Drive Hard is a small budget action thriller starring John Cusack & Thomas Jane. Jane stars as Peter Roberts, an ex-racer turned driving instructor who is kidnapped by Simon Keller played by Cusack and forced to drive him away from a bank robbery. In turn they are being pursued by the police (honest & corrupt), as well as mercenaries who work for the bank which is owned by a crime syndicate. While this sounds like an interesting premise for a movie, the end result is utterly forgettable.
There are a few good points about this movie but they are few and far in between. One is the scenery of the Gold Coast of Australia where the movie takes place. Even though Cusack and Jane are decent actors they are let down by a very weak story and too many plot holes though. There are some funny moments, but the implausible moments and the flow of the story ruin what could have been a decent film. For example:
Keller robs 9 million worth of bonds from a safe that looks like it belongs in someone's house, not a high class international bank. He also conveniently knows the combination to the safe. Then they escape with ease evading police cars and a helicopter. Keller then shoots a Jeep full of mercenaries with one bullet causing it to explode and tumble over. They then switch cars and go on a long drive making as many unnecessary stops as possible. Not exactly the actions of someone trying to make a quick getaway.
Keller also promises Roberts that he will give him 3 million dollars and make it look like he was a kidnap victim so that he would not go to jail. At the same time he lets Roberts go into a gas station market as well as a bar unaccompanied. At one point they walk into a Wine Estate pretending they are guests who arrived early at a wedding that is supposed to take place there. Then they escape together from the owner who starts shooting at them. The kidnapped actually wrestles the owner to the ground and takes her gun away from her. So how exactly that makes him look like he has been kidnapped would be a very good question to ask. Roberts in turn has numerous chances to escape but obviously does not and a sort of camaraderie develops between the kidnapper and the kidnapped with a lot of needless dialogue. There are also back stories being told about the corrupt cops being investigated by the Federal Police and why exactly Keller decided to rob a mob-owned bank in the first place, as well as how Roberts has problems in his marriage. These side stories do not contribute much to the story or the film. Basically they are there to fill in some screen time. In the end there is a shoot out as one would expect and the ending is as clichéd as it can get.
Another problem with this film is that it's starts of as more of a buddy comedy but turns into a shoot 'em up near the end. This might work for some movies but not this one. That's why I would rate this as a 4/10. Watchable if there is nothing better, but forgettable and not worth watching ever again.
There are a few good points about this movie but they are few and far in between. One is the scenery of the Gold Coast of Australia where the movie takes place. Even though Cusack and Jane are decent actors they are let down by a very weak story and too many plot holes though. There are some funny moments, but the implausible moments and the flow of the story ruin what could have been a decent film. For example:
Keller robs 9 million worth of bonds from a safe that looks like it belongs in someone's house, not a high class international bank. He also conveniently knows the combination to the safe. Then they escape with ease evading police cars and a helicopter. Keller then shoots a Jeep full of mercenaries with one bullet causing it to explode and tumble over. They then switch cars and go on a long drive making as many unnecessary stops as possible. Not exactly the actions of someone trying to make a quick getaway.
Keller also promises Roberts that he will give him 3 million dollars and make it look like he was a kidnap victim so that he would not go to jail. At the same time he lets Roberts go into a gas station market as well as a bar unaccompanied. At one point they walk into a Wine Estate pretending they are guests who arrived early at a wedding that is supposed to take place there. Then they escape together from the owner who starts shooting at them. The kidnapped actually wrestles the owner to the ground and takes her gun away from her. So how exactly that makes him look like he has been kidnapped would be a very good question to ask. Roberts in turn has numerous chances to escape but obviously does not and a sort of camaraderie develops between the kidnapper and the kidnapped with a lot of needless dialogue. There are also back stories being told about the corrupt cops being investigated by the Federal Police and why exactly Keller decided to rob a mob-owned bank in the first place, as well as how Roberts has problems in his marriage. These side stories do not contribute much to the story or the film. Basically they are there to fill in some screen time. In the end there is a shoot out as one would expect and the ending is as clichéd as it can get.
Another problem with this film is that it's starts of as more of a buddy comedy but turns into a shoot 'em up near the end. This might work for some movies but not this one. That's why I would rate this as a 4/10. Watchable if there is nothing better, but forgettable and not worth watching ever again.