Sigh. Another lame, predictable 'action' movie. This one has a down on his luck trucker blackmailed into smuggling weapons by having his family kidnapped. Really a paint by numbers movie, is there any doubt as to how things will end

I have to give this movie a 5 and I'm pretty light on these reviews. And maybe I'm different than a lot of other people Not sure what they were watching but I'm a patrick swayze fan and an 80's fan. Plus I re-watched this movie recently right next to my girlfriend who actually drives truck for a company. So she could explain all the things in it they are mentioned. Which that didn't bother me. I love when its new things they don't explain it to to you in a film. Not every one who watches the movies needs to be spoon fed. If they do then they need to buy the movie re watch it over.But for Patrick Swayze alone I'm giving this a 5. Sorry but meatloaf was funny but his acting was great. And I will continue to post about the lack of female characters and their limited role. This lady was just a good looking and her acting was pretty damn terrible. I mean really. And I was going to let her slide but I can't. Its not original either especially around the time this got made. Their were tons of low budget films where a husband had to support his family or got himself involved with criminals where they threatened the family. And then the plot went on. Kind of reminds me of those late 80's Steven Seagal movies.But the movie is for me a must not watch. I guess cause I was looking of the "next of kin" and picked this up on blue ray for cheap. So I even watched in 1080 and wasn't impressed which says a lot. Cause I watch older movies in 1080 and I just give them 4 points just off the fact I can actually see well into the background.I maybe faulting this movie cause its about trucking and the plot which its there but its just all over the place. Even where the black FBI agent gets shot. Pretty stupid and out of line. The part where the guy is telling locations is pretty dumb. It got so predictable when he went to open the crate up I said to my girlfriend "those are guns". How many movies, (lethal weapon, Beverly hills cop and many others) where they had guns in a crate. My girlfriend even had to explain what weight they had to be at and how close they were to not making weight for a truck. Something the director didn't even play into when they weighed the truck. And then the guard let him go.So the FBI risked a truck with guns, with an agent in it and let them drive it with a person with no license. Don't even get me going on the black dog. My girlfriend had no clue what that is or she didn't really think it was big deal. Cause she barely blinked an eye when that seen came on explaining it. They had some things blowing up, it was good for them. They really missed out on a lot of things in this movie. A couple of great fight scenes in this movie would have been nice and more sarcasm. This was the 90's. Where is the sarcasm at? And this was made in 1998 with movies like saving private Ryan and pleasanttville? Nope not buying the plot. They lacked creativity on this one. This was like a smokey in the bandit mixed with out for justice. Its very rare I review a movie with this low rating and must not see but I have to for this one. It will collect dust in my blu ray collection. And one more thing that could have saved this movie is the lead FBI agent. She was terrible. The police set the tone for the whole movie. The make you feel a good chase coming along. They are about the suspense. And just like in real life police have sarcasm. You should leave a film feeling as they were on the right path then something went wrong at ever turn. Ups and downs like real detectives and real cases. This case made you feel like "put the paper work on my desk I will arrest them when necessary"

Consistent readers of mine know how I love a good car/trucker movie, and Black Dog adds to the decent category of the list. It doesn't rank as high as Joy Ride or Maximum Overdrive did with me, but it proves itself worthy of recognition. It has a capable cast, a thin, yet efficient premise, but a modest level of suspense.Our main character is Jack Crews (Swayze), a man recently released from prison for vehicular manslaughter who agrees to take a job delivering "toilets" from Atlanta to New Jersey for $10,000. His no longer has a license, but takes the job out of desperation to prevent his house from getting repossessed. When he goes to pick up a truck to deliver the "toilets," he meets Red (Loaf) a suspicious, and utterly unsettling Jesus freak who winds up being more than meets the eye.Crews' partners on the delivery are Earl (Travis), Sonny (Cassesus), and Wes (Vincent). It isn't long before the four men discover they are being hunted by Red's men who want to turn this into a deadly cat and mouse game.The film is low on substance, but manages to make up for the film in terms of action scenes. Some are coherently shown, and sometimes, others serve as just set pieces. The film lacks the suspense of films like Joy Ride and Speed, although it does bring a considerable amount of talent to the table. Black Dog isn't bad, but it's thin and ordinary. It lacks in the field of suspense, which is something that is almost required in the high speed trucker genre.Starring: Patrick Swayze, Randy Travis, Meat Loaf, Graham Beckel, Brenda Strong, Charles S. Dutton, Lorraine Toussaint, and Stephen Tobolowsky. Directed by: Kevin Hooks.

The movie talks upon an ex-con named Jack(Patrick Swayze), he's working as mechanic in New Jersey, the bank is about to evict his house and he has no other choice taking a job for Red(Meat Loaf), driving a large truck in a long ride cross county, all the way from Atlanta . The truck is filled with illegal arms and he must to fight for saving his spouse(Brenda Strong) and daughter. Meanwhile the ATF and Feds (Stephen Tobolowski, Charles S Dutton, Lorraine Toussaint)are after from him.The motion picture packs noisy action, race trucks, exciting thriller and is quite amusing, furthermore contains an eerie twist plot with the legend of apparition an ominous black dog. It's entertaining because from the beginning to the end the action packed and suspense is nonstop. Patrick Swayze( unforgettable in Dirty dancing) as a two-fisted action man saving his family is cool though a little wizened.Colorful cinematography and catching musical score by George S Clinton. The picture is professionally directed by Kevin Hooks( son of actor Robert Hooks).He's an action movies expert (Passenger 57 , Fled, among others), though he usually works for television , filming known and famous series( Prison break, 24, Lost, Cold case, NYPD Blue..). Rating : Acceptable and passable and it will like to action movies buffs and Patrick Swayze fans.