9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I liked it..., April 17, 2005
I've read some of the reviews here, and this seems to be one of those polarizing films that people either love or hate. I bought it a couple of years ago, sight unseen, and have to say that I thought it was pretty good. Usually, movies that basically have one set can be pretty tedious, but this one worked well, and while I do recall there being one minor character that was irritating (one of the "tourists" trapped in the diner/gas station along with everyone else), the main characters, the Dad and his kid(s), were likeable; and the gal who they help out gives the story a nice lift. I don't know, I guess I'm easy to please, but it seems to me that if a movie can get you to that point where you care about the characters, and they've put them in a spot where you're rooting for them to overcome their particular "troubles" - in this case an interesting mix of homicidal trucks - then it works.
I recommend this to folks who like Sci-Fi, who like horror films that are more than just slasher flicks, and for anyone who wants to revisit some plucky and personable people from time to time...and just have some fun!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting,...., June 1, 2006
As previous reviewers have mentioned, "TRUCKS" is a remake of 1986's "Maximum Overdrive" (which I also purchased on Amazon). I liked "TRUCKS" better than "Maximum Overdrive" because it seemed as though there was more action in than its predecessor. I liked it even though the acting was deadpan- and the ending I liked much more than "Maximum Overdrive" (no spoilers). If you are a huge fan of Big Rigs and Trucks in general (A Western Star tractor is the lead truck)you will like this movie; if you are a fan of sci-fi movies you might want to watch. However, it's not a horror movie (compared to movies like "The Exorcist"), so you horror movie buffs might be disappointed; if your looking for famous actors/ any good acting for that matter this isn't the movie for you. However, the main characters in this movie are the trucks themselves, so it's not a total loss. It should keep you interested for 1 1/2...
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
U-Turn, U-Die!!!, June 26, 2003
This movie is an updating of 1986's "Maximum Overdrive", which was based on the short story that this is based on, with the story's title being the name of this movie. Timothy Busfield (the only big name in this one) stars as Ray, a man who has moved to the near-Area 51-town of Lunar. He and his son, Logan (Brendan Fletcher) are trying to make a new life for themselves. However, that will have to be put on hold for the time being, as driverless trucks are attacking the truck stop he works at. Because of the trucks, many people are stranded there, including a former hippie, a newlywed couple, a military man and his daughter, and two truckers. They must band together to survive, and find out the cause of this threat.
Based upon the Stephen King story from his "Night Shift" collection, the movie is, agreeably, not bad for a made-for-TV movie, as it is quite chilling in a few scenes (The Tonka truck attacking an innocent mailman, and the spill generator in a control truck inflating a radiation suit which then grabs an axe and takes care of the drivers). Tim Busfield is good as the hero, and the supporting actors, being first time actors, get a passing grade from me. It is rumored that this was given a PG-13 upon video release, and then got more gore to bump it up to an R, and regrettably, that cut is not included. The movie is presented in widescreen, despite being a TV movie. Little grain is shown, and the print is quite clean. The extras fall flat, however, just being trailers for "Soemtimes They Come Back...Again", "The Tommyknockers", and the movie itself. Trimark does make some good DVD releases,. Unfourtunately, This isn't one of them. Good try, though.
TRUCKS
(1997, R)
Ray: Timothy Busfield
Hope: Brenda Bakke
Trucker Bob: Aidan Devine
Thad: Roman Podhora
Jack: Jay Brazeau
Logan: Brendan Fletcher
Director: Chris Thomson
Writers: Stephen King (short story), Brian Taggert (teleplay)
MOVIE: 4
VIDEO: 5
AUDIO: 5
EXTRAS: 3
MENUS: 4
OVERALL: 4.5
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