The Hitcher 2 - I've Been Waiting (2003)

Jake Busey steps into Rutger Hauer's cowboy boots to remind viewers about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers in this sequel to the 1986 thriller. Though suggested, it's unclear whether Busey's black-clad hitcher is actually supposed to be Hauer, who blackmailed teen driver Jim (C. Thomas Howell) for a series of killing 17 years earlier, but he makes life miserable all the same for the grown Jim (Howell again), now an trauma-plagued cop, and his girlfriend (Kari Wuhrer) as they drive through Texas (played here by Canada, and well photographed by George Mooradian). But where the original Hitcher was a taut exercise in suspense, executive producer Charles Meeker's script is simply a retread of its predecessor's highlights, including the infamous "drawn and quartered" scene, and gives the three leads little to do. Busey tries hard, but lacks Hauer's formidable presence, which may disappoint fans of the original; undemanding frightfest aficionados might enjoy this best. --Paul Gaita Amazon.com

Wow - Hitcher 2

Now when I first watched this movie, I was screaming my head off. After I watched it again, I said to myself, self, this is crazy!! I loved this movie and watched the first one with Jennifer Jason Leigh. That was insane. I am a big fan of Kari Wuhrer and Jake Busey. But with all films that have a II, III, et., you loose the magic that the first one had. Why try and repeat it again. July 19, 2007

Entertaining!

I seen this movie on USA network the other day. I haven't seen the first one but I enjoyed this one. It wasn't right that the guy from the first one died though. Jake Busey has skills like his dad. It shows in this movie. He is a freaky psycho in this movie! It is quite frightening! The movie is very entertaining, but every time the girl finds a way to stop the psycho, he blames everything on the girl or he always finds a way to get out of trouble. That's the only bad thing. Otherwise, buy it! I plan to! I gave it 3 stars because it is not a 4 star movie. It really is a 3 and a half. Don't listen to the bad reviews. You'll love it. March 22, 2007

Pretty Good Thriller.....

As a fan of The Hitcher, I was curious to see The Hitcher II. I was not disappointed. Although not quite as good as the first Hitcher, I found this movie thrilling and suspenseful for not being a horror movie. C. Thomas Howell returns in this sequel as Jim Halsey who survived the crazed Hitcher of the first movie. His girlfriend in the movie, Maggie ( played by the very pretty Kari Wuhrer ) is a tough cookie and delivers a great performance for she is a survivor!! Jim decides to take Maggie back to Texas where his original nightmare began years ago. They come across a hitchhiker who Maggie wants to pick up. After being a victim of the first hitchhiker, Jim does not want to pick up any more hitchhikers but gets talked into it by his girlfriend. The new crazed hitcher is named Jack ( played by Jake Busey ). Busey also delivers a good performance as a crazed man. Their journey turns into a nightmare when they realize they have picked up a psychopath. From then on, the film has many twists and surprises. I found it was entertaining from beginning to end. There is strong violence in this movie but it's not your basic gore movie. I really liked this movie and don't regret buying it. If you like thrillers, this is a movie for you. I don't quite understand the bad reviews about this movie. I'd suggest renting it and decide for yourself. I think most people will like it. March 3, 2006

SEQUEL?

Face it people, this is not T2 or The Godfather Part II, and why is there a sequel to the hitcher anyway? The first "The Hitcher" was a classic movie which was a perfect reimagining of Steven Speilberg's classic DUEL. There was no need for a sequel. The story was told, nothing more to tell. A sequel? Dragonheart fell victim for this. A sequel will just tell the story all over again. Not even C. Thomas Howell could save this movie from being a failure. All in all, not entertaining and unnecessary. Not recomended. November 27, 2005

Not Quite as Good as the Original

C. Thomas Howell reprises his role as Jim Halsey in this sequel to the original "Hitcher". Still haunted by earlier events, Jim and his girlfriend Maggie (Kari Wuhrer) decide to confront his demons once and for all. After being relieved of his duties as a police officer for using excessive force in breaking up a child abduction, Jim calls his friend Captain Ethridge, who helped him out earlier. The Captain convinces Jim and Maggie to come back to Texas so Jim can confront his feelings and erase his anxieties. Jim has never told his secret to Maggie, so she doesn't know why he keeps having flashbacks and is acting so strangely.

However, upon reaching their destination, the same sequence of events starts all over again, as Maggie forcefully convinces Jim to pick up a hitchhiker along the same strech of roadway that Jim had travelled 15 years earlier. The apparent survivor of an accident, Jack (Jake Busey) thumbs a ride from Jim and Maggie. Unknown to them at the time, Jake is the one who caused the accident. Soon, Jim and Maggie are fighting for their lives against another psychotic hitchhiker. Who will survive?

I thought the first movie was better than this one. I do think that C. Thomas Howell, Jake Busey, and Kari Wuhrer do good jobs in their roles, but the story is all too predictable (although there are some unexpected happenings). Even the scene with the victim tied between the truck and trailer is revised from the first movie. There's not much originality in this film, either. It relies too much on the first movie. I did like the flashbacks to the first film, though. The glaring omission from this movie is Rutger Hauer's amazing portrayal as the hitcher. Although Jake Busey does a pretty good job portraying the hitcher, Rutger Hauer's performance in the first movie is much better. If you've seen the original "Hitcher", then this movie is worth watching only to see how the story plays out. If you haven't seen the first movie, then you'll have a hard time following the storyline of this movie. November 17, 2005

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