Rated R
Reviewed by: Frank
October 5, 2001		Released by: Twentieth Century Fox

It's difficult to appreciate tension or terror which arises from characters continually taking actions which are stupid.  Joy Ride is filled with dumb actions taken by Fuller Thomas (Steve Zahn - Happy Texas) and his younger brother Lewis (Paul Walker - The Fast and the Furious).

Even after they pick up Venna (Leelee Sobieski) (who had a character that acted with intelligence in the very tense Glass House) they become more and more foolish as they are perused by a crazed truck driver in scenes which remind us of The Car and Duel.

The Thomas brothers set the dangerous chase into motion when they decide to send a CB message to the truck driver with a handle "Rusty Nail," suggesting one of them is a sex starved woman, "Candy Cane," who wants to meet him down the road.

That may have been a good joke but when they invite "Rusty Nail" to hotel room number 17 for a little action things truly come apart.  Room 17 is occupied by a very angry fifty year-old male and as the brothers listen from the next room the initial violent noise quiets quickly.

In the remainder of the film a very angry "Rusty Nail" follows, chases and blows his air horn at the young folks in their 1971 Chrysler Newport.

Director John Dahl (Red Rock West) does provide exciting situations as the three attempt to escape from their CB pal's traps and killer tendencies.  Even though each one is avoidable we can't help quietly yelling out "call the cops and get help," which they never do.

We pay attention to the tension and minor comedy but Joy Ride is filled with so much avoidable danger (it only needs the use of common sense) we wish the original title had been evoked and the film Squelched.