When his wife goes into a troubled labor while he is on the road over 1200 miles away James Kowalski, an ex race car driver and a former Army Ranger, attempts to elude police while trying to get home. After numerous chases he turns into a Native American reservation and reflects on his life, and his wife. He heads off to break through a police roadblock.
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Reviews
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
But even then, "Vanishing Point" is exceedingly uninvolving and surprisingly ill-advised in its selective updating. If you're updating Kowalski from Vietnam to Desert Storm, then why is he still driving the same (now-26-year-old) Challenger? Referring to the police as "The Man" meant something in the countercultural original. Here, not so much. If you change a few key elements - the main character's name, his ride, different movie title - then you might have something: a guy who's trying to get home to his wife who's in labor. Work that out, and you might have something to hang a movie on. But watching this movie, and knowing that it's somehow connected to the original "Vanishing Point" [1971] just dooms it from the start. It's got no drive, no ambition. The original movie was greater than the sum of its parts, but the remake relies only on the iconic car and some superficial connections. Just an extremely generic and boring affair.4/10
To start off with, since this movie is a remake of a classic, the rating has to be lowered already. Since this version stars Viggo Mortensen in the lead role of Kowalski, it helps.Isn't this just like the United States government though, to terrorize one of its own citizens. Sounds like Jason Priestley's character from the movie! But it is the truth, the government would do anything possible to destroy a man's life for trying to get home to his wife. A wife, who is in labor no less, and may not make it."There was a time in this country that the police would escort a man to his pregnant wife." The words of the Disc Jockey.There were some great shots of scenery in this film, and great car chases and a lot of spirituality. After much consideration, I gave this film a 7.
Oh, dear lord.... They've turned what was a fairly thought provoking movie into a swaggering testosterone fest.The original 1971 version of this movie was beautifully vague about our hero Kowalski. He was a man trying to drive from Denver to San Fransisco to win a bet. Why was he willing to risk his life for the price of a handful of uppers? We're not really sure.We had a few flashbacks that gave us the picture that he was an adrenaline junkie, and presumably he had led his entire life trying to make it to the vanishing point. That point you see off in the distance where the left and right shoulders of the road come together, and the road itself vanishes. He lives only to be free, and means no ill on anyone. We saw several times when there were accidents he stopped to make sure the other driver was okay before moving on, even the cops that were chasing him.When he saw the futility of his quest he took his life rather than be arrested and live a life of captivity. He died like he lived, running wide open.In the remake Kowalski has a whole history (including a first name, even.) He's trying to get to the hospital where his wife is suffering from complications to her pregnancy. He is a devoted husband, and excited expectant father. He comes to the decision to take his life after hearing his wife died in delivery, but they even leave THAT in question when they suggest that he may have jumped out of the car before it ran into the bulldozers. They even gave the part of "super soul," the blind DJ (brilliantly portrayed by Clevon Little in the original) to JASON PRIESTLY?!?!?!?!?!? Give me a break.
If you have seen the comments i have left for other films i have only commented on my favourite films, this one is no exception. Great car chases and overall one of my most favourite films. I was very lucky to have seen this film because not many people have, but if you ever see it advertised make sure you watch it. I only wish that this masterpiece is brought to DVDRating: Six stars out of five