Rent Breakdown on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Jonathan Mostow (story), Jonathan Mostow and Sam Montgomery (screenplay)
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan, M.C. Gainey
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
Verdict
It's outlandish and relies heavily on coincidence. The main character is both incredibly unlucky and lucky. It manages to remain entertaining if you can look past the flaws, but this ignores logic for craziness, hoping the situation itself is enough to scare you. This movie is on the rails, and the story certainly suffers for it as many fantastically related events occur to keep the plot on track.
Skip it.
Review
This makes you uneasy from the very start. Jeff (Kurt Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are driving cross country as Jeff takes his eyes off the road. Someone pulls out in front of him, and Jeff narrowly misses a collision. Both drivers are mad at each other, and both share some fault. Of course the other driver rolls up behind Jeff at a gas station later. They mouth off, but nothing happens. I do wonder why Jeff is pouring oil into his engine, and how he is doing so without a funnel. It's a new car. Why does it need oil?
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| Kurt Russell plays Jeff |
Later the car loses power and Jeff doesn't even try to pull off the road which is just odd. He leaves the dead car on the road. Jeff's wife hitches a ride to the nearest phone as Jeff decides to wait with the car. The car logic is very loose in this. I get that's not the point of the movie, but it's comically inept. Jeff gets his car working but can't find his wife. Jeff seems awfully calm giving the situation. I would immediately think something was wrong. 
Jeff finds the tractor trailer and driver that picked up his wife. He just happens to see the truck taking a left turn. It's more than a stretch, but this movie has a destination and this is how we get there. Jeff has to be thinking he's helpless. His wife is gone, and he must feel like he's crazy. A well placed character just happens to direct Jeff and the plot to the next stop. This movie relies heavily on coincidence. This is a wild situation to stumble into, but it does make for a lot of excitement as Jeff tries to find his wife. Jeff's luck is incredible, absolutely incredible.
Beyond this movie, what was the criminals plan? I don't see how they can kidnap the number of people purported undetected. It seems like they've kidnapped a lot of people and they bring it all back to the ring leader's house where his family lives. It's just dumb. This is not a must see by any stretch, but it does enough to keep you entertained, hoping your fear of this situation will aid in making you forget logic while this movie constantly one ups itself. This tendency doesn't make the movie better, but it does make for a wild ride.
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