To start off with, since this movie is a remake of a classic, the rating has to be lowered already. Since this version stars Viggo Mortensen in the lead role of Kowalski, it helps.Isn't this just like the United States government though, to terrorize one of its own citizens. Sounds like Jason Priestley's character from the movie! But it is the truth, the government would do anything possible to destroy a man's life for trying to get home to his wife. A wife, who is in labor no less, and may not make it."There was a time in this country that the police would escort a man to his pregnant wife." The words of the Disc Jockey.There were some great shots of scenery in this film, and great car chases and a lot of spirituality. After much consideration, I gave this film a 7.

SPOILERS THROUGH: I really am in the minority on this one but I liked this movie. It's not a classic but it's definitely involving and quite an adrenalin fueled ride. I definitely thought it was worth at least a 7 rating.Perhaps the reason I liked it is because I haven't seen the original.Something tells me that with a movie like this it's strongest fans will be the people who have not seen the original version and thus, have little to compare it to. This was not a masterpiece but I did get into it quite a lot and it actually made me want to see the original.There were a few things I liked about it. One was the casting of Kowalkski. Viggo Mortenson was superb and really brought a lot of charisma to the role. Since the bulk of the movie fell on his shoulders, he really needed to be excellent and he was. This was a great role for him.Another interesting thing about Vansishing Point was the fact that it's made for television. I had no idea this was the case when watching it. It sure seemed like a major motion picture and I would never have guessed this was not a big screen release.I also found the story to be very absorbing. I'm not one for action movies but I got sucked into this. Plus it was a lot more then an action movie in that there was drama, mysticism, a love story, quirky people every which way you turned. (I didn't even recognize Priestly.) And it was touching. This was not a great movie but it is watchable.And then there's the ending. It packs a strong punch and if one's been involved in the story up to that point, it's very difficult not to be transfixed at the very end. I am not sure how I feel about the ending. The implication was that Kowalkski survived and though I'm highly skeptical of HOW that would be possible, it is a movie and realism isn't an ingredient that's always in the mix when making a movie.So I'd have to say I found the end incredibly unrealistic but very touching in a manipulative kind of way, which I don't usually like but for some reason, is almost forgivable in this movie. Admittedly, a lot of things were just props for the plot(could the villains have been anymore stereotypical?) But the makers got a lot right even if they got many things wrong as well. However, having said that, I will admit I can understand why someone who's a major fan of the original would hate this version because, though I have not seen the original, I have seen many original movies I loved being remade with terrible results. (My big dislike is actually sequels.) But I can understand the low ratings if the original is of that high a quality.People have compared this to Smoky and the Bandit. How about a road version of "Legends Of The Fall" meets "Thelma and Louese" as well? I sure felt touches of both films(both of which I'm a fan of.) I do not think however, that this was a great film. It was better then average to me but far from great. But it was an absorbing, adrenalin fueled, touching movie with excellent casting of the main character. My vote is 7 of 10.

With a pregnant wife and very little money in the bank, former Ranger and race driver, James Kowalski needs cash to pay for a hospital place during labour. He is on a job several states away when he learns his wife has gone into a dangerous labour and sets off a full speed to get home to his wife. Pulled over early on his journey, Kowalski makes a break for it and manages to evade the police across a couple of states. However as talk radio pick up on this "outlaw hero", his profile rises and he draws the attention of an equally gung-ho cop and the power of those not bound by state boundaries. Meanwhile Kowalski tries to focus on his wife and future child.There is no doubt that the producers of this remake never expected to win any friends among those who consider the original Vanishing Point to be a classic cult film. I am not one of those people but I can understand why they would hate this film because it loses whatever strange appeal the original had and replaces it with more story but nothing really that good. The casual viewer may appreciate the more meaningful plot here but really it doesn't make it a better film – just a better structured one. With more of a plot, the remake could have done something different by making this more of a character-driven story or at least, although clichéd, made more out of the relationship between Kowalski and his pursuers or even made comments about the little man versus the Man. Instead what it does is produce a simple story where Kowalski meets people along the road in between car chases.If you want an idea of what you're getting into, if they had added a few laughs here and there then this could easily have been Smokey & The Bandit 5. The car chases lack any imagination or special effort and, although noisy, are certainly not anywhere near special enough to justify essentially building a film around them. The whole thing smacks of television movie budgets but I suppose for some people this is enough for them – some people just like to see cars drive fast and crash (and before you accuse me of being a snob, please remember that I actually bothered to watch this film). The cast don't really help although, looking back, Mortensen looks like an attraction. Sadly he isn't because he plays the role right down the middle and didn't emotionally engage me or produce anything else of interest. Like the film itself, he more or less does what he was asked to do and isn't bad but certainly isn't any good. The same goes for the rest of the cast and the only distraction was the presence of familiar faces like David and Priestly.Overall, if you like the original then you will rip at your hair all the way though this because it simply doesn't compare (and remember when I say this that I didn't really like the original all that much). If you have never seen the original or even heard of it then you're still not off the hook because this is a simple, basic affair that relies on cardboard characters, a join-the-dots plot and lots of average car chases that are noisy but lack excitement. Not really worth it all round.

Much has said about the wonderful, original "Vanishing Point"; I finally got to see the TV remake of the 1970 classic...and it was a shame. The original had Barry Newman, who somehow had the unique talent to come across as a guy who'd 'been there and done that'...and survived it all with wit, humor, and integrity as well as fantastic driving skills. The bozo in this tepid rehash looks like he'd be out of his weight battling a soggy airmail envelope. Most of the time, while driving, he looks as if he's a 12-year-old punk out joyriding his older brother's car...and about to lose control of it, at that.Even the little technical details were goofy beyond reason. "Jimmy" Kowalski managed to buy a police radio scanner, and somehow it doesn't need an antenna to receive signals. Better yet, since it's a crystal-controlled radio, 'magic crystals' cut for the correct radio frequencies used by cops in FOUR STATES somehow magically install themselves during the asphalt festivities. Better yet, the radio doesn't even stop scanning when a transmission is received!!!Kowalski was supposed to be a former Army Ranger, and at one point he's in uniform, in front of a Captain who's dressing him down for his being an 'individual'. He's wearing a pair of army jump-wings, which means he's an Airborne Ranger (I guess), but no Combat Infantry Badge, despite being a decorated combat veteran. Interesting.In short, the numerous flaws of this movie far outweigh its virtues.On the other hand, the southwestern U.S. looked as lovely as it does in real life. Some nice footage of the area's scenic beauty was most welcome.They made the point...several times...during this flick that Kowalski wasn't a hero...just an 'ordinary guy' involved in 'extraordinary events'. Well, the REAL Kowalski (Newman) in the original was an extraordinary guy performing extraordinary feats. The big mistake here was trying to give us too much backstory on the mysterious and intrepid Mr. K, instead of letting us fill in the details ourselves. If you want to see a true American classic...a unique snapshot of early 1970s America, as it were, stay away from this T.V. travesty and watch the original instead.