Now this film gets a bad rap and that's unfair...

I'm going to spoil here and I'm going to make direct comparisons to the McQueen/MacGraw original.

This is a remake so to throw shade on it for that isn't right. It cannot reinvent too much without affecting the plot. And it tries it's best to do so - stock car magnate here, a dog track heist not a bank job, more integral part for the Carol McCoy character in all the killing.

Now that said, it is inferior. In some ways it is superior though.

Inferior -
- No minimalist Quincy Jones soundtrack. A standard 90s bombardment of sound when it isn't needed.
- Baldwin isn't McQueen. Charm, yes. Inherent danger, no.
- The shoot out with the small town sheriffs is a brilliant sequence in the original. Here it has no momentum or flow of brilliance.

Superior -
- The cruel relationship between Rudy and The Vet's wife is portrayed here better. Jennifer Tilly was a perfect casting. The original was just too cold-blooded.
- The finale in the hotel. Having Basinger play more of an equal footing was a good choice.

For what the original loses in 70s pacing and now "out-of-time" plot choices, the remake gains some ground back.

I'd recommend the original but I wouldn't dissuade if folks want to watch this one. It was overly maligned due to the real-life coupling of the leads. As was the original. Both need re-examining on merit.


7/10