MovieChat Forums > Easy Rider: The Ride Back Discussion > If you haven't seen this, trust me, you ...

If you haven't seen this, trust me, you are missing NOTHING.


I generally don't bother with reviews, but frankly, I feel lied to. I was duped into believing this was going to be a sequel to one of my favorite movies. A colossal disappointment is waiting for anybody hoping for anything vaguely similar to the original movie.
This movie has nothing in common with the original other than the title and numerous references to the original that seem more like an afterthought than actually part of the core story. It's not about the Bikes, it's not about Wyatt or Billy, it's not about the adventures of life on the road, in fact, the main story is not really even about a ride at all. It has absolutely zero of the original's dark, rebellious atmosphere, it feels more like a sentimental, made-for-TV family drama that you would see on the Lifetime channel.
CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD!
A guy who is supposed to be Wyatt's (Captain America's) brother hasn't spoken to his ornery, old, dying, WWII Veteran father since he was disowned after skipping out on the Vietnam war.. Our draft dodging hero has been invited by his sister to a family dinner. Will he show up for the little family reunion?...short, obligatory ride on a captain America clone bike, check....dirt bike scene, check...campfire conversation, check......Our hero arrives, and after some tense moments they all live happily ever after....
That's it. Now you know the whole story.
It feels like the writers had a story to tell, couldn't sell it, and decided to rewrite it into a sequel....of the first movie they could think of.
Easy Rider revolved around the romanticized notion of two scruffy looking individuals riding their custom Harleys across United States, with all the adventure, stigma, stereotyping, and danger that came with it.
The bikes were just as integral to the original story as Hopper and Fonda.
In this movie, the bikes mean nothing. They're only purpose seems to be to remind you that this is a sequel, and to give the main character a chance to don his Captain America costume. (There are times in the bike riding scenes where he genuinely DOES look like Fonda, and that is the only tiny positive nugget I can throw you concerning this movie). The fact is, the boys could have shared a minivan on their little trip and it really wouldn't have made any impact to the main story.
Did they even SEE the original?
The movie features generally weak performances by the experienced, usually competent actors almost certainly due to the hideous dialog and poor direction. I'll give exception to the movie's main character though. He would have been bad no matter who wrote or directed it.
Production and video quality is at the low end even for an Indie film.
Even the music was awful.
I so wanted to like this movie.
What a disappointment.

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You hit the nail on the head, MagBob. I watched this last night and it STILL makes me cringe. As others have posted, I can't figure out how anyone involved could have thought this was good. It reminds me of the first round of that American Idol show, where there are the truly bad singers who somehow got there and nobody ever told them they suck. We now know that was all a fake, but this is someone's real effort. The "actor's" first lines told me that they were not good.

Plus, your comment on the music is right on time, no pun intended. The first movie featured songs I still listen to and enjoy. This travesty has terrible songs made up to supposedly fit the "plot". Utterly forgettable songs. I watched the extra features which included some clips filmed as advertising propaganda that said they got Stephen Stills to re-record one of his songs to be in the film. No such song was in there. I am glad for Stephen's sake.

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The "actor's" first lines told me that they were not good.

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