Drive Hard

"You didn't hire me, you kidnapped me." Peter Roberts (Jane) is a former race car driver who gave up his dream because his new wife didn't like it. He now spends his days giving driving lessons to teenagers. When Simon Keller (Cusack) shows up for a lesson Roberts isn't excited about the way he drives and takes the keys. When they stop at a bank so Keller can get money to pay he runs out with cops after him and tells Roberts to drive. Now Roberts is wanted has an accomplice but Keller says he will be able to make sure Roberts goes free but he has to help first. Going in I was thinking (probably like you) a movie with Cusack and Jane, woo hoo. Going off that expectation I was disappointed. The main problem with this movie is that is isn't consistent at all. Some parts are very exciting and entertaining while others are so slow moving I found my mind wandering. Surprisingly the best part of this movie is the dialog and interaction between Cusack and Jane. All of the action sequences are repetitive and generic. For a movie that talks about car racing there is really only one chase and it's not a very good one at all. There really isn't a whole lot else to say about this one. Overall, the reason to watch is the interaction between Cusack and Jane. It's actually almost better to just skip to those scenes and skip the rest of the movie. I was very disappointed with this. I give it a C.

Drive Hard is a small budget action thriller starring John Cusack & Thomas Jane. Jane stars as Peter Roberts, an ex-racer turned driving instructor who is kidnapped by Simon Keller played by Cusack and forced to drive him away from a bank robbery. In turn they are being pursued by the police (honest & corrupt), as well as mercenaries who work for the bank which is owned by a crime syndicate. While this sounds like an interesting premise for a movie, the end result is utterly forgettable. There are a few good points about this movie but they are few and far in between. One is the scenery of the Gold Coast of Australia where the movie takes place. Even though Cusack and Jane are decent actors they are let down by a very weak story and too many plot holes though. There are some funny moments, but the implausible moments and the flow of the story ruin what could have been a decent film. For example: Keller robs 9 million worth of bonds from a safe that looks like it belongs in someone's house, not a high class international bank. He also conveniently knows the combination to the safe. Then they escape with ease evading police cars and a helicopter. Keller then shoots a Jeep full of mercenaries with one bullet causing it to explode and tumble over. They then switch cars and go on a long drive making as many unnecessary stops as possible. Not exactly the actions of someone trying to make a quick getaway. Keller also promises Roberts that he will give him 3 million dollars and make it look like he was a kidnap victim so that he would not go to jail. At the same time he lets Roberts go into a gas station market as well as a bar unaccompanied. At one point they walk into a Wine Estate pretending they are guests who arrived early at a wedding that is supposed to take place there. Then they escape together from the owner who starts shooting at them. The kidnapped actually wrestles the owner to the ground and takes her gun away from her. So how exactly that makes him look like he has been kidnapped would be a very good question to ask. Roberts in turn has numerous chances to escape but obviously does not and a sort of camaraderie develops between the kidnapper and the kidnapped with a lot of needless dialogue. There are also back stories being told about the corrupt cops being investigated by the Federal Police and why exactly Keller decided to rob a mob-owned bank in the first place, as well as how Roberts has problems in his marriage. These side stories do not contribute much to the story or the film. Basically they are there to fill in some screen time. In the end there is a shoot out as one would expect and the ending is as clichéd as it can get. Another problem with this film is that it's starts of as more of a buddy comedy but turns into a shoot 'em up near the end. This might work for some movies but not this one. That's why I would rate this as a 4/10. Watchable if there is nothing better, but forgettable and not worth watching ever again.

