Konterr Brilliant and touching

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Lechuguilla A rich city boy from back East named Beckman (Judge Reinhold) encounters local bullies in the form of rural Arizona rednecks as he drives west through the desert. Together with his hitchhiking companion, Johnny (Willem Dafoe), the two buddies function as updated characters to Buz and Todd, from the old television series "Route 66". I never saw the TV series, but it must surely have been better than "Roadhouse 66".A lot of the screen time takes place in or near this roadhouse, a local greasy spoon, where guys play pool, a local band livens things up with blue-suede songs, and the manager is a savvy, streetwise gal who reminds me of actress Ida Lupino. The plot has Beckman and Johnny meeting some local babes and fighting the bullies in the cafe.The best thing the film has going for it is that it was filmed entirely on-location in Arizona; and there's no CGI. The desert scenery is nice. And I like the performance of the café manager who doesn't suffer fools gladly, having been one herself when previously married to the star bully.But like the town itself, the film is boring. Not a lot happens here. Original songs are blah and forgettable for the most part. And the ending is predictable. But the worst element is the casting of the two leads. I can't take Judge Reinhold seriously as an actor. He always reminds me of those irritatingly lightweight "comedies" of the 1980s. I also dislike his geeky persona and annoying smirk. Willem Dafoe carries around the same irritating regional accent in all movies I have seen him in. At least he had the smarts to avoid a career as a singer. This film shows why.This is a below average buddy/road film. For some viewers, and depending on their mood, it may help pass the time. Oh, and the prod design for the greasy spoon is not realistic, owing to the absence of a major component ... flies.

zardoz-13 My chief complaint about the otherwise tolerable "Roadhouse 66" is that director John Mark Robinson and rookie scenarists Galen Lee and George Simpson spent almost 90 minutes forging Alan Autry into one of the all-time dastardly villain and then they don't allow us to enjoy his comeuppance. Autry steals the show from leading men Willam Dafoe and Judge Reinhold as the cruel town bully of Kingman, Arizona. It seems that Hoot's father is a judge, and this wicked bastard can get away with virtually anything. By the time that the climactic race gets underway, it appears that events may be catching up to Autry's incredibly sadistic villain. Mind you, Autry gives a superb performance and he is truly despicable to the point that you want to see him go out in a blazing inferno. Meanwhile, there are times when you wonder what the heroes were thinking. They fail to take Autry's villain seriously and poor Stephen Elliot in a small but significant performance pays the price. Ostensibly, Robinson's buddy picture derives its title from a roadside diner on the old Highway 66. Beckman Hallsgood Jr. (Judge Reinhold of "Beverly Hills Cop") is leisurely tooling through Arizona from New York on his way to Palms Springs where he is to learn about the fast-food business. Beck and his father have bought a fast food restaurant franchise called Pork Boy. About the time that our bespectacled hero reaches Arizona, he runs afoul of Hoot (Alan Autry of "North Dallas Forty") and his sidekicks Moss (Peter Van Norden of "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment") and Dink (Kevyn Major Howard of "Death Wish 2") on the highway. Beck is driving a 1955 Thunderbird when Hoot cruises up alongside him, brandishes his revolver, and blows a hole in Beck's radiator. Roughly about the same time that this incident occurred, a hitchhiker is crossing the road. Johnny Harte (Willam Dafoe of "Platoon") doesn't get hit by either one of them, but he runs into Beck after Beck has had to park his vehicle. The two guys become friends and they arrive in Kingman looking for a radiator.Eventually, they wind up in Roadhouse 66 where Johnny struggles to convince the owner of an auto parts store, Jesse Duran (Kaaren Lee of "St. Elmo's Fire"), to open the store so his new friend can get a radiator. Jesse has just made it through a long day at work and doesn't walk to set foot in his store until 9 AM the next morning. Nothing that either Johnny or Beck can do will change her mind. Eventually, Hoot and Beck cross paths again in the Roadhouse 66 diner, and they square off against each other in a competitive game of pool. Hoot seizes the white pool ball before Beck can take his final shot and win the game. Beck slugs him, but it is like Beck striking a stone stature. Hoot and his two cronies pile up on Beck and beat him senseless. Johnny takes on Hoot, and Hoot leaves with a chip on his shoulder. All along Beck has been trying to get out the two-bit town, but he has fallen in love with with Jesse's younger sister, Melissa (Kate Vernon of "Malcolm X"), and he is having trouble leaving Kingman. Beck decide to enter his Thunderbird in a race that Hoot has won the last three years running. Hoot refuses to lose and stacks the deck against Beck. At the same time, Johnny comes to grips with the memory of a former musical group singer who died in a car accident. As I said, Alan Autry makes a top-notch but despicable villain, and you will love how they make him into a progressive meaner enemy. Our heroes triumph in the end and leave Kingman with their women following them. During the grueling car race, Beck swerves their car into Hoot's car and he flips. Unfortunately, we don't see him die a richly deserved death. At fadeout we can hear the old "Route 66" television theme.

merklekranz Willem Dafoe plays a drifter who quit the music business after his band partner was killed in a car accident. Judge Reinhold is the stereotypical rich kid from back east, driving his 55 T.Bird. These two meet up in the Arizona desert and spend some time in a small town because of car trouble. There they are harassed by a trio of local goons, and are attracted to a couple of cute blonde sisters. The acting is good, the location photography is stunning, the 57 Chevy, 55 Thunderbird, 55 Chevy, 59 Caddy and 66 Mustang are great, there is even a touch of nudity, along with some terrific rockabilly tunes. "Roadhouse 66" is definitely above average entertainment. If you can sit back and just enjoy the ride, this movie will not disappoint. - MERK

Wizard-8 When "Roadhouse 66" first appeared on cable in Canada almost twenty-five years ago, I sat down to watch it, though about halfway through I quit watching it. I didn't remember why, however, so with it now available on DVD I decided to rent it and give it another try.I did make it all the way through this time... but barely. It didn't take me long to figure out why I stopped watching it the first time. This is one BORING movie. Although it runs about an hour and a half, there is only about thirty minutes or so of plot. The rest of the time, nothing of consequence happens.To make matters worse were the characters. Reinhold's character is the worst. His character is incredibly stupid, and you'll eventually relish the scenes where he gets over his head and into serious trouble. The bad guys are really mean-spirited for a movie that tries to be somewhat light-hearted the rest of the time.Oh, and the climatic race sequence? It was one of the most boring car races I have ever seen. For one thing, the cars for the most part seem to be going half speed instead of full-out.Maybe I'll give the movie another chance twenty-five years from now...