A former race car driver is abducted by a mysterious thief and forced to be the wheel-man for a crime that puts them both in the sights of the cops and the mob. A former race car driver turned driver's training instructor (Jane) is abducted by a mysterious thief (Cusack) and forced to be the wheel-man for a crime that puts both in the sights of the cops and the mob and leads them all on a chase across Australia's Gold Coast. Peter Roberts is an American, former race car driver who is now working as a driving instructor in Australia's Gold Coast where he lives with his wife and daughter. His life is about to be turned upside down when fellow American Simon Keller turns up to take a lesson. Keller asks to stop at the bank on the way back to get money to pay for the lesson Roberts is shocked when Keller runs back while being shot at; he has robbed the bank! It turns out it isn't an ordinary bank; he has taken nine million dollars in bearer bonds that were part of a money laundering scheme. Senior local police are in the pocket of the crooks and call off the police chase so soon Roberts and Keller find themselves being shot at by mercenaries armed with automatic weapons. They manage to switch cars and get away although in Roberts's case he is only sticking with Keller because he is being threatened. As they travel north they run into various dangers before ultimately having to confront the villains who want their bonds back.<br/><br/>When I started watching this film I knew nothing about it but assumed it would be an action packed film full of car chases and explosions; while it does include both it is much a comedy as an action film. It starts fairly well; Keller's driving lesson was amusing and the following chase is fairly exciting. Roberts and Keller are fun characters even if the latter is a criminal he is somewhat sympathetic as the people he stole from are worse. They have a decent chemistry that develops over the course of the film one can't expect real chemistry given the hostage/kidnapper relationship. Thomas Jane and John Cusack are solid in these roles. There are plenty of good laughs although some are rather dark a man who tries to stop them accidentally shoots himself with very messy results! The subplot involving the corrupt police is somewhat superfluous; our protagonists don't even know corrupt cops are involved let alone meet them. Overall this might not be a classic but it is rather fun and the Australia setting makes a refreshing change from the US or Europe. Think of this in the mid-late 1980's and you would have a cult classic on your hands today. This is the sort of buddy-criminal movie you just don't see anymore. Fast cars, chases, shoot-outs, one liners, gratuitous bad language…the 80's lover in me had to at least be entertaining by this straight to video entry. It isn't brilliant by any means and it falls short in many respects but for what it is, its fun and wild and the vitally important chemistry between the leads works pretty well. This is the sort of drive-in fluff that you can sit back and enjoy. If you try to dissect it then it falls apart and you'll hate it. Its nothing more than 70's/80's era fluff and I'm okay with that. Some of the performances (especially the supporting cast) is downright cheesy and I would have expected them to use the Australian backdrop a lot more. I am a huge fan of Australian horror films but how often do we get an action type film out of there and I really would expect any good director or cinematographer to utilize the beautiful and often rugged countryside and we don't get a lot of that.<br/><br/>The film features two actors I've always enjoyed. I think John Cusack has built up a solid fan base and he has had some bonified huge success. The problem is that as of late he's a had a strong of straight to DVD films for some reason. Now that being said, all of those movies that I've seen have been at least okay. If I had paid to see Drive Hard in the theatre I wouldn't have disappointed. Its a tried and true popcorn type flick so why not! Cusack is decent and plays a typical role for him as a bank robber with a little edge. Its far from his best role and there is very little depth to his character but it works and his charisma is good enough to make it watchable. Thomas Jane is sort of hit and miss with roles too but I actually thought he was really good in this. He's a former race car drive who gets inadvertently recruited by Cusack and suddenly the two men are on the run together. Their back and forth banter works well and their chemistry is good. Its not amazing…its not Mel Gibson/Danny Glover but it keeps the pace going and will certainly at least make you laugh a few times. Jane is manic and excitable and fun to watch. The supporting cast are all pretty good but there is a lot of them and they sort of get buried in the process of the plot. Zoe Ventoura plays a good solid and little bit campy role as Agent Walker. I think they could have done a lot more with her role but it is what it is. Damien Garvey, Christopher Morris and Jesse Spence are all good but very underused in the film. The film makers and writers spent so much time focusing on the slapstick camaraderie of the two leads that they forget about supporting cast and the plot feels slapped together and forced sometimes. Its unfortunate because they are on to something here.<br/><br/>Director Brian Trenchard-Smith is not new to directing. He's been around a long time and he's done some great TV and some even better cult classics. In a less experienced director's hands this probably would have been a Grade A disaster. He holds it together very well and fortunately the charisma of both of the leads makes this at least passable and gives it a fun cult feel to it. Without our director and Cusack and Jane, this probably would have been barely even watchable. I'm still not sure about the twists and turns to the plot and even if I got any of it but I'm also quite sure that I don't care. It was fun and wild and the car chases were well shot and didn't feel like regurgitated Fast and The Furious scenes which isn't easy to do nowadays. You have to go in with low expectations because it is what it is. But if you turn your brain off, pop some popcorn and just sit back and let the zany story take hold…you might have some fun. 6.5/10 This movie is so colorless, odorless, and (especially) tasteless, so devoid of mass or substance, that it’s easy to forget even while it’s still playing.
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