Customer Reviews

Road Killers [VHS]

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

 

 

The Lerolland's family vacation turns into a nightmare when a mischievous car gang stalks them at high speed for apparently no reason, other than the gang's leader, Cliff, is a bit mentally unbalanced and will do anything for a thrill. The "mischeif" goes too far and turns deadly. The plot has as many twists and turns as the highway in this film. You never know what will happen next. What does happen is always shocking. When the heroic head of the Lerolland family and Cliff meet, "head on", be prepared for one of the coolest film finales ever...it's definately rewind worthy! If you are a Craig Sheffer fan, as I am, you know that no one delivers "crazy" better than Sheffer! His portrayal of "Cliff" gives a whole new meaning to the word psychotic. He will make your skin crawl! His pursuit of The Lerolland's is merciless. I find Sheffer to be a very under rated actor these days. He has portrayed a vast range of characters and makes them quite believable. "Cliff" is one of my favorite Sheffer characters, and is played to creepy and absolutely terrifying perfection! Lambert is excellent, as always, as Jack Lerolland, the man who goes to extraordinary lengths to save his family. I loved the way Lambert portrays "Jack", as both sensitive and strong. He is an apt adversary for the demented "Cliff". The screen chemistry between the two is superb! I also enjoyed discovering a young Joseph Gordon Levitt(best known as "Tommy" on "Third Rock from the Sun"). Levitt proves that he can do more than make you laugh...he will break your heart as Richie. I really enjoyed this movie. Not only because two of my favorite actors are in it. Because it is loaded with non stop action and excitement, and will make you feel as if you are behind the wheel with The Lerolland's!

This movie is really pretty typical. A family gets terrorized by bad guys. A lot of people get shot or have their heads bashed in. It's nothing that hasn't been done before. It probably only deserves about 2 stars, but I gave it an extra one because I like Christopher Lambert. The movie isn't bad though. If you don't mind a lot of violence in movies, then it's worth watching.

Honestly, I really can't decide if it was one or the other, or simply all of the above. It was bad! I like Craig Sheffer as an actor, which is the reason I wanted to see this film, but it was a disappointment! Pretty weird.....especially the part where the evil brother stopped his brother Cliff from killing the father of the family they've been trying to hunt down that whole time!! The reason for this was..."you're lucky I like you!?!?!?" OK, they've been chasing this dude down like madmen from hell, now one of them stops his brother from killing him because he likes him? Then they ride off with his daughter, while the father tries to chase them down in a car, and they try to shoot at him on the road. If I were Craig Sheffer and Christopher Lambert, I wouldn't use this one on my resume.

There comes a time in viewing a movie, that no matter how intense it is, how good the performances, there's still the fact that it is lurid and manipulative. THE ROAD KILLERS is one of those movies. Although receiving top billing, Christopher Lambert doesn't have as much screen time as the true "star" of the movie---the maniacal Craig Sheffer. The popular scenario of revenge after some loonies kill a close friend propels us into scenes of cruelty and sociopathic violence. The senseless murder of several of the characters, both good and bad, only mirrors the apathetic stance we as a society have come to hold in terms of violence.
One huge plot development that makes no sense: why does the sheriff handcuff Lambert to the pole in the jail and then run off alone against a psycho like Sheffer? It's illogical and unexplained.
Sheffer does a nasty turn as the ringleader; young Josh Brolin and David Arquette play his useless sidekicks.
The ending is fitfully apropriate, and yet, only underscores the senselessness or the need for such a movie.