Filmed in 2003 and dumped direct-to-video by New Line Cinema a week before star Jim Caviezel's turn as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's surprise hit, The Passion Of The Christ came home. This has director Robert Harmon treading much of the same ground he did with his 1986 cult favourite, The Hitcher, only this movie doesn't work quite as well due to the script by Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell that is lacking on characterizations, has a villain that just doesn't fly, and doesn't even to generate any excitement despite the fact there's car crash senses peppered throughout.

Five years after witnessing his wife getting runover by a crazy driver on a lonely stretch of highway, Jim Caviezel is understandably obsessed with her death. Seems that the hit 'n' runner who did it has been doing this type of thing for years and Caviezel has taken it onto himself to track his wife's killer across country and try and stop him from randomly running people over.

Thrown into the middle of the mix is Rhona Mitra, who was intended to be one of the unfortunate victims only having not only survived a rather elaborate crash in a tunnel, but also getting saved by Caviezel when our baddie decides to drag her in a car by chain across a deserted bridge. This upsets our baddie who makes it his mission to lure her and his stalker to certain death as the game of cat 'n' mouse gets even more intense.

With a well put together title sequence and pretty steady direction by Harmon you'd expect more from Highwaymen. The problem is though that due to its slim running time, slender plotting, and general lack of interest it's not worth your time. Even amongst all the crashes and general mayhem you're certain to let out a yawn as nothing really captures your imagination.

Throw into the mix the fact that Caviezel makes for one bland hero (in a bland as Hell movie) and that not once can we buy the villain of his motivations - not to mention the fact that the movie decides to make him into a huge cripple bestowing Colm Feore with a huge neck brace, prosthetic limbs, and metal braces galore.

To get any sort of enjoyment out of Highwaymen you're going to have to suspend your belief as much as you possibly can - and believe me, I tried, but there's simply nothing here for viewers to "chew on".

Harmon's only other contribution to the genre was 2002's They and he's mostly made TV movies, screenwriter Bauer was one of the writers responsible for Anaconda and also co-wrote Komodo with his co-scripter here Mitchell. (Chris Hartley, 9/26/05)

Directed By: Robert Harmon.
Written By: Hans Bauer, Craig Mitchell.

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Rhona Mitra, Frankie Faison, Colm Feore.