Used Cars

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Used Cars follows Kurt Russell’s Rudy and Gerrit Graham’s Jeff as they engage in an ongoing battle with the car dealership across the road (owned by Jack Warden’s Roy L. Fuchs). There’s little doubt that Used Cars improves substantially as it progresses, as the movie, which runs a palpably overlong 113 minutes, has been saddled with a decidedly lackadaisical opening stretch that doesn’t contain much in the way of compelling, attention-grabbing attributes (ie let’s get on with it, already) – with the arms-length atmosphere, at least, alleviated by the larger-than-life efforts of its various performers. (Russell’s gleefully broad work here remains an ongoing highlight, as does Warden’s less-than-subtle efforts as the movie’s mustache-twirling villain.) It’s clear, then, that Used Cars benefits from a growing proliferation of engaging, entertaining sequences within its progressively involving midsection, while the unexpectedly thrilling third act, which focuses on Rudy’s efforts at bringing 250 cars back to his dealership within just a few hours, ensures that the movie concludes on a far more enthralling note than one might’ve initially anticipated – with the final result an erratic yet rewarding endeavor that should’ve topped out at 90 minutes (at the most).

*** out of ****