'The Hitcher' remake delivers on scares, thrills

Scary pictures, when remade, rarely live up the original. I mean, why else would filmmakers tackle remaking something that was already sufficiently scary or terrorizing in the first place? OK, maybe to increase the gore or graphic factor, but if the story is riveting enough, why mess with what was already a good thing?

Nothing toyed with my psychic consciousness more than the original "Hitcher" 20 years ago, with Rutger Hauer as the brain tease and the underrated Jennifer Jason Leigh as the unfortunate woman who met a terrifying end. That was a cult horror film in the highest standing. Rutger was a classic psychopath, and you wondered at times if he was even acting.

Now, Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes Production Company (the same producers who remade "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Amityville Horror") decided that "The Hitcher" needed a facelift for this century.

Is it worth it? It won't win any awards, but a good fright now and then sure is fun, isn't it?

Dave Meyers makes his directorial debut with this remake, and has some big shoes to fill (Robert Harmon directed the original thriller,) but delivers in the "scare" department.

Still, it amazes me that anyone would pick up a hitchhiker to begin with in this day and age, let alone in a deserted area. There's something about the road and its symbolism, be it a journey of finding oneself or being a roadmap of destruction - the road as a metaphor for the journey in life is made just a little more horrific when you get a murderous nutcase who has a different journey in mind.

The evil and mysterious hitchhiker is John Ryder, aka the Hitcher, played by Sean Bean, who seems to always play these heavyweights, be it an Irish terrorist, a hitman, or a pivotal force from Middle Earth. He does seem to be typecast in these roles.

Relative newcomer Sophia Bush plays Grace Andrews, and Zachary Knighton plays Jim Halsey, two collegiate individuals who just want to blow off some steam, à la spring break, driving in a classic 1970 Oldsmobile (as it is the perfect spring break accessory for such a trip.)

What becomes a game of cat-and-mouse turns even more barbaric when Ryder takes things up a notch, getting them mixed up in something he does but gives them the blame. Soon, both the State Police and Ryder are after the coeds, which is a departure from the original version. Credit writer Eric Bernt for giving the old plot a little breath of fresh air. His past track record indicates breathing life into covered territory; he wrote the last sequel for the "Highlander" series (and that was one thread that was beaten into the ground based on its original story, also from 20 years ago.)

Meyers' thriller benefits from a tight time frame, getting to the action almost immediately, and when you start to feel the film is getting old, it surprisingly ends just about on time. Most of the acting was in shocked-and-surprised mode, but Bean is really good at being creepy just with his eyes. Not having too many computer-generated graphics was also a plus, because it's getting easier to spot those.

- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and reviews films for seven radio stations throughout northern California and Nevada, including the Sirius Radio Network every Sunday evening. He hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio and you can see his film reviews every Friday morning on KOLO ABC TV Channel 8.



Keepin' it Reel

Now playing: "The Hitcher"

Starring: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Neal McDonough, Kyle Davis, Skip O'Brien, Travis Schuldt, Danny Bolero, Jeffrey Hutchinson, Yara Martinez and Lauren Cohn

Directed by: Dave Meyers

Rated: R for strong bloody violence, terror and language

Length: 83 minutes (there wasn't too much that had to be edited)

Howie gives it: 3 out of 5 bagels