Not bad little B, worth a look!

Sure, there are some Tarantino pretensions in both the script and the direction (a chandelier being reflected in a pool of blood - come on!), but basically this is, mostly, a straightforward action pic with a high body count, done with some style and put across by a bunch of tried-and-tested character actors who know how to fill their particular stereotypes. As for spending 90 minutes in front of your flat screen TV, you could a lot worse than watching WRONG TURN AT TAHOE.

There is nothing wrong with a plot that goes from A to B to C, as long as it does so with pace and gets to each point logically - both of which is the case here. Alas, the story is framed by an opening and final scene that make NO sense, certainly not within the parameters of the scorpion-and-frog metaphor. Apparently, the ending was tagged on to add some kind of irony to the story, or a way to have a neat "everyone gets his" finish.

What I liked about it was Cuba Gooding's performance, which anchors the film (After having played in so many duds, year after year, you wonder where he gets the energy and discipline to deliver a respectable performance every time), some nice framing on the part of the cinematographer, and some zippy dialogue. Again, some of which is clearly derivative of "Tarantino-speak". But we can't expect a little B, however nifty, to reinvent cinema.

Overall, a well-paced little action flick (wouldn't call it a thriller, cause there's no mystery) with some higher aspirations.

Tom