reviewer

Joy Ride 2 was released in October 2008 but went straight to video. Don’t know why it did. It wasn’t that bad. The acting from the four main characters was what kept this film together. The direction was good, but the only thing wrong with this film was that it was far fetched. The original Joy Ride starred Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski. The characters were likeable and the story was adventerous and nervewracking. It is one of my favorite horror films. Joy Ride 2, however, is not.

The film stars Laura Jordan, Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, and Kyle Schmid. The two girls portray sisters who decide to travel to Las Vegas. One girl is engaged and takes along her fiance while her sister decides to pick a guy she met on myspace on the way to the city. Eventually, their car stalls out during their trip down a dirt road and they decide to walk. Along the way, they come across a house that has no electricity and appears that no one has lived in for years. Of course they find a car that just so happens to have the keys in it. They decide to take off with it promising to each other that they will return the car. The engaged girl decides to leave her cell phone number so that the owner can call her. Of course he does, but after he manages to take off with the girl’s fiance. And of course he is a killer who drives an 18 wheeler. He holds the fiance for ransom as the remaining three have to do everything they are told by the man behind the wheel. They are harrassed, belittled, and manipulated into embarrassing situations until the next person is taken.

Joy Ride 2 doesn’t compare to the first which is probably why it did go straight to video but it is definitely better than many movies that are released in theatres such as P2 and The Devil’s Rejects. The acting in the film is very good and they made you care about them. I just wish the torture scenes were kept out of the film. It wasn’t in the first and shouldn’t have been in the second. Otherwise this film would have been much better and probably more successful for the original Joy Ride fans. Also, if the killer was made more human like in the first rather than some unbeatable killing machine then it would be more realistic.