JOY RIDE (2001)
Released: October 5, 2001
John Dahl, who directed several decent flicks in the past like "Rounders" (1998) and "Red Rock West" (1992) returns with a stylish chase movie. Watching his new movie "Joy Ride" reminded me of "Duel", Steven Spielberg's 1971 career launching thriller about a salesman driving along some remote highway only to find himself chased by an unrelenting trucker for no apparent reason. In "Joy Ride", Dahl uses a similar formula but adds his own wrinkles to the story. Paul Walker, from the 2001 hit "The Fast And The Furious", and Steve Zahn are on a road trip to pick up Walker's girlfriend (Leelee Sobieski) and play a joke on an unsuspecting trucker. Like Duel we don't get to see the trucker but we do get to hear him, mainly via communicatingg via CB radios. The story is different enough from Spielberg's to keep us on the edge of our seats and benefits from having more than one character victims of the unseen trucker both in terms of more dialogue and added chances for peril. Walker gives another decent performance as does Zahn who is quickly becoming a seriously good actor. The beautiful Sobieski proves she can handle a dark action thriller with ease and director Dahl shows us he can paint a very effective and efficient story on his canvas. Rent "Duel" and then enjoy "Joy Ride".
107 Minutes
20th Century Fox