The Hitcher (2007/HD-DVD Combo Format + DVD-Video)
Picture: B+/C+ Sound: B+/B- Extras: C Film: C
The 1986
Robert Harmon film The Hitcher is a
decent thriller with interesting subtexts and true suspense in a film that is
smart and effective. The new Dave Meyers
remake is by a director of Music Videos who knows nothing about this
genre. C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer
Jason Leigh have been replaced by Zackary Knight and Sophie Bush as the couple
terrorized by a crazy hitchhiker who may be a serial killer. Rutger Hauer was so good in the original
film, but Sean Bean does not come close taking his role no matter how hard he
does or does not try.
From
there, you can only sympathize with the couple for so long and that is because
the film’s rewritten screenplay (based on Eric Red’s fine work) takes all the
edge off of the original, is flat, dull and when a digital rabbit is run over
in the opening as a bad joke to the audience, you know you are in for a dumb
film. It is violent, but the violence is
passive and not effective, particularly in context to the narrative as the
original film’s was. Except for a
likable if unmemorable cast, this is barley worth a look. See the original first!
The 1080p
VC-1 encoded 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image looks good with its muted
colors and much like the two 35mm films prints I screened of it, but both
anamorphically enhanced DVD-Video versions are surprisingly soft and do not
look as good as the HD version or film prints.
Why, I don’t know, but that is how it is. The stand-alone DVD is a tad sharper than the
DVD side of the Combo disc, but not enough to make a letter grade difference. The Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 for the HD version
and standard Dolby 5.1 on the standard DVD sides are pumped up to make the
audience jump, but that too becomes an excuse to cover up for script
flaws. The various music used is mixed
at best, sometimes dumb and the 5.1 mix is unimaginative overall.
Extras
include a making of featurette, 20 minutes of deleted scenes, three other
featurettes and the HD side has a U Control section with more of the same. That sums up how tired the film itself is.
- Nicholas Sheffo