In Australia, Simon Keller (John Cusack) hires Peter Roberts (Thomas Jane), who is a former professional racing driver, to act as the get-a-way driver while he robs a bank. Of course, Roberts has no idea what he is getting into. From the get-go, we see this is not a drama or even an action-hero movie. The acting and dialogues are so bad we see that something else is going on and decide this is a lame, lame comedy. We don't often see (read never) John Cusack in a comedy and watching this we can see why. But wait a minute something else is going on: it's supposed to be terrible or so we believe. That is the only explanation that makes sense. (Hmmmm……) Now, knowing this one can sit back and enjoy this, right? Wrong. It's still terrible. The acting and dialogues don' t change to anything better. It's embarrassing to admit we watched it all the way thru. True some bad movies become cult classics. I think we are safe to say the cults will stay away for fear of harming their reputations. Why, in Heaven's name, is this the way it is? No one knows. Suffice it to say there is something else going on. Keller surprises why he robbed the bank and we do learn more, but do we care? No. Still this doesn't help much because something else is going on. What that something is we cannot say. We are clueless. Even the car chases are not choreographed in a good way. The supporting cast don't any fare better and cannot save this. Something is really wrong here. However, after watching this we decide there was nothing else going on after all. We can only hope that Mr Cusack goes back to being a good dramatic actor. And the same for Thomas Jane. (who?) (1/10) Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

Firstly, the good: Cusack and Jane were excellent in this. Natural and witty. The premise is good, and the movie just about keeps you watching (though you're not sure why, it's probably the interaction between Cusack and Jane). The bad: Most of the other actors are awful. With the exception of the little girl (daughter), the lady staff-member (who 'loves' Jane), the old crazy lady and the crooked cop.... most others seem to be total amateurs (or not even actors but friends roped in). There is one good car chase sequence... the rest are crap (not that there are many). With the bikies is an especially stupid sequence. No amount of camera angles can save it.... hardly any tension or crashes at all... I guess they couldn't afford stunts. The script. Just. Not. Very. Good. Thank God Cusack and Jane were such good actors and so witty (probably mostly ad-lib), otherwise you wouldn't want to watch much of this. As it is, they are the reason I watched this to the end. The film just seems like a b-grade movie which they tried to make into a decent one with two great actors, but not even Cusack and Jane could rescue this.

Poor John Cusack. Not only is he fading from appearing in major Hollywood movies, he had to go all the way to Australia to work on this direct to DVD effort. I wonder why he signed on, since he is so grossly miscast here, not the least bit convincing as a bank robber with a crafty scheme. His co-star Thomas Jane isn't that much better, namely because he fails to win sympathy for his character despite being an innocent man forced into a complicated situation. Though some blame for that has to go to the writing, which is also guilty for churning up very familiar situations and dialogue - there's little freshness here. Director Brian Trenchard Smith (who also co-wrote the sorry screenplay) doesn't add any spark seated behind the camera - the little action there is is not the least bit exciting, and the feel of the entire enterprise often comes across as one from a television show. This is one DULL movie. The best I can say for this movie is that it's better than the Ethan Hawke movie "Getaway" - but not by much.

Watch the movie "Drive Hard" really liked the way movie was directed as it was action, fun and comedy all at the same time. I really enjoyed the movie from the start till the end. It was funny and hilarious and the story unfolded very smoothly. John Cusack being a thief collected information on a race car driver who stopped racing and running a driving school, he entered the driving school as a student and used the driving skills of the race car driver to loot the bank and all ended well in the end. A funny movie which can be watched with family and friends, so grab a coke and popcorn and enjoy the show. The acting of the daughter of the race car driver was pretty funny and good and all the character played their part very well. I will score the movie eight out of ten and recommend to you reader's as a good past time. Australian's did a fine job by hiring Mr. Cusack who literally put life to this movie and he needs commendation.

Review: Man, this film was bad! I think that the director was trying to make a comedy/road movie about a racing driver who gets kidnapped and told to drive for a thief on the run, but it's totally not funny and the storyline is ridiculous. I'm usually a fan of John Cusack movies, but I think that he made this film just for the pay day. I think that the whole film is set in Australia, on the cheap, which didn't fit with the 2 American main characters who seem a bit out of place. I can understand why it went straight to DVD because it definitely wouldn't have worked on the big screen. Disappointing! Round-Up: After watching John Cusack's excellent performance in the Butler and Paperboy, I think that he's allowed to make a couple of Boo Boo's which won't hurt his career. I'm just surprised that he agreed to do the movie after reading the weak script. The same goes for Thomas Jane who did do quite a bad Punisher but he was good in Thin Red Line & Face Off, even though they were made years ago. Anyway, this film isn't one that I will remember in a hurry. Budget: $12million Worldwide Gross: N/A I recommend this movie to people who are into there road movies about a man who get kidnapped to drive for a man who steal from the mob. 2/10

