Joy Ride 3 (2014)

Thanks for the memories!

Pretty Good

Perfect cast and a good story

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film opens with a five star horror scene with sex, f-bombs, and nudity (Sara Mitch). We discover how much better sex is smoking a glass pipe.. when you have enough. And then road kill. After the credits we get into the main plot as a group of young adults head up to Canada to race their car. They take the infamous Rt. 17 and hit a Rusty Nail (Ken Kirzinger) along the way.The restaurant scene was great with Barry (David Ferry) spouting off his conspiracy theories about Rt. 17 and the waitress (Heather Hueging). After they hit the road and get to the meat of the film, the character dialogue dies and the film degrades into a middle of the road slasher film.The film under utilized Kirsten Prout who I would have loved in that opening scene. She has that Taylor Swift/ Anne Kendrick/Marsha Brady appeal and could have at least showered once.

RELEASED TO VIDEO IN 2014 and directed by Declan O'Brien, "Joy Ride 3: Roadkill" depicts horrific events on the backroads of the American prairie when a youthful racing crew on their way to Road Rally 1000 mess with the wrong trucker, Rusty Nail.Rusty Nail obviously moved from his former location in the desert wilderness far outside Las Vegas, Nevada, to the lonesome prairies of Texas (note his license plate and the Kansas plates of the racers). The change in locale to the flatland prairie/forests (shot in the Winnipeg area) makes for a slightly different ambiance to "Joy Ride 2," but story-wise it's more-of-the-same, minus the obnoxious goth-punk.The first "Joy Ride" (2001) was akin to a modern-day "Duel" (1971), but with eye-rolling improbabilities, particularly in the last act. "Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead" took that template and added slasher & 'torture porn' elements, which is what you get with this one. But I like the protagonists better, led by Jesse Hutch, the race car driver. Kirsten Prout and Leela Savasta are effective in the feminine department with Kirsten being particularly adorable, but both need to gain at least 12-15 lbs.This is the first movie that reveals Rusty from the get-go (Ken Kirzinger), which is interesting, but they should've kept his identity a mystery IMHO, like in "Duel" and the first two movies, not that it matters much. At the end of the day this is a throwaway slasher thriller, but it works for what it is, an over-the-top slasher-horror on the American highways. Turn off your brain and enjoy the quick, implausibly horrific ride. If you can't do this, stay away. THE MOVIE RUNS 95 minutes and was shot in Winnipeg and Provincial Rd 305, Tourond, Manitoba, Canada. WRITER: Clay Tarver. ADDITIONAL CAST: Benjamin Hollingsworth, Gianpaolo Venuta and Jake Manley play the remaining race crew.GRADE: B-

You've seen this before. Actually you probably saw it before ... "Saw". This could be considered Saw light or at least a mixture of "Duel" and "Saw". Not sure Steven Spielberg would totally approve, but this is what you get. And listening to the audio commentary, I am surprised how much effort was put into the movie.You might not really care (which makes sense at this point of the "franchise"), but the director has some knowledge and he is making an effort. Still story-wise we don't get anything new, but the effects are good and you might wonder what is going to happen next. The beginning with the "couple" is really great (visually and tone-wise), but the movie loses some of its drive along the way. You just won't care anymore. The ending is not really a surprise either ...

A race team is driving to Canada to participate in an auto race. They decide to take a shortcut through a lonely road and when they surpass the truck of Rusty Nail (Ken Kirzinger), the psychopathic trucker hunts the down and captures each one of them to torture and kill."Joy Ride 3" is an awful collection of clichés with the usual stupidities of the characters and situations and omnipresence of the indestructible villain. The car has a flat tire when the driver is not near his friends; the cellular never work when the group is in danger; the group splits and tries to rescue the friend that is in danger instead of calling the police; the killer does not die and is always one step ahead of the group; the girl leaves a safe position to help the good guy and only jeopardizes the situation; the police officers take always the most stupid attitude to die. The good thing is the gore and realistic special effects. In the end, I do not understand why I spent my time watching this predictable garbage. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "Perseguição 3 – Correndo para a Morte" ("Pusuit 3 – Running to the Death")