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I'm usually a sucker for edgy road movies, because when people are running for their lives out in the middle of nowhere, anything can happen. Storywise, Joy Ride is inevitably going to be compared to Speilberg's Duel and 1986's superior The Hitcher, which was able to transform it's stock slasher into a more surreal, omnipresent evil. That's perhaps the most appealing aspect of Joy Ride, but aside from some suspenseful sequences, the film lacks clear resolution and a sense of purpose. Given the rather simple plot, the challenge is how well the cat and mouse games are executed and how empathetic the characters are. Some scenes have an exciting, hard driving tempo, some work as comedy, and others simply go on for too long, such as the first CB prank setup. And like most films of this type, since we know the big climax is coming, the acting is critical to make it all seem fresh.

Luckily, Joy Ride boasts a generally fine cast. The rather unrestrained Zahn capitalizes on his unique, clumsy charm (surely reminding some of us of Fright Night's Stephen Geoffreys) and helps loosens up Sobieski and the dull Walker. However, the overall approach of the film may be misguided. I think having older, more redneck and trashy brothers might have made the film darker and even more twisted. And while Rusty Nail character (voiced by Ted Levine) can be creepy with his low timbre, but his flirtatious tone often makes him sound more ornery than menacing.

Director John Dahl (Rounders, Red Rock West) directs with a confident style and this film certainly looks good. Some of it reminded me of the more stylized Forsaken. One of the best elements of the show is the hip photography captured by cinematographer Jeffrey Jur (How Stella Got Her Groove Back). He made it hard for me to take my eyes off the screen, even when the story slowed down a bit. Yet despite the slick veneer, the film fails to sustain credibility and inject suspense into predictable scenes. But even with my reservations, Joy Ride is an enjoyable little thriller with solid acting, so check it out for a good time.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Presented in its original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio and anamorphically encoded, this is a sharp, vibrant transfer. The print used is near pristine, with only intentional grain visible, but gives the image a very film-like appearance throughout. Rock solid colors with no bleeding and natural fleshtones give the noirish visuals considerable punch. Contrast is excellent with rich, deep blacks that boast strong detail even in the darkest scenes. Only a few night scenes displayed some slight fading, but edge enhancement is minimal and compression artifacts about nil. Jur's confident photography is wonderfully presented in this exemplary transfer... just try and take your eyes off of it.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

This is one of the best 5.1 Dolby Digital mixes I've yet heard on a DVD. The mix opens up with a very wide dynamic range, from distant screeching car breaks to the rumbling mufflers and explosions. Dialogue is always discernible and natural, and Marco Beltrami's score full and detailed. Imaging and channel separation is excellent, with the split surrounds getting a nice workout. The sound designers obviously had great fun with the score and effects, often rendering a terrific illusion of near-seamless sidewall imaging. The .1 LFE brought out smoldering lows that I hadn't yet experienced from my subwoofer that alone made this track highly exciting. About the only little qualm I had was a circulating thunder scene between the fronts and rears, as the rears exhibit noticeably less dynamics, but this is a minor complaint at best.

English and French 2.0 surround mixes are also included, as well as English Closed Captions and English and Spanish subtitles.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Fox has delivered a generous number of supplements for Joy Ride, far more than normally excepted for a non- Five star release. No less than three screen-specific audio commentaries are included. The first is by director John Dahl who talks mostly of budget constraints, stories behind specific scenes, and his intended themes. Dahl is straightforward if a bit dry, which is odd coming from a filmmaker with such style. The second commentary by writers Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrams is actually far more interesting. These guys are a kick,full of self-depreciating humor and for once really appreciative of the fact that Fox supported their long rewriting process. They also provide more insight into otherwise unnoticed elements of the screenplay, and the gestation of the entire project. The third and final commentary is by actors Steve Zahn and Leelee Sobieski, with each recorded separately. Zahn is blunt but funny, and often mocking his own line readings. He also talks quite a bit about the movie business itself as well as giving lots of credit (and good-natured ribbings) to the filmmakers and his fellow actors. Sobieski is more of a surprise - her particular way of inflecting dialogue drives me a little nuts, but she drops her guard and really offers up an enthusiastic track. She even gets a little goofy by talking like Linda Blair from The Exorcist, and shares thoughtful perspective on her character and the story. All told, these three commentaries provide enough information for a whole documentary, and all are worth at least a partial listen by fans. (And should I mention that every participant mentions how much they love the DVD format during their respective commentaries? Trying to score points with DVD reviewers, eh?)

Up next are one additional scene and three alternate endings, all with optional commentary by Dahl, Adams, Turner, and for one clip, Sobieski. Each is presented in rough 2.35:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. The "Fuller Kisses Venna" deleted scene is really just an extension, then we have three alternative endings. The original ending is completely different from the one in the finished film, and it would have worked fine, I thought, but what's in the final version is probably still the best. (Note that this ending is also nearly 28 minutes long, and it's a great supplement!) The first "ReShoot Ending" is pretty good, if only because I really wanted to see a fight between Rusty and the brothers, but Nail's demise is really a disappointment because it's rather cliched. Director Dahl recognized this, hence it's deletion, but this scene alone is worth the price of admission alone in my book. ("Give `em a left, Fuller!") Next is yet another alternative ending, "Venna Saves the Day." Without giving away too much, well... the title says it all. Last but not least is another version of the climax, this time in storyboard form. The first "Reshoot Ending" is replayed, part filmed footage, part storyboards. It's pretty well done and the storyboards have a bit more detail drawn in than I expected. (And note that if you click on the "More Than One Joy Ride" option, you can watch all the endings in one bunch.)

But wait, there is more. The 4- minute making-of featurette is largely promotional with interviews from the three lead actors and Dahl and a bit of onset footage. Not a bad featurette, but definitely a missed opportunity for something more substantial. The More Than One Rusty Nail featurette includes the vocal tryouts of two other actors up for the Nail part, Eric Roberts and Stephen Shellen. Shellen would have done a good job, though Ted Levine's low-bass voice may be more ominous and better suited for the film. Finally, we have the film's theatrical trailer presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen, which is interesting because it's a slightly more "open matte" version of the 2.35;1 theatrical aspect ratio.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included, just a weblink to Fox's Joy Ride DVD site.

Parting Thoughts