Customer Reviews

Joyride

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone teaching a course to young actors, screenwriters, or directors, this pic is an excellent tool. The problems inherent in the pic are just as instructive as its shining moments leaving a great deal of room to pick apart camera techinques, how the use of a musical score can detract from or add to a scene, and especially internalization of motive leading to choices an actor must make to infuse life into what otherwise could end up being a stereotypical, two-dimensional character.

Tobey Maguire has built a very respectable career on his sensitive, understated performances, yet the raw J.T. offers insight into Maguire's ability to branch out into personalities that are not always the "hero." Though his relative inexperience does show through in places, the strong believability of his interpretation of J.T. clearly shows the raw talent evident in even his early work.

By far the most provoking performance in the pic is the underrated Amy Hathaway as the internally tortured and physically exploited Tanya. A solid character interpretation from start to finish, Hathaway only stumbles when the script asks her for unnecessarily gratuitous lust, specifically the silly romp-in-the-car scene with Maguire. On a contrasting note, during the powerful bedroom scene with the Mayor, Hathaway shines by deftly conveying a deep-seated anguish for Tanya's unfortunate situation that is craftily hidden during the remainder of her performance.

Also highly noteworthy is Benecio Del Toro. It is common knowledge that small-budget productions can offer a wider scope of interpretation for an actor, and Del Toro demonstrates this to the fullest extent. A master of subtle physical acting, this early role showcases the talent that blossomed in later years. Along the same lines, Christina Naify as Ms. Smith does a nice job creating a real person out of a small amount of material by exploring physical gestures and vocal patterns that make up so much of a human being's personality.

All of the actors, and to a large extent the script itself, are nearly annihilated in many places by the exasperatingly poor musical score. Instead of developing in the viewer a deeper understanding of the character's interactions, the score is often bad enough to be considered a true "groaner."

A must-see for Maguire, Hathaway, Del Toro, and those quirky Adam West fans, "Joyride" is more interesting as a study of technique than great storytelling, but well worth the ride.

When I read Entertainment Weekly's review for JOYRIDE, I expected nothing, I mean they gave it an "F". When I rented it, I was pleasantly surprised. It really is a stylish, entertaining, yet unoriginal teen thriller. Tobey Maguire is excellent as the lead.

After this, and the fact that EW also gave "Varsity Blues" a "B"!! What was that. That was one of the worst movies ever made, I have quit going by what they say

Produced in 1996, this film is enjoyable on many levels. Drama, comedy, thriller...
Tobey Maguire shows his star power. He seems to be having fun with the role of J.T. Likewise his co-stars Wilson Cruz and Amy Hathaway work well together as three friends trying to escape their various situations in life. Adam West and Steven Gilborn are cast against type to advantage and a nice cameo from James Karen also add to the enjoyment. Benicio Del Toro is hilarious as the deadly serious Detective Lopez and Kenn Norman is believable as the sheriff. Also noteworthy is Judson Mills as Redneck Joey. Lastly I have to say Christina Naify is a standout as 'Smith'. At once sexy and deadly, she plays her part exceptionally well. Thoroughly recommended. The DVD has no special features of note, with the exception of a filmography and biography of Tobey Maguire. The print is excellent and the sound crisp. Buy It!

I saw this movie late one night on HBO and decided to give it a whirl...but it gave ME a whirl! I enjoyed it far more than I expected! Tobey McGuire is sooo adorable as the young boy who's just enjoying life while drinking a few beers. The suspense, the scandal, the sexual tension, and the part where the bullies get their a**** beat all combine with much more to make a truly enjoyable film for our generation!

I ran across this movie late one night and I am so glad I stopped flicking and watched the rest of it. If you are into empowered women (think La Femme Nikita) storylines this is the film for you. It was so hilarious. An all around great movie.

I GUESS IF YOU ARE A FILM STUDENT/FAN OF ADAM WEST/HOT FOR TOBEY MAGUIRE/AMY HATHAWAY/HAVE SEEN EVERY OTHER MOVIE OUT THERE/ETC/ETC/ETC...THEN JUST MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE THIS MOVIE ANY MORE THAN 3 STARS. I DON'T THINK THE MOVIE WAS BAD - THERE WAS 20 MIN OR SO OF MILDLY ENTERTAINING CLIPS ALTOGETHER - BUT THE WAY SOME OF YOU (REVIEWERS) MAKE SOME OF THESE MEDIOCRE FILMS SEEM LIKE THIS "INTERESTING JOURNEY THROUGH THE EARLY CAREER OR SO AND SO, BLAH BLAH BLAH". . . PLEASE. HAVE SOME BALLS AND TRY TO BE A BIT MORE HONEST. SOME OF US ACTUALLY LIKE TO READ THE REVIEWS AND IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF YOU ARE AFRAID TO BE HONEST ABOUT A FILM BEING BOOOOORING - OR MAYBE YOU COULD AT LEAST GIVE A HINT ABOUT HOW THE MOVIE IS SLOW OR HOW INCONSISTENT THE ACTING IS. YOU WOULD THINK SOME OF YOU WORKED ON THESE FILMS THAT YOU'RE REVIEWING, AS IF BEING CRITICAL ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT IS EVIL.

A kid working in his Dad's motel decides to take one of the guests car for a drive with his friends. The problem is, there is a dead body in the trunk and the kids soon find out that the woman that owns the car is a proefessional killer. Enjoyable.

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE IT IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN! WHO EVER MADE THIS MOVIE DID A GREAT JOB!! tHE BLONDE HEADED GIRL IS SO HOT!

We always thought we made a good little film. It's great to see it reaching an audience. Thanks for watching!

I enjoyed this film immensely. It may be contrived, but its still very entertaining. I wonder if Smith is the Smith from the film. If it is, I'd like to tell her that I really enjoyed the film. Everyone should check the film out. I saw it on HBO and really liked it.