"The Hitcher" remake was a big disappointment IMAO. The whole set up was twisted into a beginning full of clichés, with Jim picking up his girlfriend Grace to go to Lake Havasu in his Oldsmobile 442. The main difference between the movies of course is the addition of a girlfriend for the trip. In that role, Sophia Bush actually does a pretty decent job. She's probably the best thing about this remake. Not surprisingly she won a Teen Choice Award for her performance, and deservedly so.
The rest of the cast is just so-so. Zachary Knighton as Jim Halsey doesn't even come close to Howell's performance in the original, and it doesn't have enough intensity. Even Sean Bean, who I liked in other movies like "Troy", is a caricature here and trying to act like Rutger Hauer. He's not a scary killer. There are a few okay surprise moments, but the story in this one always feels dumb and unbelievable. The original was unbelievable too in a lot of ways but it just worked better because it was better made and acted.
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