was a little skeptical about it. I am one that feels that the 1986 version is fan the way it is, and didn't necessarily need this remake - as there is not too much that could be improved. The original film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel in 2003. This sequel starred the returning star from the original, C. Thomas Howell, he was joined by a wife, and the plot was very similar, in which he was stalked by another "John Ryder" type character, so AWFULLY played by Jake Busey - it turned out to be nothing more than a rehash. In this remake, the writers(one of who wrote the original two films) did the right thing in my opinion. Here, they seemingly combine the two ideas from both original films, instead of having just Jim in the beginning of the film, we have a couple that seem to have a genuine love for each other. The relationship, also in my opinion was a great way to gain suspense, making scenes that would follow later on in the film that much more meaningful - in this aspect it is a small improvement on the original. I was also glad to see that the filmmakers chose to stay true to the original, as some scenes are nearly shot for shot, some are altered, but you never feel as if you are watching something off the wall and totally different. When I saw that Dave Meyers was the Director of this film, being familiar of his work, it actually gave me hope - that this just may be enjoyable Under the Platinum Dunes label Michael Bay(whom normally appoints music video Directors to shoot features), chooses Meyers to helm, a music video director whom has worked with various artist most notably, singer Pink. Meyers shot THE HITCHER in a stylish manner using rich hues that are bright and fresh, even the blood is a very vibrant red, and very (attention grabbing) - shots and angles are shot very slick and seamless. Another thing I pondered before seeing this remake, is how good would the acting be after all? The reason I ask is that many people whom are big fans of the 1986 film hold the characters in high regard, particularly, those characters of Jim Halsey and John Ryder. The Jim Halsey of the remake, he wasn't as "real" as C. Thomas Howell's portrayal, whom chose the more naive, almost wimpy route, Although Zachary Knighton's "Jim is likeable from the very beginning, the character just doesn't feel the same -perhaps it's because it's an entirely different film when it comes to what the writers were going for - the ending is certainly evidence of that. Perhaps the most iconic characters, ia(and it's not surprising) John Ryder, this was the role I was the most worried about, as Jake Busey once tried to mimic it, and as I said, the result was disastrous. Now in the original, Rutger Hauer's John Ryder, genuinely freaked me out. Hauer was tough and his actions were authentically sinister in feeling. While Sean Bean does a great job in his effort(miles better than Busey), he made the character his own which made for an entirely different Ryder. Although he isn't as creepy as Hauer, he is stern and harsh and the character still displays his own brand of no remorse - the character is liked by me, (maybe not as much as I liked the original Ryder) but may upset the die-hard perfectionist fan. A difference in the remake is that instead of a male character being upfront, it is Sophia Bush's Grace that steps out from behind. I actually liked this aspect as, putting a guy in the lead, to be the tough individual is cliché and both predictable - can't chicks kick some bad guy ass too? - I think so! I recently have become a fan of ONE TREE HILL, and i'm not ashamed to admit that either. On the show, Sophia plays the slutty girl one campus, and her character almost seems purely one-dimensional, here she gets to expand and show that she can go so much further than just a teen soap opera.... her character is truly intriguing and likeable by the film's end. With that said, I would have to admit that the acting, (at least by the main characters) was far better than I expected, making for a really entertaining film. To tell you the truth, as a whole I truly did enjoy this film almost from beginning to end. In my opinion it was beautifully shot, the story was pretty solid and the scares, and violent scenes were realistic in the way they occurred. I don't know what other fans are saying(frankly, I do not care), but if you ask me, I believe the 2007 version of THE HITCHER at one point, could become a new modern classic! |
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| GORE
METER 5.5/10 Slit throats, gun shots, and many more scenes of gore are displayed. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5/10 Many Rock tracks that tend to remind of that this is a modernized take on THE HITCHER, this is mixed with several original scored tunes that often help some of the tension filled scenes, |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM Shoot me, I liked it. That's all I can, say. I have a feeling many people will disagree with me, some will have logical reasons as to why, while others, they will hate it because it's a remake and no other reason. It is the latter group, that seem to look too much into films. I went into this with an open mind ready to just watch the film - and never once did I ever bother to compare it to the original, or even films with a similar vibe. Was a remake needed no? Even so it was basically remake in it's on sequel, so even more so, no it wasn't needed. But whatever the case, it was made, and to my surprise I enjoyed it - i'd have to say I recommend it! This DVD will be released on May 1, 2007 |
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