Think of this in the mid-late 1980's and you would have a cult classic on your hands today. This is the sort of buddy-criminal movie you just don't see anymore. Fast cars, chases, shoot-outs, one liners, gratuitous bad language...the 80's lover in me had to at least be entertaining by this straight to video entry. It isn't brilliant by any means and it falls short in many respects but for what it is, its fun and wild and the vitally important chemistry between the leads works pretty well. This is the sort of drive-in fluff that you can sit back and enjoy. If you try to dissect it then it falls apart and you'll hate it. Its nothing more than 70's/80's era fluff and I'm okay with that. Some of the performances (especially the supporting cast) is downright cheesy and I would have expected them to use the Australian backdrop a lot more. I am a huge fan of Australian horror films but how often do we get an action type film out of there and I really would expect any good director or cinematographer to utilize the beautiful and often rugged countryside and we don't get a lot of that. The film features two actors I've always enjoyed. I think John Cusack has built up a solid fan base and he has had some bonified huge success. The problem is that as of late he's a had a strong of straight to DVD films for some reason. Now that being said, all of those movies that I've seen have been at least okay. If I had paid to see Drive Hard in the theatre I wouldn't have disappointed. Its a tried and true popcorn type flick so why not! Cusack is decent and plays a typical role for him as a bank robber with a little edge. Its far from his best role and there is very little depth to his character but it works and his charisma is good enough to make it watchable. Thomas Jane is sort of hit and miss with roles too but I actually thought he was really good in this. He's a former race car drive who gets inadvertently recruited by Cusack and suddenly the two men are on the run together. Their back and forth banter works well and their chemistry is good. Its not amazing...its not Mel Gibson/Danny Glover but it keeps the pace going and will certainly at least make you laugh a few times. Jane is manic and excitable and fun to watch. The supporting cast are all pretty good but there is a lot of them and they sort of get buried in the process of the plot. Zoe Ventoura plays a good solid and little bit campy role as Agent Walker. I think they could have done a lot more with her role but it is what it is. Damien Garvey, Christopher Morris and Jesse Spence are all good but very underused in the film. The film makers and writers spent so much time focusing on the slapstick camaraderie of the two leads that they forget about supporting cast and the plot feels slapped together and forced sometimes. Its unfortunate because they are on to something here. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith is not new to directing. He's been around a long time and he's done some great TV and some even better cult classics. In a less experienced director's hands this probably would have been a Grade A disaster. He holds it together very well and fortunately the charisma of both of the leads makes this at least passable and gives it a fun cult feel to it. Without our director and Cusack and Jane, this probably would have been barely even watchable. I'm still not sure about the twists and turns to the plot and even if I got any of it but I'm also quite sure that I don't care. It was fun and wild and the car chases were well shot and didn't feel like regurgitated Fast and The Furious scenes which isn't easy to do nowadays. You have to go in with low expectations because it is what it is. But if you turn your brain off, pop some popcorn and just sit back and let the zany story take hold...you might have some fun. 6.5/10

Did you ever see a movie where the two lead actors are completely humiliated that their career has dropped to the bottom? Well, here it is. I think John Cusack actually was going to cry in some scenes. I just assumed that Thomas Jane needed drug money. Besides the acting, the movie is incompetent on every level. Bad script, bad directing. Bad car chases. Horrible and illogical action scenes. It isn't even bad enough to be entertaining. Seriously, don't waste your time. Or subject anyone to this. Just remember Cusack in Sixteen Candles, The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, The Journey of Natty Gann, One Crazy Summer, Eight Men Out Say Anything, The Grifters, or Being John Malkovich. Those are good memories. This steaming pile is hard to get out of your head.

Seriously bad performances. I am guessing the director was asleep or had specified clauses in each of the actors contracts that they could not rehearse and were only allowed one take for each scene. Production standards date back beyond Mad Max low budget cheapies and the script was just awful. This is a genuine rotten tomato. I believe it fails on every level. I am surprised he can command A list actors. Who pays Brian Trenchard Smith this kind of money; because he comes across as definitely lacking. And I am guessing after this piece of detritus, very few would be likely to waste $12 mil on this kind of embarrassment again. Unless its like some kind of money laundering scam?