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This became a new favorite of mine after seeing it for the first time just a couple of years back, though it's a film I'd been aware of for many years since seeing ads for it on TV when it was shown on broadcast stations. I felt like kicking myself for not seeing it much sooner. It can be described simply and to the point as The Crow meets The Fast And The Furious. The plot concerns the titular Wraith, a mysterious black armor-clad assailant in a seemingly indestructible Dodge Turbo Interceptor who's hunting down gang members in a small Arizona town and kills them off in street races. This all seems to coincide with the arrival of a new teen (played by a young pre-"winning" Charlie Sheen, just before he hit it big with the likes of Platoon and Wall Street) who may or may not have some direct involvement.
It's an extremely entertaining movie thanks to it's pace that's as fast as the featured Turbo Interceptor and some amazing street race scenes and the titular Wraith makes for an imposing presence. He's basically a hybrid of The Crow, RoboCop and Mad Max. Being an 80s film and the pinnacle of in-camera special effects, the stunts and street races are all very impressive and moreso given the film's low budget and that everything was done in-camera, making it feel that much more real. It's a film that definitely oozes the 80s from the clothing, hairstyles, the way the characters talk, etc. and it's excellent soundtrack which is comprised of many hit songs of the time, with Tim Feehan's Where's The Fire easily being my favorite; that song was so awesome I downloaded it immediately after hearing it in the film.
How ridiculously 80s this movie is is actually a big part of it's appeal, as it makes it that much more nostalgic and takes one back to a much simpler time before the days of the internet, cell phones, etc. and seeing a film where all of the action and stunts are done in-camera with nothing digital makes it feel so refreshing. The cast mostly do very good and turn in better than average performances for a film of this sort, with the standouts being Nick Cassavetes as the incredibly despicable gang leader and Clint Howard as the very appropriately-named Rughead (who somehow has knowledge of the word Wraith). The Turbo Interceptor prominently featured is a character in it's own right.
I wish I'd seen this film much sooner as it's definitely very entertaining, and I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner but better late than never as they say. A case of an old film being new for someone like myself seeing it for the first time. It's not really scary or anything, but still makes for a highly entertaining time and has the feel of a live-action Horror comic book. The title character is like one of the greatest franchise characters who never was but deserved to be as such. There's so much that could've been explored with this character. Where he came from, who or what was behind his creation, are there other Wraiths, etc.
It's an extremely entertaining movie thanks to it's pace that's as fast as the featured Turbo Interceptor and some amazing street race scenes and the titular Wraith makes for an imposing presence. He's basically a hybrid of The Crow, RoboCop and Mad Max. Being an 80s film and the pinnacle of in-camera special effects, the stunts and street races are all very impressive and moreso given the film's low budget and that everything was done in-camera, making it feel that much more real. It's a film that definitely oozes the 80s from the clothing, hairstyles, the way the characters talk, etc. and it's excellent soundtrack which is comprised of many hit songs of the time, with Tim Feehan's Where's The Fire easily being my favorite; that song was so awesome I downloaded it immediately after hearing it in the film.
How ridiculously 80s this movie is is actually a big part of it's appeal, as it makes it that much more nostalgic and takes one back to a much simpler time before the days of the internet, cell phones, etc. and seeing a film where all of the action and stunts are done in-camera with nothing digital makes it feel so refreshing. The cast mostly do very good and turn in better than average performances for a film of this sort, with the standouts being Nick Cassavetes as the incredibly despicable gang leader and Clint Howard as the very appropriately-named Rughead (who somehow has knowledge of the word Wraith). The Turbo Interceptor prominently featured is a character in it's own right.
I wish I'd seen this film much sooner as it's definitely very entertaining, and I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner but better late than never as they say. A case of an old film being new for someone like myself seeing it for the first time. It's not really scary or anything, but still makes for a highly entertaining time and has the feel of a live-action Horror comic book. The title character is like one of the greatest franchise characters who never was but deserved to be as such. There's so much that could've been explored with this character. Where he came from, who or what was behind his creation, are there other Wraiths, etc.