Direct-to-video sequel to the 1986 cult hit (which really was only worth watching for Rutger Hauer's grand performance) has C. Thomas Howell returning as Jim Halsey who fifteen years after the events of the first film is still haunted by it all.

After using too much force in a bust (he's now a cop) he's fired from the force and decides to take a trip back to the Texas desert (where it all happened) with girlfriend Kari Wuhrer. Well the cat 'n' mouse and murder starts-up again when they pick-up hitchhiker Jake Busey - who it turns out is just a little bit nuts.

While this is nothing overly exciting and plays like the DTV follow-up it is; the pace is quite brisk, you'll never get bored and there's a few memorable scenes (like the "barn" sequence).

There are quite a few things here that don't work that great though; firstly, Busey isn't quite menacing enough, there's a few moments of poor dialogue ("Honey, you can't just go around shooting people because they're wacko") and overacting; and a finale that's especially silly (including the fact the very final moments are a complete rehash of the first movie).

This does get better as it goes along and is fairly watchable but the main problem I had with it was a problem I had with the original, and that's the fact the script always makes the villain "one step ahead" of our heroes without making it feel plausible at any time. (Chris Hartley, 6/8/04)

Directed By: Louis Morneau.
Written By: Charles Meeker, Molly Meeker, Leslie Scharf.

Starring: Jake Busey, Kari Wuhrer, Shaun Johnston, C. Thomas Howell.