Taking you on a ride around Australia, the low budget action comedy film Drive Hard actually delivers fun entertainment on DVD. The movie has some very good cinematography of the Down Under, able direction and madcap acting by Thomas Jane and John Cusack. I had a lot of fun watching it, and if you like this sort of wild road movie, then it’s your cup of tea.
Australian Peter Roberts (Thomas Jane) has retired from racing on a high note of winning his final race. He’s now teaching at a local driving instruction to help pay for the growing bills. One day he gets Simon Keller (John Cusack), an American, as a client that wants to learn to drive on the opposite side of the road like they do in his country. As they are about to finish the lesson he asks Peter to stop by a bank so he can get the money to pay for his lesson.
Leaving the bank with a briefcase and police chasing, he kidnaps Peter and forces him to flee. After they get a break he informs Peter that he has just taken $9 million in bonds of which he will give him $3 million if he can get to a designated destination. Still doubtful that he’ll even survive the escape, Peter makes a concerted effort to keep up with Simon as they travel across the continent.
The fun chase and road trip is above average for home viewing. Director and screenwriter Brian Trenchard-Smith keeps his film moving at a swift velocity only slowing down for a quick few minutes to allow for some viewer rest (thanks for the pause button). He keeps the comedy level fairly high introducing some very crazy people who are out to take the two down.
Both Thomas Jane and John Cusack are way above the level of actor for the film and probably should not have taken the roles. But, that said the two have some good comedic chemistry together, keep the film interesting with professional acting skills and bring the film to a off the wall ending. During their getaway there’s a weird stop off at O’Reilly’s Vineyards owned by a crazy lady, an extreme biker bar fight and much more.
Drive Hard has not been rated by the MPAA but contains violence and a lot of offensive language. Be cautious when deciding to allow pre-teens and immature teens see the film, as it may be inappropriate.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: John Cusack and Thomas Jane
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
MPAA Rating: Not rated, contains language, violence
Genre: Crime, Action, Comedy
Running Time: 1 hr 32 min
Video Release Date: November 11, 2014
Original Film Release Date: October 3, 2014
Language: English
Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Widescreen, 16×9 Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: RJL Entertainment
