I'm from Rainbow Rapids!!

(01/06/2007) Contains Spoilers

So I go check out this remake of The Hitcher which this time I check out on my own-io. As detailed in my review for FYIrl, despite some higher jarring choices, it was O-kay but here I get to do what I can't do in a objective review, compare it directly to the original.

First off there's the choice to have a couple instead of the lone Halsey, with the girlfriend being the one to survive. I have no trouble with tough female protagonists but its an unnecessary change here that seems just a tool to sell sex on screen. Also neither the writer, director or actress here have what it takes to sell the evolution from innocent victim to warrior/crone that is so well exampled by the likes of Sarah Conner or Ripley.

Sean Vs Rutger - The Hauer wins with a knock-out in the third round! As said Bean here plays the best (and underused) character in the movie but that doesn't mean he still isn't phoning it in. Bean has none of the menacing charm , wit and idiosyncrasies of Hauer that made his Ryder oddly likable. If '86 John Ryder is from 'Disneyland' then his '07 variant is merely from 'Chessington: World of Adventures'!

Rutger Hauer - Pure Genius

Then there's the midway devolution into a action movie, I mean does a serial killer really need to gun down a load of cop cars to the pumping theme of Nine Inch Nails 'Closer', is this what you call suspense and thrills. From this point all starts to get a little silly with Ryder becoming Droopy the Dog to 'hot girl victim's' Wolf.

Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes plans to remake many a cult favorite (including the excellent 'Near Dark'). I have a mind to round up Rutger Hauer (who's probably on sabbatical somewhere comtemplating Moonbeams) and storm down to there buildings chewing gum and kicking ass but I had to fly somewhere else that day ......