BREAKDOWN A review by David Wilcock ©1998
(SPELLING FILMS)
RUNNING TIME: 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES STARRING KURT RUSSELL, J.T WALSH AND KATHLEEN QUINLAN DIRECTED BY JONATHAN MOSTOW
Breakdown is an moderately entertaining, if underwhelming, thriller. Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play couple Jeff and Amy Taylor, taking the scenic route to California through redneck country. However, while in the middle of nowhere, their jeep decides to break down, leaving them stranded. A friendly truck driver, Warren (Walsh), offers to give them a lift to town. Although Jeff rejects the offer (he wants to stay with his car), Amy agrees, hops into Warren's lorry, and promptly disappears. Jeff wonders where the hell she is, and when he later catches up with Warren and Warren says he has never seen Amy in his life, the plot thickens and Jeff goes on a chase to find his wife.
Although comparisons can be made with this film to Deliverance (1972) and The Vanishing (1993) plot wise, the latter two are far superior character and script wise. Kurt Russell is O.K as Jeff, although he can seemingly only pull of one expression, which is angry. Throughout the whole film, he looks angry (or just pissed off.) Quinlan is O.K again, but again she can only pull off one expression, which is looking dorky. Throughout the whole film, she looks dorky. J.T Walsh (who, sadly, recently passed away) is fine as Warren (who we soon find out is a kidnapper) although his actual character is pretty weak, and not really menacing enough. The supporting cast do their best aswell, with Rex Linn as a doubting sheriff, and the other kidnappers. The story, written by first-timer Jonathan Mostow (who also directs) is O.K, if surprisingly familiar and sometimes extraordinarily stupid. Some of the things the characters do in this movie is beyond the bounds of idiocy. There are some flaws with the plot also, as the characters do the complete opposite to logical (presumably to keep the story 'exciting') and also the fact that the story just isn't strong enough to sustain the audience's attention. The picture moves along very slowly also. It almost threatens to drop dead. The picture does pick up towards the end, but by then it's too late. Mostow directs the action sequences well enough, however. The film doesn't really come to a satisfying conclusion, either. The ending tries to be bleak, but just comes off annoying.
Breakdown could of been a far more enjoyable picture had it had a stronger cast and director. Instead, it just turns out to be merely average. A missed opportunity. OVERALL RATING= ** OUT OF ***** REVIEW BY DAVID WILCOCK
DAVID WILCOCK david.wilcock@btinternet.com Visit the Wilcock Movie Page! http://wilcockmovie.home.ml.org -OR- http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9061 Recieve Wilcock Movie Page Reviews via E-MAIL Send a blank E-MAIL to wmp-reviews-subscribe@makelist.com to join the mailing list!
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