Route 666 (2001)

Route 666-Three and a half stars-One of my guilty pleasures

Yes indeed.Here is another "retro" review and this time it concerns a movie that really didn't do very well box office or critic-wise,but one nonetheless I have always liked very much.
This to me falls under the category of "sleeper".A lower budget film that sort of flies under the radar and doesn't get the attention it deserves.
Made in 2001,"Route 666" concerns the exploits of an NSA agent Jack Larosa played convincingly by Lou Diamond Phillips.He is sent to get and escort an AWOL gent under the witness protection program called "Rabbit"(Steven Williams) who has managed to slip out from under the very FBI agents who are also tagging along.
Just as LaRosa nabs "Rabbit" three hit men from the mob who "Rabbit" is testifying against, arrive to "reclaim" him.A gunfight ensues and the agents get away with their catch but with one very alive hitman in pursuit.This is in Arizona presumably along a stretch of old Route 66.In order to get their catch back to L.A. in time for the trial they decide to take a short cut through an old abandoned and very closed section of the route called Route 666.This section of the road was closed presumably due to a chain gang "accident" which occured back in the late 60s,but as we soon see there is more to the closure than that.
Along the way Jack has increasing "visions" popping into his head concerning the chain gang "accident".Through either an accident,coincidence or fate,it seems Jacks' very father was amongst the chain gang that was killed and as the movie goes on we find they were deliberately murdered.Furthermore the sprits of the four gang members are restless and walk the old Route looking for victims to take back into the road with them,the very place they were laid to rest.And when they take you back it is not a pretty sight,as they carry and use the very tools they had when they originally died to great effect.
One by one various members of the FBI group are killed as it is learned,for some a little late,that the road is not a safe place to be caught on.It is also revealed that the local sheriff knows all about the road and was directly involved in the killing of the gang members and doesn't want anyone to know,even if it means killing Jack,the witness and the remainder of the FBI to keep it quiet.The wild card through all this of course are the gang members themselves who come and go constantly wreaking terror and havoc amongst the group.In the end the Sheriff gets his,Jack makes a final connection with his father and three people are left to walk away from one hell of a day, towards L.A.
The movie never slows its' pace one bit and while the dialogue and feel of the movie may be a little B movie-ish that is also its' charm.Another thing that helps maintain the pace is the taut editing.This movie comes in around 86 minutes but that tension is never lost and is well maintained throughout.The actors give it all they have too.Phillips is your perfect tough ex-Navy Seal turned NSA agent,Steven Williams as "Rabbit" gives a bravura performance,and Lori Petty("Tank Girl") also turns in a surprisingly good performance as Stephanie,the FBI agent.Phillips,Petty and Williams are the triumverate core of the movie and they are the last men standing,as it were,when the picture finally fades.
In conclusion I highly recommend this film to all but youngsters, as many scenes are quite graphic.It's a great thrill ride that never loses its' punch.And unlike "Dusk to Dawn"(another favourite) it carries very little padding whatsoever which heightens the tension and impact even more.It's not perfect,it does have its' flaws but it's one heck of a ride and I like it. April 27, 2008

Zombies they are not

Route 666 is a movie about a group of U.S. Marshalls and a Federal Agent catching and transporting a witness in protective custody back to Los Angeles. There are hitmen after them and, desperate, they decide to take a short cut through the closed down Route 666, an ill-fated decision.

The acting in this movie was pretty good (except for Lori Petty, a.k.a. Steph, she was annoying). The plot was ok, there are some holes in the story and some links that the story tries to make it fit no matter waht (i.e. the fact that one of the "zombies" is th dead father of the Federal Agent). But, oh well. And how come the witness guy knows just about everything about the so-called zombies.

The type of zombie: well, they are kinda ghost zombies, they disappear and everything and so does the blood and body of their victims. Even though they are "zombies", they are never seen eating people. They are more corporeal ghosts than zombies. The movie, but for the end which was was way too corny and pathetic, was ok. The soundtrack was too cliché and bad. February 18, 2008

0 STARS: Insanely stupid and ridiculous GARBAGE!

After reading the names of the actors and actresses in this movie, I must say that I expected a little more out of this movie. What I got was a complete mess of a so-called "horror movie". The idea and the name of Route 666 sounds good, but the movie is a complete flop. Basically, "Route 666" is about a condemned highway or road where some really bad prisoners died and were buried in a cemetery off the highway. Strange things start appearing to our lead character Jack played by Lou Diamond Phillips. Ultimately, the ghost prisoners return from the grave to wreck havoc on the outlanders who dared to travel on Route 666. It might sound halfway decent, but trust me, it's not. It's an awful flick!

The acting in "Route 666" is pretty terrible, the directing is awful and the movie takes on a rock n' roll persona that destroys any possible horror atmosphere, mood or theme for this flick. "Route 666" is completely lacking in style, atmosphere and substance, all of which are necessary for a horror movie's effectiveness, and Route 666 hasn't got any of these things. Dale Midkiff did a pretty decent job in "Pet Sematary" although certainly not a great job, but in this movie, he and the rest of the cast were awful! The action is completely nonsensical and the movie is pure rubbish. If you want a scary movie, you won't find it in this rubbish. If you want rock n' roll bs with an attitude, you have come to the right place, but it sure doesn't do anything for me. January 4, 2007

Movie is middle B class, but the music rocks

I didn't care for the movie that much. Part of it could be the "Shaking" camera during the prisoner's appearance, but also it could have been written a little better in my opinion. What I WAS impressed with was the music soundtrack (of which, seems to be unavailabe), containing some of the coolest blues-type guitar I've heard in awhile. I'm considering watching it again to find out who did the music. JP May 24, 2006

dvd movie route 666

I bought the movie because I like Dale Midkiff, watched the movie for one minute,then burned it!
Very bad language!

March 19, 2006

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