Roadkill (The Hitcher [2007] (DVD))

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	The Hitcher [2007] (DVD)
Date:	17/02/09 (231 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great build-up of suspense and doom

Disadvantages: Slightly silly ending, no real need for re-make

Students Jim Halsey and Grace Andrews are looking forward to their Spring Break, which first involves a long car journey, driving through the night. When someone suddenly appears in front of the car headlights, they skid and manage to miss him. Being in the middle of nowhere, they don't stop, but call at the next petrol station to report a possible accident. Then the victim, called John Ryder, arrives at the petrol station himself and asks Jim for a lift - out of embarrassment at the fact that they originally refused to help him, Jim agrees. Shortly after the journey begins, however, it becomes clear that John is not a very nice man. Jim and Grace manage to get rid of him, but after that, he seems to pop up everywhere they go...and he is never pleased to see them or anyone else who gets in his way. Can they shake him off, or will he eventually catch up with them for good?

I caught the original (1986) version of The Hitcher on television a couple of weeks ago, and it reminded me how much it had scared me when I first saw it. Unable to watch the whole film, I added it to my rental list, not realising that a re-make was released in 2007...and of course, ended up with the re-make. I was intrigued enough to take a look, although my expectations were low - it seems to be so rare these days that a re-make doesn't disappoint. I haven't seen all of the original version for some years, however, so I cannot make a direct comparison between the two versions - I will therefore be reviewing this version as a stand-alone film.

Sean Bean doesn't particularly strike me as an obvious choice for John Ryder, having been played by the very striking Rutger Hauer in the original film. And at first, I didn't think much of him - the first glimpse of him, albeit in the dark, shows him to look more daft than evil. However, once he'd settled into the role, I thought he was great. He doesn't speak much, probably just as well as he's having to put on an American accent to cover his Northern British one, but he really does look menacing. In some ways, I would have liked a bit more character development - we don't really have any idea of why John behaves in the way that he does, or what his background is - but then again, that is a large part of the suspense of the film, and if things were clearer, the result may not have been so angst-ridden.

Two actors I have not heard of before play Jim and Grace - Zachary Knighton and Sophia Bush. Some may recognise Bush from a role in One Tree Hill and because she married and divorced Chad Michael Murray. I thought both were good. They looked scared when they needed to, and were completely convincing in their roles. And I think they really were acting - they appeared as themselves in a couple of the special features and both annoyed the hell out of me, whereas in the film, they were much more likeable. Neither performance was amazing, but they did the job they needed to and I would happily watch anything else that they have done.

I also have to mention Neal McDonough, who plays Lieutenant Esteridge, in charge of the case that Jim and Grace become embroiled in. I recognised him straight away from Desperate Housewives where he plays Dave Williams. Esteridge's role is short and sweet in the film, and yet he really stood out for me. There is something about his face that draws me to him, yet although he is very recognisable, I was completely convinced that he was a police officer and forgot about Desperate Housewives. I will certainly look out for other roles that he has taken on.

I cannot go into great detail, but I think that the basic plot of this version is very much the same as the original. The only difference that I really noticed was that Grace appears earlier on in this version - I think she was a waitress in the original. That does, of course, beg the question of why anyone wanted to re-make the film. That aside, however, not having seen all of the original for many years, I found this version very enjoyable. From start to finish, there is a constant stream of happenings, as well as the knowledge that something doom-ridden is going to happen any minute. It really is that action-filled, and there is really little respite from the fear and chasing. As such, it was totally impossible to become bored and I really did find myself glued to the screen from start to finish. I think that the decision to make the film just 84 minutes in length was a good thing - too much longer and the effect would have been much slower and probably boring.

The special effects and stunts are really quite amazing, with some horrific car crashes and one terrible murder that we get to see in more detail than perhaps some would like. I do think that, on the whole, it is the atmosphere that scares rather than anything we actually see, but the visuals are definitely very well done. There is a classification of 18 on the film, in the UK at least, and I think that this is probably right. I don't often get scared by films, but this one really did give me the creeps, so I can imagine that young teenagers would have nightmares after watching this. The film as a whole is very well made. Filmed largely in New Mexico, there are some beautiful vista shots that contrast well with the horrors that are taking place. There is also a fantastic music score put together by Steve Jablonsky, which fits in brilliantly with the action on-screen,and includes tracks from the Nine Inch Nails and David Soul!

There are a number of special features that come with the DVD. Firstly, there is a selection of deleted scenes. None of these were particularly brilliant and I can understand why they were cut, but it was interesting to watch. Then there were a number of short features about the special effects; mainly one of the murders and the car crashes. Personally, I think they could have run these together to make one long feature, but I found them all interesting anyway - the work that went into putting the film together is really impressive. Finally, there are a number of fake news broadcasts, which alert the public to what is going on in the film as the news comes in. I didn't see the point of this at all, but as it is the only bad feature out of five, I'll let it pass.

It isn't entirely clear why this film was re-made after just twenty years, especially when the original is seen as a classic. However, it has been re-made and, as re-makes go, I thought it was very good - unfortunately the box office didn't agree with me and the film was pulled from cinemas after just a few weeks. Nevertheless, from my point of view, it had me hooked from beginning to end, and I can find very little to criticise, apart from perhaps the slightly silly ending. Of course, if you really want to pick it to pieces, there are all sorts of questions, such as how does John always manage to catch his prey, and how come no-one believes Jim and Grace - but this is fiction, and as such, I think it's acceptable to have a few unanswered questions. If you've seen the original, and think that you won't be able to watch this version with fresh eyes, then don't bother. Otherwise, this is a really well made film, for which director Dave Meyers should be commended.

The DVD is available from play.com for £4.99.

Classification: 18

Running time: 84 minutes

Summary: A great film, but perhaps an unnecessary re-make